Well said, everyone. This is the board I know and love.
IMHO tho, we should not be quite so quick to diss Lizzy’s idea of a “paddling pool” thread. Sure, it would be regrettable if anyone sought to overly manage the mixing of old lags and new prisoners – but there is no reason why we can’t take on board this concern voiced by a few newcomers, to add an *extra chance of newcomers successfully integrating into the group.
I am suggesting a thread governed by a house rule such as “Read but don’t post if experienced {x} or above”, and with a headline something along these lines:
“Newcomer, wanting to post?” It could perhaps have a short para from Jackie to overtly welcome newcomers, inviting new posts and pointing out where to find additional information. Old Pharts could still greet newbies by pm, and try to help them find their way around without knocking over the furniture unduly, whilst also making them feel valued and respected as new members! I think the effect of this could be to aid the transition of some newcomers into confident membership of the group over time, by minimizing the concerns over tangling with a complex and exclusive-seeming metalanguage – and this (certainly hope I speak for all in this!
) is a highly desirable objective in the long-term life and vitality of the board. So thanks for the idea, Lizzy – I definitely think it’s worth its weight.
