My question on Newbies has been answered

[Craic]

I was going to write a long reply but it's not worth the effort. Online communities that support their regulars last, online communities that change the rules die.

Hence my advice would be if you want to join in please do, if you want to give us your "advice" please go elsewhere.

Now if there are people reading this who are thinking of joining do you think posts like this would make them

1. More likely
2. Less likely

to join.

I have to say that with the exception of couple of good posts there has been no real attempt to look at the problem (as it is probably not a problem for them).

Most of it is of the usual 'if you don't like it here, why don't you...."

[d000hg]

Thank you. That explains quite a lot. However, I disagree with your acceptance of it and with your statement that the 'bear pit' is just people being people. There are lots of Forums where people don't act and react like that.

Maybe those forums represent a different demographic, i.e. not whose professional role is that they expect to be listened to, which spills into their posting style?

[Old Greg]

There are many newbies on the CUK. They can be found in the professional and Welcome/FAQs forums. They are treated courteously and they have their questions answered.

Some come into the bear pit that is General, most don't as it serves a different purpose.

General is a playground and playground ettiquette takes precedence. Anyone who had to join a new school will be familiar with this etiquette.

Do not try to be an alpha without first finding out the lay of the land. Do not attempt to lead groups without first joining them. Show them that you are worthy of their friendship, to this end be collaborative while showing that you are independent and not sucky or needy.

And if you want to ignore this ettiquette that's fine too, but don't whinge that people react negatively when you do.

This forum isn't much different to others. People are people and that's the way they work.


HTH.

The mod has spoken.

WEDGIE!!!!!

[suityou01]

I was going to write a long reply but it's not worth the effort. Online communities that support their regulars last, online communities that change the rules die.

Hence my advice would be if you want to join in please do, if you want to give us your "advice" please go elsewhere.

And this advice is from a newbie. Relatively speaking.

[Clippy]

Craic - please can you qualify your interest in this topic on this particular forum.

After all, there are thousands of forums on the internet with a large number, if not a majority, of them being run, by posters and moderators, in a similar way.

[eek]

And this advice is from a newbie. Relatively speaking.

Yes, but I'm one who knows how online communities work it's an interest of mine.

The rules really are simple

1) find a group of like minded people
2) let them define their rules
3)leave them to it unless it gets out of hand

Personally I'll be adopting plan b for craic from now on and throwing him on ignore. It's up to others what they want to do but I reckon others should do the same.

[administrator]

Now if there are people reading this who are thinking of joining do you think posts like this would make them

1. More likely
2. Less likely

to join.

I have to say that with the exception of couple of good posts there has been no real attempt to look at the problem (as it is probably not a problem for them).

Most of it is of the usual 'if you don't like it here, why don't you...."

Less likely. But is that a bad thing? Exactly as cojak said, the other areas of the forum hand out some excellent advice and support for new posters and veterans. General is what General has always been, and that is not dissimilar from the way the forum was on the ezboard version before we moved here. A lot of people know of the site and use it as and when they need it. If there is nothing here you like then find another forum.

[TraceRacing]

As a newbie, I've posted on the Business / Contracts forum and had useful responses...also the various posts / sections are very comprehensive so I've done a lot of reading...

[Zippy]

Jeez Is this arse still going?

Come on, own up. Which one of you is it?

[SimonMac]

I asked the question 'Where are All The Newbies?'. I wondered if the reason there seemed to be so few new people is that the veteran posters here don't want them and gang up on them.

Here's who responded to my question.

Posts - Name ------ Joining Date

15,654 Mariliion Man July 2005 (3 replies)
25,082 AtW July 2005 (2)
5,755 snaw Jul 2005
5,752 Cliphead Nov 2005 (5)
7,407 Pondlife May 2006
5,088 Old Greg Mar 2007 (4)
13,494 eternaloptimist Jul 2005
17,172 Zippy Aug 2006 (7)
1,366 Fullyautomatix Feb 2010
98 Benny Apr 2006
9,343 d000hg Dec 2007 (2)
1,474 Simon Mac Aug 2007
7,794 Minestrone Apr 2008
3,550 Ruprect Jun 2006
5,352 Mary Poppins Apr 2008 (3)
5,777 Owlhoot Jul 2005
151 Darrenb Sep 2006
1,916 K2p2 Sep 2009
1 harrygibson Jul 2011 (another poster said he was a regular pretending to be new)
5,457 Gonzo Sep 2006 (7)
39 Pork Belly Jun 2011

There were 46 posts altogether from 21 different posters (not including myself).

Only 4 were from people who joined in the past 3 years.

12 of the 21 posters joined in 2005/2006.

31 of the 46 posts were from people who joined in 2005 / 2006.

I ask again - where are all the newbies?

And why are there not more of them?

Are they discouraged from joining and when they do are they picked on?

Are the moderators encouraging or discouraging new posters?

I joined in 2010 not 2007 and I demand an apology and a correction or I will sue, or rape you with a tree