Just an Idea...
 

Well, I've only been on this forum for a half year, and I don't know if I should make suggestions or not, but lately I've been thinking that we should have some sort of official newbie welcomer. This could really clear up the forums, of course, they can just read the stickies, but there should be someone that they could, like, ask questions about where to post and what to post and stuff.

There could be a place to ask where to post. But how would they know to post there to ask their questions?

Well, that's my point...there should be someone they could ask.

Well... Not that we are getting many new members these days.... -_- *still waits for news from OWI*

Ah, I get it now. So it would be a sort of 'welcoming comittee' in one person. I guess that could be solved in the usual voting method, like mod elections.

And there have been a few new members these days, just hope they stay here and be active.

I have mixed feelings. Most people are reasonably capable of getting their head around the structure of the Forums at least after their own initial period of posting. I also fear that our Newbie Security becomes something akin to National Security or Health & Safety ultraregulations.

However, the idea of some kind of reference for everyone, like a manual, does appeal to me. Currently we have separate pages and threads for OWF's statistics, staff lists, history, board descriptions and guidelines. It would make sense that these were compiled for ease of reference.

Let me get this straight... You're saying there should be a place that people can post to ask where they can ask questions, like where the right place to post is?

My point is (and please pay attention this time), even if we do create a new forum for newbs to ask questions, they won't know to post there. They'll just end up posting randomly like they do now.

But Max is on to something. Is there any way to send people directly to the rules page when they first log on? Or perhaps email the rules to them directly?

Damn, no (and yes, I paid attention), I meant there should be a person they could ask. Like automatically when they join, a PM should be sent to them saying something like "Hello, I am your new...uh, reference? If you have any questions about posting, just ask me and I'll let you know."

PS. I see new members all the time. About like 3 people joined in the last week.

Yea... But only one out of.... dunno... 5 new people actually post, and even then, it might be just one post, and then we never see them again :-/

Well, some of them do. And we mustn't lose hope...

I see what you mean, Skillya. I don't see why we should, though. If we have an official welcomer, it implies that it's not everyone else's responsibility to welcome and look after newbies.

Most people don't bother, however. I remember how unsure I was about how to post. That's probably why my first posts were so retarded. Having a Welcomer could sure clean things up, I guess...But since you people are reluctant to run with the idea, then I'm not going to be especially persistant.


PS. See? We just got a new member. Trouble is, not all of them go into activity.

You'd seriously need to have a guy who sat at the computer
desk the majority of the day. He'd have to do the click, click
thing for hours hopeful to look for some juniors to stand up for
and defend from the local bullies and criticizers of the forum.
It should be the administers jobs to take care of those problems, though.

Well, what we could do is install a modification that automaticaly sends a PM to newly registered members, in which we tell them where the rules can be found, welcome them to the forum, ect.

how will a n00b know how to read/find this PM?


IMO n00bs aren't a problem.

Every person who has been on the internet for a while knows how a forum works. It's the fact that every forum has diffrent rules that is creating problems.

You know, we don't really get terrible noobs here at all. I can recall Stingbee and his incarnations, but thats the only one that stands out to me in recent history, which is probably why we get so wound up when we do get them, because we never usually have to deal with them.

Well, lately we also get a bit snappy at other newbies because we already assume thats 'one of those stupid newbs... DIE!'. That needs to disappear as well.

That’s true. Only because they’re new to the forum doesn’t mean that they know Oddworld for any length of time shorter than us or is less devoted.

Ha! I think I am the cause for this......

Oh I dunno about that. I didn't have anyone in mind specificaly. We're all in on it to a degree.

I dunno. Remember that PM you sent me, used? Hilarious, now that I think back to it.

But yeah, alot of newbies do get flamed, and then someone makes a mistake (the exoddus scenario, anyone?).

If the rules and instructions and all that came up on the screen when someone logs in for the first few times, then we would know that they are able to read it.