I had to post on this one, because frankly I was thinking the same thing as you, Trollheart. But I came to pretty much the same conclusion as those who posted above. That being said, my intro thread was great! I felt welcomed instantly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blarobbarg
The thing is, when they take the time to go and explore and talk to other people, that's their trial by fire. If they can't do that, then they probably won't survive here, because people here are not "friendly" in the traditional sense.
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Trial by fire is right. Almost like "survival of the fittest" to be honest. All my forum experiences have been with psychology-based discussion boards, one of which was for people of a traditionally "friendly" temperament. Coming here, I noticed that things are less gentle, intimate and personal than I'm used to (a bunch of people who like talking about our feelings, and our feelings about those feelings...). But even there, it was harder for some people than it was for others to "leave the nest," especially if their communication style didn't seem to fit the prevailing mood and humor of the forums as a whole. To be honest, it's harder for me to establish myself here than it was other places online, but I'm up to the challenge. Mostly because I like a lot of the people here and appreciate what they have to offer.
I think the best thing for new members is a sense that they are free to be themselves. If they aren't confident enough to establish themselves in a forum, then they're probably not ready for one, at least, not this one. And this is a pretty good-natured forum by comparison to most.
I'm grateful (and I'm sure other members would agree) for you guys who make a point of making newbies feel welcome! More people really should do so, including myself.