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Guidance is pretty important, and I'm going to write a meta post in some other meta about it soon. Long story short, if it weren't about guiding users, I wouldn't be writing this and you wouldn't be reading it.

There are some things that are happening often enough in the main site, such as welcome messages, that I feel like posting the same comment again and again. Let's have some canned responses then. Feel free to modify them to suit your need, and use them as you please. There's also this script/extension called AutoReviewComments that you might find useful.

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General

These would have no tag in AutoReviewComments, and would appear both in questions and answers.

  • ###Welcome
    [Welcome to chemistry.SE!](http://chemistry.stackexchange.com/tour) If you have any questions about the policies of our community, please ‎visit [the help center](http://chemistry.stackexchange.com/help).
  • ###LaTeX/MathJax/Markdown intro
    Please visit [this page](http://chemistry.stackexchange.com/help/notation), [this page](http://meta.chemistry.stackexchange.com/q/443/) and [this one](http://meta.chemistry.stackexchange.com/q/86/) on how to format your future posts better with MathJax and Markdown.

Questions

These would be tagged as [Q] in AutoReviewComments, and would appear in the questions.

  • ###[Q] Homework Policy I
    This is a [homework](http://meta.chemistry.stackexchange.com/q/141/7448) question. We have a policy which states that ‎you should show your thoughts and/or efforts into solving the problem. It'll make us certain that ‎we aren't doing your homework for you. Otherwise, this question may get closed.‎ Please [edit] in your full reasoning or thoughts on this.
  • ###[Q] Homework Policy II
    Please take a look at the link provided. Basically any question with the wording your question has is considered homework; it needn't be literally one. Self-study questions, puzzles etc. also count as homework. Don't worry, they're not banned. But, we require a minimal effort. You can just tell us what you did that didn't get answers. We'll take it from there.
  • ###[Q] Then what are you paying your doctor for?
    Personal medical questions are off-topic on Chem.SE. We can not safely answer questions for your specific situation and you should always consult a doctor for medical advice.
  • ###[Q] Name all *teh* things
    Please see our [guidelines on how to ask nomenclature questions](http://meta.chemistry.stackexchange.com/q/3066/).
  • ###[Q] Did you hear what happened to the last guy that used Mathjax in the title?
    We prefer to not use MathJax in the title field due to issues it gives rise to; see [here](http://meta.chemistry.stackexchange.com/q/149/4945) for details.
  • ###[Q] Typing is hard. Long live photography
    A screenshot or picture of an exercise is not searchable. Please consider rewriting it, so that it can be of help for future visitors.

Answers

These would be tagged as [A] in AutoReviewComments, and would appear in the answers.

  • ###[A] OP is thankful
    Please don't post a "thank you" as a comment. Instead, [upvote](http://chemistry.stackexchange.com/help/why-vote) or [accept](http://chemistry.stackexchange.com/help/accepted-answer) answers that were useful to you.
  • ###[A] Someone else is thankful
    Please don't add "thanks" as answers. Invest some time in the site and you will gain sufficient [privileges](//chemistry.stackexchange.com/privileges) to [upvote](http://chemistry.stackexchange.com/help/privileges/vote-up) answers you like, which is the Chem.SE way of saying thank you.
  • ###[A] Link-only but not spam
    Whilst this may theoretically answer the question, [it would be preferable](//meta.stackoverflow.com/q/8259) to include the essential parts of the answer here, and provide the link for reference.
  • ###[A] Comment shape-shifted to an answer
    Please use the *Post answer* button only for actual answers. This is really a comment, not an answer. With a bit more rep, [you will be able to post comments](//chemistry.stackexchange.com/privileges/comment).
  • ###[A] i haz porblem
    Here, the answer part is reserved for actual answers to the question. If you have another question, please ask it by clicking the [Ask Question](//chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/ask) button.
  • ###[A] i haz porblem too
    If you have a **new** question, please ask it by clicking the [Ask Question](//chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/ask) button. If you have sufficient reputation, [you may upvote](//chemistry.stackexchange.com/privileges/vote-up) the question. Alternatively, "star" it as a favorite and you will be notified of any new answers.
  • ###[A] DON'T FEED THE BEARS
    While we appreciate your contribution to the site, it would be preferable to not answer questions that do not comply with our [homework policy](http://meta.chemistry.stackexchange.com/q/141/).

