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So, how do you put your personality across in posts on a BBS? I think layout is quite important, making the post as easy as possible to read etc...
When responding to a post, quoting always helps indicate exactly what you are responding to. It could also help keep your reply on-topic. I prefer mixing my comments within the quoted message, rather than quoting the entire message then responding to it as a whole. Point-by-point is always nice.
I like to separate thoughts into paragraphs, it makes the post easier to read and gives a break for the eyes to visually indicate different ideas/comments. Running all your sentences together just makes for one, big, uncomprehensible blob of text that doesn't transfer your ideas well into a post.
Do a bit of (gasp!) research before posting! Whatever the topic it is always nice to have references, examples and links to support your comments. If you are posting for help, say: "I tried this, this and this, and have looked here, here and here but cannot solve my problem". Even if the answer is right in front of you, people will be more likely to respond positively to someone who wants to help themselves. If you have a comment or an opinion, the same can be applied there, too.
I don't get bothered too much by spelling or correct punctuation, as long as I can see you are making an attempt to think through your post before posting. Stream-of-thought posts are rarely helpful or worth it to try to wade through. It's too easy to fire and forget a post, better (like Doug said above) to preview and review.
I also think it's a good idea to have a profile filled out on the BBS so people can see who they are dealing with. I would be more likely to respond and help someone who has a profile (and especially a website) where I can see they are not just another anonymous wanker trolling by the BBS. I'm probably more likely to respond negatively to someone who looks like they are trying to hide something than a person who is more open. It's like Cris said above: this BBS is more civil because some of us have met each other - a completed profile is the first step there.
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