Community Ideas

[PearlWaters]

Community Ideas: How can we make APFFN more welcoming?

I was a bit curious after the recent info posted here by Fulgers, so I decided to head out and do my own research in some randomly selected forums. As anticipated, there were a few bitter folks out there, who just had a bad experience with their visit here...(which in turn made my experience not so good at their forum ) I even got a "those people seemed cool". So it wasn't all bad. The main reason it seems, that some newcomers go without even posting, is because of alot of irrelevant off topic discussion, and also a sense that they will get ripped if they post. Now obviously not all feel this way, hence the success of the Welcome to the Machine Forum.

At first glance, I'd hope a new person gets more positive vibes than negative ones, as I'm sure all you would. Now I know when we get the occasional troublemaker that this will not be the case, which is cool. All in all, I don't mind what resentful past visitors feel about us, but it is a tool we can learn from. I mean, wouldn't it be nice to have 75 members logged in at once? Exciting!

So perhaps this is something we can all keep in mind when welcoming our new members. It is only natural that conversations will progress, but perhaps we could try to maintain it when not in the Just Babbling forum. What other ideas do you guys have about this? Your input is appreciated!

[GeraldTheMouse]

But what if all 75 of them are like Illuvatar?

[BraveUlysses]

Or me? I got chills. Their multiplying.

[GeraldTheMouse]

My God your signature is long. Didn't you read the thing?

[Paranoid Android]

IMO, most of this message board is ok. It's just the bashing that i think needs to stop. But, some people don't join this site for the message board. I was a member here for a while before i even knew this was here!

[BraveUlysses]

Originally posted by GeraldTheMouse
My God your signature is long. Didn't you read the thing?

Yes, I did. My sig changes all the time, so, don't worry about it. BTW, I do believe yours is also longer than the suggested length.

[Paranoid Android]

Maybe, but his is smaller font. (insert clever smiley here)

[Bride of a Bull]

Other discussion boards actually exist? Wow!

[Mother]

Yes, they are what is known as "second best".

[Sydney]

erm.. to be honest I wouldn't won't 75 people on at once.. it'd just be too big, I think this forum is the perfect size.. I'd hate to have to filter through pages and pages of crap, especially seeing as if we had more people there'd be a lot more arguing.. However being a little nicer to anyone who decides to join our ranks would be kinda healthy

cheers

[Driven]

Originally posted by GeraldTheMouse
But what if all 75 of them are like Illuvatar?

Pearly a post like that is exactly the reason I think newcomers feel unwelcome:

A) It has a blatant and total disreagrd for the topic (some people do come here to talk about Pink Floyd. Although this topic is not Pink Floyd related, many new posters topics fall victim to the same shit...the response? "screw this place".

B) It has a "clique" aspect to it. If this was some new guy's topic he would think "who the **** is Illuvitar, and what is that dude talking about". The response? See above.

No intention for the post in question to be Gerald ('cause thats a little sensitive ain't it)...but it illustrated why new people don't feel like it's a very welcoming place to be.

Solutions? I don't know. I've been here longer than all but a handfull, so I don't feel a need for any recognition. But I do remember first being here and wondering why no-one would talk to me. Lucky enough the people who were here at that time (like BoaB, Fixxy and Floydwright) were people who talked about the Floyd and were willing to talk with me.

Maybe some recognition and effort towards new posters and a realisation that they want to be here 'cause they like talking about Pink Floyd (without some hint of a mud restling competition: which pissed me off BTW).

I don't normally wind up around here...but this is something I've been a bit shitty with for a long time.

[mad yannis]

Driven, my thoughts exactly.

[Mother]

I think that if we were having 75 on at once, this place would lose a lot of it's charm. One of the best things about here is that everyone knows everyone else.

I mean, I've been at forums where there are regularly 6 and 700 on at once. It makes it tough to find the decent threads.

[Sydney]

I like your points Driven..

at time it feels like high school until one memember accepts you you're wondering around trying to find a group.. I got in thanks to Fixx, that bloke makes almost everyone feel welcome when they first show up..

However the whole refering to past jokes and other people is something that can't be helped and happens everywhere.. people learn to fit in and learn the ropes of the past.. once again like hisghschool, learning all the insides if you're new.. I think the key is just to be more welcoming and not lynch them as soon as they do something that's not cool enough

cheers

[Mother]

I agree, and I probably wouldn't be here now were it not for Byron, his little welcome post meant a lot when I knew no one, it meant that I knew I could be recognised here.

Hence, I try to do the same with any newbie who even attempts to make an effort not to be an ass.