Additionally, Shog9 has these awesome AutoReviewComments, if you wanted something more official, more robotic and/or more elaborate for answers:

  • ###[A] Answers just to say Thanks!
    Please don't add _"thanks"_ as answers. They don't actually provide an answer to the question, and can be perceived as noise by its future visitors. Once you [earn](http://meta.stackoverflow.com/q/146472) enough [reputation](http://$SITEURL$/help/whats-reputation), you will gain privileges to [upvote answers](http://$SITEURL$/help/privileges/vote-up) you like. This way future visitors of the question will see a higher vote count on that answer, and the answerer will also be rewarded with reputation points. See [Why is voting important](http://$SITEURL$/help/why-vote).
  • ###[A] Link Only Answers
    A link to a solution is welcome, but please ensure your answer is useful without it: [add context around the link](//meta.stackexchange.com/a/8259) so your fellow users will have some idea what it is and why it’s there, then quote the most relevant part of the page you're linking to in case the target page is unavailable. [Answers that are little more than a link may be deleted.](//$SITEURL$/help/deleted-answers)
  • ###[A] NAAs by < 50 rep
    This does not provide an answer to the question. You can [search for similar questions](//$SITEURL$/search), or refer to the related and linked questions on the right-hand side of the page to find an answer. If you have a related but different question, [ask a new question](//$SITEURL$/questions/ask), and include a link to this one to help provide context. See: [Ask questions, get answers, no distractions](//$SITEURL$/tour)
  • ###[A] NAAs by > 50 rep
    This post doesn't look like an attempt to answer this question. Every post here is expected to be an explicit attempt to *answer* this question; if you have a critique or need a clarification of the question or another answer, you can [post a comment](//$SITEURL$/help/privileges/comment) (like this one) directly below it. Please remove this answer and create either a comment or a new question. See: [Ask questions, get answers, no distractions](//$SITEURL$/tour)
  • ###[A] 'Me too!'
    Please don't add _Me too!_ as answers. It doesn't actually provide an answer to the question and can be perceived as noise by its future visitors. If you have a different but related question then [ask](http://$SITEURL$/questions/ask) it (reference this one if it will help provide context). If you're interested in this specific question, you can [upvote](http://$SITEURL$/help/privileges/vote-up) it or leave a [comment](http://$SITEURL$/help/privileges/comment) once you have enough [reputation](http://$SITEURL$/help/whats-reputation).
  • ###[A] Link only (Chem link)
    This should be a comment, not an answer. If it is a duplicate question, [vote to close](http://$SITEURL$/help/privileges/close-questions) as such and/or leave a comment once you [earn](http://meta.stackoverflow.com/q/146472) enough [reputation](http://$SITEURL$/help/whats-reputation). If not, tailor the answer to this specific question.
  • ###Spam
    Excessive promotion of a specific product/resource may be perceived by the community as **spam**. Take a look at the [help], specially [What kind of behavior is expected of users?](http://$SITEURL$/help/behavior)'s last section: _Avoid overt self-promotion_. You might also be interested in [How to not be a spammer](http://$SITEURL$/help/promotion) and [How do I advertise on $SITENAME$?](http://$SITEURL$/help/advertising).
  • ###[A] Question posted as answer
    This post isn't an actual attempt at answering the question. Please note [$SITENAME$ doesn't work like a discussion forum](http://$SITEURL$/about), it is a Q&A site where every post is either a question or an answer to a question. Posts can also have [comments](http://$SITEURL$/help/privileges/comment) — small sentences like this one — that can be used to critique or request clarification from an author. This should be either a comment or a [new question](http://$SITEURL$/questions/ask).
  • ###[A] Editing NAA in review
    Please don't edit those posts that aren't answers. Editing in review clears the current flag and stops the deletion process. You should "Recommend Deletion" instead, or Skip if you're not sure.
  • ###[A] Editing VLQ in review
    Please don't edit link-only answers when you cannot salvage them. As is, they aren't answers and should be deleted. Editing in review clears the current flag and stops the deletion process. You should "Recommend Deletion" instead, or Skip if you're not sure.
  • ###[A] Duplicated answer to multiple questions
    Please don't add [the same answer]([type here]) to multiple questions. Answer the best one and flag the rest as duplicates. See [Is it acceptable to add a duplicate answer to several questions?](http://meta.stackexchange.com/q/104227/347985)

Shamelessly stolen from https://sobotics.org/

For now, please suggest any further additions to this group in the comments. This answer will become Community-Wiki after most/all of the necessary expansions have been done.

