TOP TEN TABOOS

Helium.com was created as "a community of writers," according to the site's own "What Is Helium?" page. Another company slogan says Helium is the spot "where knowledge rules." These claims are reflected in most of the content readers may find on Helium pages.

Using Helium's peer review system, writers are raters, and raters are writers.

However, Helium readers may be writers, site visitors or web surfers. What do readers expect to find, when they choose to view articles on Helium.com? Quality content, solid research, helpful information and skilled writing will draw readers to visit and return.

On the other hand, shaky facts, slipshod writing and sloppy postings will send readers running, which cannot be advantageous for anyone in the Helium writing community.

What are the biggest no-no's for Helium writers? Here are the top ten taboos:

DON'T PLAGIARIZE OTHERS.

This is the motherlode of all messups. If you didn't write it, then you must cite it. Quotation marks and source listings (see below) are essential.

Helium's own User Guide states it this way: "Acts of plagiarism may result in deletion of your articles and termination of your account."

That's right! Writers who plagiarize can expect to be banned from the site. Yes, eventually, such hacks will be handled, particularly now that Helium site stewards are patrolling their channels. There are a few new sheriffs in town, and it's a good thing!

DON'T REPOST YOUR ITEMS VERBATIM.

Did you know that you can even plagiarize yourself? Helium frowns severely upon multiple publications of identical copy on the site. In other words, you cannot cut-and-paste the exact same article to several Helium topics. You might write similar pieces on similar topics, but each article must contain some original content.

DON'T CITE DATA WITHOUT SOURCES.

Well-written articles are often built on research. Unless a writer has personal experience or expertise in a given area, he or she will likely have to bone up on facts and findings before writing. As a Helium writer, when you include found facts in an article, you should list the sources where you obtained that information. In other words, if you recite, you must cite!

Helium offers several suggestions for citing source information. Perhaps the simplest is to list sources at the end of an article (as below).

DON'T USE PROFANITY.

Helium was designed as a "family-friendly site with a minimum age of 13," according to the site's User Guide. Articles should be appropriate

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