Is this a hard concept?

Sorry for my lack of a response zepp, I’ve been dealing with a rather large term paper. As Merl stated, we decided a few months ago to curb the amount of assholery that was present on the boards. Yeah, it stopped it, but I’ve seen some of it beginning to rise up again, and this thread is a reminder that we aren’t stepping down from our previously stated policy.

Oh, crap. I leave for a couple of days and the world goes crazy :hahaha; .

I agree that it is up to the user themselves to have the right attitude. While I agree that we should be as warm hearted to everyone now as we have in the past, but we aren’t going to like everybody, and we shouldn’t be forced to like everybody either. I understand that not liking someone doesn’t mean be an asshole to them, and getting your point across in a manner that isn’t flammatory takes a bit of tact that not everyone here seems to possess - but first impressions are known as the most important, and I tend to agree. Make yourself look like an idiot, and you will be treated like one.

“The fact of the matter is that there are going to be people who don’t fit on this board, and it doesn’t make sense to support a policy that punishes veterans who support this board only to make some newb who is only gonna stick around for a week feel a little better about himself. We have no shortage of new people assimilating into these forums, and it’s because most newbs who stick around longer than a week realize that there are certain standards expected of them if they want to participate here, they learn to accept them, and everyone lives happily ever after. Yes, we were all new, but most of us know we weren’t like that when we came here. We just found some way to assimilate, and we weren’t handed any silver platter.”

I think its precisely that attitude that makes other boards hostile and unfriendly, and that its the policy expressed in Kagon’s post that makes these forums generally more friendly than most other forums populated by teenagers on the Net. The attitude that its the responsibility of the mods and established users to keep everything high quality and get rid of annoyances will make this place go to hell. I don’t like a lot of the ‘life discussion’ threads either, but I’d rather tolerate them than have these forums become like every other video-game/Star Wars/movie forums on the Net where they’ve basically degenerated into a hang-out place for a bunch of pretentious jerkoffs. There’s a difference between telling someone they broke the rules, and yelling at them when they didn’t necessarily break the rules but did something you didn’t like.

I’m not asking or even hinting that everyone has to like each other. I know that’s not going to happen no matter what. However, not liking someone doesn’t excuse being a complete asshole to them whenever the opportunity presents itself. It might happen other places, but it’s not going to be tolerated here. There’s plenty of ways to get your point across without resorting to flaming.

Originally posted by BahamutXero
Oh, crap. I leave for a couple of days and the world goes crazy :hahaha; .

CC did a thread on quoting and not adding on.

Couldn’t you just group welcome threads under the spam rule? That’s all they really are anyway - that way while you would be outlawing welcome threads, you wouldn’t have to write a new rule about them specifcially.

I don’t think welcome threads are all bad. Given most of them are just “hi” back and forth, some people do give info about themselves or some other stuff and do generate some good discussions.

It’s also an opportunity for me to cameo, COWARD!

Stop taking this off topic.

Well it is time for a true newb to get involved. I joined not one week ago and all I have seen is nice people. Now I did start one of those welcome threads, but not one person mashed me or flamed as you called it. What I am say is that, from what I have seen you guys have a great forum and I am glad to be part of it. And I want to say thank you again for all of the people who welcomed me.

That’s because you didn’t say much of anything in your post. People who go into lengthy detail about their woes and troubles in life or go on and on about Final Fantasy or something get pounded on because they obviously don’t have much of anything to contribute that isn’t already here in mass amounts.

Hey whats everyones favorate final fantasy?

Originally posted by Kagon
Stop taking this off topic.

Next person who does gets a warning. I’m not playing around.

Times like these that make me happy I’m not new around here…

Seriously. I mean, c’mon, how many newbs are gonna stick around after getting flamed? I know I wouldn’t. Some people do deserve it, but that’s only because they were an asshole in the first place (hi im new u all suk cuz u dont liek ff7!!!11111 and the such).

Most people use a “Hi” thread just to let other people know that they’re there; I myself think it’s a stupid way to do it. Get into some good debate (i.e. something political, not “What’s your favorite FF and why”) and actually ADD something to it. My first thread was in the PC Forum about StarCraft and people didn’t bitch at me for it (then again, I wasn’t the newest person then, but it’s still the same, more or less) because I actually added something to the boards (there was no SC thread at the time).

Newbs are getting flamed BECAUSE they’re making the “Hi” threads because the “veterans” (I’m using this loosely to refer to those people who have seen many a “Hi” thread and sick of it) are sick of seeing it because they serve no purpose.

I know of some boards (one in particular whose name I won’t reveal because the board isn’t exactly family-viewing material) that have an Introductory forum right in the main grouping. People actually use it because it’s right there for them to look at. One of the rules that’s STRICTLY enforced is requesting (getting what type of site it is now?), especially when it’s their first post on the boards. They get shut down pretty damned fast. People gasp! do actually learn from this.

I’ve said it before: We should get a “Hi” forum. People who don’t want to see the “annoying” newb threads won’t have to and the newbs can introduce themselves if they so wish. Hell, I’d moderate the damned thing if it came into existence (fat chance of either of 'em happening, but I’d do it because it’d cause people to bitch less). I actually participate in “Hi” threads because sometimes they can be fun, and although I don’t do it religiously or don’t have a schtick for 'em, I like them to a degree. I like it when people join because it shows that RPGC is growing as a whole.

That’s my 4 cents on this matter.

{10:00:00} * N3wby_McN00b940 has joined #rpgclassicsintroforum
{10:00:04} [N3wby_McN00b940] Hello.
{10:10:10} [N3wby_McN00b940] …
{10:10:11} * N3wby_McN00b940 has left #rpgclassicsintroforumandtherestoftheboardswithit
{10:10:15} * Loggo_the_toilet flushes

TD, the man, the myth, the guy that contributes nothing.

But anyway.

As far as I’m concerned, I don’t like “I’m new!” threads. So I don’t post in them.

Is that really a hard thing to do? I’m asking honestly here.

Newbie threads are an effective way to get past the 10 post minimum for custom avatars, while still preserving the spirit of the 10 post restriction.

Getting a specific forum for the introductory posts is a good idea. Back at Starmen.net, they have a forum specifically dedicated to posts about people who are new, leaving, or coming back after an absence. People who like the topics are free to post in them, and those who don’t can avoid them all-together. Its a pretty good system.