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    $\begingroup$ ###[Q]Medical Personal medical questions are off-topic on $SITENAME$. We can not safely answer questions for your specific situation and you should always consult a doctor for medical advice. $\endgroup$
    – Martin - マーチン Mod
    Commented Apr 20, 2016 at 4:52
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    $\begingroup$ ###[Q]Nomenclature Please see our [guidelines on how to ask nomenclature questions](http://meta.chemistry.stackexchange.com/q/3066/). $\endgroup$
    – Martin - マーチン Mod
    Commented Apr 20, 2016 at 4:53
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    $\begingroup$ ###[A]Homework answer While we appreciate your contribution to the site, it would be preferable to not answer questions, that do not comply with our [homework policy](http://meta.chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/141/). $\endgroup$
    – Martin - マーチン Mod
    Commented Apr 20, 2016 at 4:53
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    $\begingroup$ ###[Q]Markup in the Title We prefer to not use MathJax in the title field, see [here](http://meta.chemistry.stackexchange.com/q/149/4945) for details. $\endgroup$
    – Martin - マーチン Mod
    Commented Apr 20, 2016 at 4:55
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    $\begingroup$ ###[Q]Inappropriate tagging Please don't try to summarise your question with tags. For more information, see [meta.se](http://meta.stackexchange.com/q/18878/) and the [help]. $\endgroup$
    – Martin - マーチン Mod
    Commented Apr 20, 2016 at 4:55
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    $\begingroup$ ###Picture with text A screenshot or picture of an exercise is not searchable. Please consider rewriting it, so that it can be of help for future visitors. $\endgroup$
    – Martin - マーチン Mod
    Commented Apr 20, 2016 at 4:56
  • $\begingroup$ @Mart I don't think "Inappropriate tagging" is useful (yet). Also I think "Picture with text" would benefit from a link or two. $\endgroup$
    – M.A.R.
    Commented Apr 20, 2016 at 10:31
  • $\begingroup$ meh. these are the ones I use, so take it or leave it $\endgroup$
    – Martin - マーチン Mod
    Commented Apr 20, 2016 at 10:33
  • $\begingroup$ I'll eat it. Yum $\endgroup$
    – M.A.R.
    Commented Apr 20, 2016 at 10:34
  • $\begingroup$ You know that [help] in a comment will create a link to the help centre, don’t you? Goes for a number of other shorteners which I keep forgetting, too. $\endgroup$
    – Jan
    Commented Nov 5, 2016 at 16:55
  • $\begingroup$ Jan take a look at the newest sandbox and my two comments below it. $\endgroup$
    – M.A.R.
    Commented Nov 11, 2016 at 9:25
  • $\begingroup$ Oh! Wonderful! This will be SO helpful! :) $\endgroup$
    – Melanie Shebel
    Commented Nov 12, 2016 at 1:34
  • $\begingroup$ Do you really want to link to meta.chemistry.stackexchange.com/q/111? $\endgroup$
    – mhchem
    Commented Feb 16, 2017 at 16:29
  • $\begingroup$ @mhchem why not? That post is kinda teaching with examples. I learned more stuff from that post than the official MathJax FAQ. (Which was because that was more interesting and intriguing to look at, rather than some documentation.) $\endgroup$
    – M.A.R.
    Commented Feb 16, 2017 at 17:10
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ ###States of aggregation States of aggregation should not be subscripted, it is not wrong, but the [recommendations (Sec. 2.1.)](https://web.archive.org/web/20131125004444/http://pac.iupac.org/publications/pac/pdf/1982/pdf/5406x1239.pdf) are different. $\endgroup$
    – Martin - マーチン Mod
    Commented Feb 27, 2017 at 9:24
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Here are the ones that I'm using right now. This is hardly an exhaustive list and will be updated as we go along and as we encounter new scenarios.

These are tailored to the fact that I'm a moderator and I try to leave comments with a more authoritative tone of voice. If you adopt these, you may or may not want to modify them.

I'd prefer it if you guys not edit this post directly. This is more of a reference for myself than anything, and the only reason I'm posting it here is because I figured that since I had it, there's no harm in sharing it. So, I'd like to retain ownership of this post. Thanks.

### MathJax
You can format mathematical and chemical expressions on $SITENAME$.SE using MathJax; [this post](http://meta.chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/86) contains further details.

### mhchem
You can (and should) use the `\ce{...}` environment to format chemical equations and formulae; see [here](http://meta.chemistry.stackexchange.com/a/3046/) for a basic intro and [here](https://mhchem.github.io/MathJax-mhchem/) for a complete documentation.

### Lowest sum of locants
Note that the widely-cited "sum of locants" rule is incorrect. See: [IUPAC nomenclature: “Smallest sum of locants”?](http://$SITEURL$/q/27095/16683) and the answers therein.

