Gifs are frequently used here on the BBS. That’s a good thing. There’s a reason “a picture is worth a thousand words” rings so true, and we have several features - like a gif searcher right in the editor - that we’ve added to make this as easy as possible.
However, gifs (and their implied messages) still need to fit within our community guidelines. Most gifs with text are pretty explicit about their meaning and can be judged accordingly, but if the meaning you are trying to get across in a gif wouldn’t pass muster as if it were written down, it probably won’t pass muster as a gif either.
The most common issues from a mod perspective tend to revolve around expressions of bad faith. Giving someone a good dose of gif side-eye or “sure, whatever” gif may feel good, but it doesn’t contribute to the conversation or afford the members you are talking to a good-faith reading of their posts. If you feel someone is maliciously acting in bad faith, please flag with a “something else” flag to let us know, and we will investigate.
If you do use such a gif, follow in @Melizmatic’s masterful use of them and add your own thoughts to the post. There’s nothing wrong with taking issue with someone’s opinion on the BBS, but an eye-roll gif isn’t doing that. However, an eye-roll gif followed by your thoughts on the post is not only on-topic, it’s a very poignant way to get your message across with the appropriate level of snark. (Snark is good! But there’s a line between “snarky” and “rude” or insulting. Please treat others here with respect, even if you disagree with them).
Thanks!
