Most of us on these forums have never actually met one another. To many of you, all I am is my avatar and my words. To others, you can throw the cups and balls museum into the mix. I try to be very careful about the words I use when I write these columns and the other "words of wisdom" I put out in the various threads and posts. But there are a lot of people who really don't seem to care.

So, let me point out a few things that will go a long way towards making a better impression on people. Some of these things are in the rules of the forum, but many people apparently don't read them.

1) Use your real name. I take people much more seriously when I know who they are and what their background is. If your username isn't your real name, at least sign your posts. If you are willing to put your thoughts on line, put your name to them. That gives you some credibility.

2) Your avatar should look something like you. Whit Haydn's avatar looks like him and captures his personality.

3) Spelling and grammar are important. However, I know that a lot of people on the forum come from countries other than the US or the UK, so they may have problems with our language. I'll cut those people a lot of slack. I'm also willing to cut some slack for people who are dyslexic. But if you are a normal, everyday working bloke, you should at least be able to spell the names of the tricks you do as well as the names of the people who have contributed greatly to magic. It's not rocket science, guys.

4) Chat room English is laziness. It shows disrespect. It is prohibited in the forum rules. But I see it all the time, especially in PMs. When I get an e-mail that uses "u" for "you" or "tnx" for "thanks," I am put off by it. It takes two more keystrokes to write "you." It takes three more keystrokes to write "thanks." The one that gets furthest up my nostril is "ppl" for "people." People who write ppl are the laziest ppl in the world.

And if you are begging me for something, don't use chatroom English at all. Your plea will fall upon deaf ears. Okay, deaf eyes. That doesn't work either. I think you get my drift.

I realize I have posted about this before, but it doesn't seem to have had much effect on those who need to see it the most.