How *Should* We Treat Newcomers?

[Fire_Moose]

YER ALL CYBER BULLIES!!


/runs off crying.

[theCryptofishist]

Hormones.

[Ranger Genius]

I don't know about everyone else on here, but I am comfortable in some very different social circles.
It keeps life interesting.

That's because you're oblivious to the fact that you're annoying the hell out of everyone around you.

[Kiro]

An FAQ section seems an obvious and easy fix for most of the new member questions. It could/should be a snark-free zone so people can find answers easily, with only on-topic replies allowed. With no more questions being repeatedly asked, there would be no problem with snarky fuckheads upsetting new members.

The phpBB settings can be changed so that BBCode is activated on accounts by default. People's quotes and images will work as intended from the start, like every other forum on the internet.

With those two changes, it would be easier and friendlier for new members to join in, old timers would be relaxing with people who won't ask irritating questions, and the air of unpleasantness will drift away.

And now, commence snark.

[AntiM]

An FAQ section seems an obvious and easy fix for most of the new member questions. It could/should be a snark-free zone so people can find answers easily, with only on-topic replies allowed. With no more questions being repeatedly asked, there would be no problem with snarky fuckheads upsetting new members.

The phpBB settings can be changed so that BBCode is activated on accounts by default. People's quotes and images will work as intended from the start, like every other forum on the internet.

With those two changes, it would be easier and friendlier for new members to join in, old timers would be relaxing with people who won't ask irritating questions, and the air of unpleasantness will drift away.

And now, commence snark.

The survival guide and the recommended reading are supposed to cover the FAQs.

The BBCode thing has been pointed out toTBTB. Changes are in the air, one supposes.

[theCryptofishist]

An FAQ section seems an obvious and easy fix for most of the new member questions. It could/should be a snark-free zone so people can find answers easily, with only on-topic replies allowed. With no more questions being repeatedly asked, there would be no problem with snarky fuckheads upsetting new members.

The phpBB settings can be changed so that BBCode is activated on accounts by default. People's quotes and images will work as intended from the start, like every other forum on the internet.

With those two changes, it would be easier and friendlier for new members to join in, old timers would be relaxing with people who won't ask irritating questions, and the air of unpleasantness will drift away.

And now, commence snark.

[url=http://eplaya.burningman.com/viewtopic.php?t=4488]Um yeah. That will do wonders...

Or maybe not.[/url]

[Kinetik V]

In the time it takes for TPTB to change that BB Code setting:

1: The Cubs will finally win the World Series.
2: The Buffalo Bills will finally win a Super Bowl and not choke.
3: Congress will finally take steps to have a balanced budget.
4: America will have hydrogen fueled vehicles.
5: Isotopia and CowboyAngel will become best of friends.

Ok the last one is a stretch but having been around here for over 10 years now I know that glaciers refreeze and grow faster than the pace of change. Sad but true.

Moving on, Kiro's suggestion of a FAQ section is sorely needed and hopefully wouldn't take an act of TPTB to implement. It would also add value to the board and maybe raise it's profile with TPTB so that maybe they'll spend some $$ on upgrades or other needed things.

[Kinetik V]

duplicate post. sheesh!

[Sail Man]

YER ALL CYBER BULLIES!!


/runs off crying.

Hormones.

No, not hormones. Somebody ran off with his fire staff and left in it's place a package of cue tips. He keeps burning his fingers, and as an added insult lit his prized Elmo on fire accidently

[ygmir]

*adds hash marks to "why I love Sailman" scorecard*

[Fire_Moose]

It's terrible! I bet it was Da Ass

[mudpuppy000]

An FAQ section seems an obvious and easy fix for most of the new member questions. It could/should be a snark-free zone so people can find answers easily, with only on-topic replies allowed. With no more questions being repeatedly asked, there would be no problem with snarky fuckheads upsetting new members.

The phpBB settings can be changed so that BBCode is activated on accounts by default. People's quotes and images will work as intended from the start, like every other forum on the internet.

With those two changes, it would be easier and friendlier for new members to join in, old timers would be relaxing with people who won't ask irritating questions, and the air of unpleasantness will drift away.

And now, commence snark.

The survival guide and the recommended reading are supposed to cover the FAQs.

The BBCode thing has been pointed out toTBTB. Changes are in the air, one supposes.

I wonder if a Wiki might be more useful than trying to create something in this phpBB. It's hard to follow a long thread of posts with the inevitable thread drift.

[LoveLight]

As a newbie, planning now for the 2011 Burn, i have asked two questions only out of concern.coming from another country and not knowing anyone who has been to BM I need answers..the epalya is an awesome reference and I read it often..nearly daily..If I cant find what Im looking for I'll ask..all who answered my questions where informative and polite...and it has made me comfortable to ask again if need be. xxx

BUt - if I ask you how much water do I need, please feel free to do more than snark...

[jkisha]

An FAQ section seems an obvious and easy fix for most of the new member questions. It could/should be a snark-free zone so people can find answers easily, with only on-topic replies allowed. With no more questions being repeatedly asked, there would be no problem with snarky fuckheads upsetting new members.

The phpBB settings can be changed so that BBCode is activated on accounts by default. People's quotes and images will work as intended from the start, like every other forum on the internet.

With those two changes, it would be easier and friendlier for new members to join in, old timers would be relaxing with people who won't ask irritating questions, and the air of unpleasantness will drift away.

And now, commence snark.

The survival guide and the recommended reading are supposed to cover the FAQs.

The BBCode thing has been pointed out toTBTB. Changes are in the air, one supposes.

I wonder if a Wiki might be more useful than trying to create something in this phpBB. It's hard to follow a long thread of posts with the inevitable thread drift.