### Accept answers
If an answer has helped solve your question, please consider upvoting and/or accepting one (by clicking on the tick next to the voting buttons). That's the Stack Exchange way of saying thank you! See also: https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/help/someone-answers

###[Q] Homework
Hi, please refer to the [linked post](http://meta.chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/141) in the close reason. You need to explain exactly what you are facing trouble with, please do not simply leave the question without any elaboration. If you edit the question accordingly, it will be reopened.

###[Q] Personal medical questions
Personal medical questions are off-topic on $SITENAME$.SE. We cannot safely answer questions about your specific situation and you should **always** consult a qualified doctor for medical advice.

###[Q] Purchasing chemicals
Sorry, questions about where to purchase chemicals from are off-topic on $SITENAME$.SE. Please see [this meta discussion](http://meta.chemistry.stackexchange.com/q/3100) for more details.

###[Q] MathJax in title
If possible, please try not to use MathJax in titles on $SITENAME$.SE. Please see [this meta discussion](http://meta.chemistry.stackexchange.com/q/149) for more details.

###[Q] Encouraging accepts
If an answer has helped you, please consider upvoting or accepting it (green tick next to the voting buttons) as a way of expressing your thanks and indicating that your question has been solved. Please see [What should I do when someone answers my question?](http://$SITEURL$/help/someone-answers) in the Help Centre for more details.

###[A] Question in answer
If you have a new question, [please ask a new question](http://$SITEURL$/questions/ask) instead of posting an answer. You can include a link to this question if it helps provide context.

###[A] Plagiarism
Your answer appears to be lifted directly from [this website](). Note that plagiarism is not tolerated here, and answers without proper attribution will be deleted. Please see: [How to reference material written by others](http://$SITEURL$/help/referencing) in the Help Centre.

###
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I would like feedback to improve these. I will leave it to the community to use good judgement in whether to suggest an edit in the comments or edit directly. More signifacnt edits (overhauls) please suggest, spelling/grammar go for it.

### [Q] or [A] Standard
Welcome to Chemistry.SE! To help you become acquainted with the site, I would just like to suggest if you haven't already, please take a minute to look over the [help center](https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/help) and [tour page](https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/tour) to better understand our guidelines and question policies. You will find StackExchange (SE) to be a different kind of Q&A website from the mainstream. To learn more visit [Meta.Chemistry](http://chemistry.meta.stackexchange.com/), [Meta.SE](http://meta.stackexchange.com/), or [chat](http://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/3229)

### [Q] or [A] with association bonus
Welcome to Chemistry.SE! To help you become acquainted with the site, I would just like to suggest if you haven't already, please take a minute to look over the [help center](https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/help) and [tour page](https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/tour) to better understand our guidelines and question policies.

### [Q] Standard

### [Q] MathJax
Welcome to Chemistry.SE! Please note that formulas can be better expressed with \$\ce{ }\$ for chemical formulas/equations, \$ \$ for math term/equations, and \$\pu{ }\$ for units. More information is available in [this meta post](https://chemistry.meta.stackexchange.com/q/86/23561) Also, take a minute to look over the [help center](https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/help) and [tour page](https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/tour) to better understand our guidelines and question policies if you haven't already.

### [Q] Borderline Homework
Welcome to Chemistry.SE! Questions are the central focus of this site, but we ask that questions demonstrate an attempt to solve/understand the question to maintain quality. Please take a minute to look over the [help center](https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/help) and [tour page](https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/tour) to better understand our guidelines and question policies.

### [Q] Homework but can be revised to comply
Welcome to Chemistry.SE! Homework questions are okay but must demonstrate an attempt to solve/understand the question. Please take a minute to look over the [help center](https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/help) and [tour page](https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/tour) to better understand our guidelines and question policies and consider making edits.

### [Q] Homework and MathJax
Welcome to Chemistry.SE! Homework questions are okay but must demonstrate an attempt to solve/understand the question. Please note that formulas can be better expressed with \$\ce{}\$ for chemical formulas/equations, \$\mathrm{}\$ for math term/equations, and \$\pu\$ for units. Also, take a minute to look over the [help center](https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/help) and [tour page](https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/tour)to better understand our guidelines and question policies.

### [Q] Blaten Homework
Welcome to Chemistry.SE! STANDARD MESSAGE: Anyone is welcome to contribute answers but the aim of this site is quality and usefulness to future users (essentially we aren't Yahoo Answers). Please take a minute to look over the [help center](https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/help) and [tour page](https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/tour) to better understand our guidelines and question policies.

### Reposted Questions Please do not re-post questions that get closed. Closing is not random and reposts get closed for the same reason the first post was closed. It is advised that you revise your first post to be in-line with our guidlines instead.

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