Couldn't a Wiki get just a snarked up and drifted as a BBS Thread?

JK

[Artemis]

Couldn't a Wiki get just a snarked up and drifted as a BBS Thread?

JK

But isn't that the beauty of a wiki? Folks could go in and edit away the snark and drift, no?

On another front, I saw something from cryptofishist about us scaring away Victoria. I originally read that as Virginia and was worried that maybe someone said something about Santa Claus. But who's Victoria and when did we scare her off?

[lucky420]

are you perhaps thinking of Victorian?

[jkisha]

Couldn't a Wiki get just a snarked up and drifted as a BBS Thread?

JK

But isn't that the beauty of a wiki? Folks could go in and edit away the snark and drift, no?

On another front, I saw something from cryptofishist about us scaring away Victoria. I originally read that as Virginia and was worried that maybe someone said something about Santa Claus. But who's Victoria and when did we scare her off?

And do I even care who Victoria is?

JK

[theCryptofishist]

are you perhaps thinking of Victorian?

If she was, we didn't scare her away. She couldn't swing it financially and had to sell her ticket. She stopped coming around here--too depressing, I think.

The actual impetus for this was someone saying that there was all this great stuff going on on tribe, but that we scared those innovators away. I forgot who said this, and where, so I didn't reference it. I was hoping it would come up again, but, well, it didn't get flushed out of hiding.

[FIGJAM]

I bought her ticket.

Met her ex at AZDC and I gathered shes not d

oing well.

He didnt elaberate.

[bx1]

BUt - if I ask you how much water do I need, please feel free to do more than snark...

Why would you bring water to Burning Man? It will just weigh you down.

[tamarakay]

I'm a newbie, have been treated with nothing but kindness. I have read and read and read in the eplaya and have FINALLY figured out how to get almost good answers from the search. So far i have escaped snarkiness, but have spit a good bit of coffee on my screen at others expense.

There is so much to read, so much to digest, that I am glad we started early. Ken and I have started asking each other the "what did you do for burningman today" question and sometimes "read tons of crap on eplaya" is all i can manage. ALL of it beneficial, i've stolen some snark lines and used them on co-workers.

Snarkiness would not scare me off from here, but snarkiness has kept me from asking a few questions.

[JStep]

Speaking as a newb virgin, I think you all are collectively doing just fine. Keep it up, I wouldn't change a thing. And for good reasons.

I like snark, but I've been online since we dialed up to our local BBS and a 700 baud modem was considered a fast connection. It's funny, it's also functional: there are plenty of good, helpful posts, with helpful information, an encouraging word, polite respectful dialog... No one needs to worry about cracking some snappy sarcastic jokes.

I can make my own decisions about what to take seriously and what is just silly, or needless. If I couldn't, if I had a thin skin, took everything personally, expected everyone to be nice to me... would you want me at Burning Man? I hope not. So that's the sort of useful measure of the snark.

Another measure is that the forum itself is kind of a barometer of the culture at large as long as there is a broad representation of Burners on the forum. If this becomes a place where there's no useful information, filled with narcissistic assholes, burnier-than-thou preachers, high-holy mucky mucks... then scaring off decent folk is probably good for them anyway. If it turns out that I get to my first burn and find that the attitude is nothing like I find here, I will be disappointed. I want some snark, some weirdness, the occasional moron to laugh at and over all a majority of funny, creative, helpful people that make hanging out interesting.

Maybe I'll be disappointed, but I have a feeling I wont be.

[theCryptofishist]

Snarkiness would not scare me off from here, but snarkiness has kept me from asking a few questions.

And now the question becomes, were those "good" questions. (I don't even know how we define a good question.)

[maryanimal]

In honor of the threads subject matter, I'm a newbie birgin in here and to the Burning Man family. I've been treated with kindess, snarkiness empathy, and have been schooled properly about Burning Man and had maaaaannnnny of my questions answered by a gaggle of experienced and new burners alike. And I love you and thank you all!

I must add that sometimes it's the burners outside of Burning Man that have questionable behavior and intentions. And that's all I'll say about that.

My upcoming experiece at Burning Man next year hasn't been sullied. I am so looking forward to meeting as many of you as I can! I need a tour guide...anyone available?

[ygmir]

In honor of the threads subject matter, I'm a newbie birgin in here and to the Burning Man family. I've been treated with kindess, snarkiness empathy, and have been schooled properly about Burning Man and had maaaaannnnny of my questions answered by a gaggle of experienced and new burners alike. And I love you and thank you all!

I must add that sometimes it's the burners outside of Burning Man that have questionable behavior and intentions. And that's all I'll say about that.

My upcoming experiece at Burning Man next year hasn't been sullied. I am so looking forward to meeting as many of you as I can! I need a tour guide...anyone available?

see there.............*hearing the squeking hinges of Pandora's box opening and, we all love pandora, too*

how, oh how to answer this..........

[maryanimal]

LOL ygmir...I would like to know that too!

[Elorrum]

ah, some who flamed out and then you wonder what happened.
guess it happens.
Did anyone meet Winebuff?

[maryanimal]

ah, some who flamed out and then you wonder what happened.
guess it happens.
Did anyone meet Winebuff?

yeah Elorrum. You hit the nail on the proverbial head. Whats a winebuff? A wine connasewer?

[theCryptofishist]

Winebuff was one of last year's (2010) eager newbs. Yeah, I don't know what happened, but she hasn't been on the board for months. Maybe Doc knows, she had an invitation to talk wine at the Death Village.

[AntiM]

She was in Hushville, I met her. As far as I know, she had a great time. Ask Marty or Phil, she was next to them.