cymbidia
unrepentant pervert
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2001
- Posts
- 8,786
This is for useful and friendly advice, okay?
Please go do the arsonist thing elsewhere.
My advice is going out today to all the slipstream-experienced newbies among us, those who've called a place or two "home" before finding Lit. You're a special group.
People new to *this* board, especially if they've got lots of experience elsewhere, tend to be somewhat incautious about determining alliances and personalities before diving right in. We know what it is to belong to a place like this, we've been there-done that already, and we're impatient to get going, we who have lots of slipstream experience behind us when we get here. That cautious newbie stuff is for the kids who don't know how to *do* a BB, right?
Unfortunately, that kinda enthusiasm can backfire in a place as determinedly outside "ordinary" Lit. There's more than the average amount (whatever that mythical "average" amount might be) of offbeat characters who populate the Lit boards, as you're likely finding out. Besides that, there are many friendships and other relationships of long standing that may or may not be apparent when you first come to this place.
A small bit of advice, something i'm sure you know from other places? One can always go back and be more harsh, if that's what one wants to do, but it's difficult to go back and be less harsh. In other words, tread a bit carefully, read a few back threads, try to ascertain where the lines of friendship go before you post provocative stuff.
It's hard to be a newbie when you're so experience. We all know that. We've all been newbies, most of us more than once. However, you're just gonna have to remember that we don't you yet. Be patient. Post funny stuff. Post helpful stuff. Keep posting. That awkward newbie thing will be past before you know it.
(This post was lifted, liberally, much of it verbatim, from a PM i sent to one of our most esteemed newbies in response to his/her PM'ed comments to me that indicated, i thought, some bit of resigned exasperation about being widely misunderstood in a public post... and about misunderstanding someone else. I just thought the sentiments might be of use to more than that particular newbie.)
Anyone else care to offer sincere advice?
Please go do the arsonist thing elsewhere.
My advice is going out today to all the slipstream-experienced newbies among us, those who've called a place or two "home" before finding Lit. You're a special group.
People new to *this* board, especially if they've got lots of experience elsewhere, tend to be somewhat incautious about determining alliances and personalities before diving right in. We know what it is to belong to a place like this, we've been there-done that already, and we're impatient to get going, we who have lots of slipstream experience behind us when we get here. That cautious newbie stuff is for the kids who don't know how to *do* a BB, right?
Unfortunately, that kinda enthusiasm can backfire in a place as determinedly outside "ordinary" Lit. There's more than the average amount (whatever that mythical "average" amount might be) of offbeat characters who populate the Lit boards, as you're likely finding out. Besides that, there are many friendships and other relationships of long standing that may or may not be apparent when you first come to this place.
A small bit of advice, something i'm sure you know from other places? One can always go back and be more harsh, if that's what one wants to do, but it's difficult to go back and be less harsh. In other words, tread a bit carefully, read a few back threads, try to ascertain where the lines of friendship go before you post provocative stuff.
It's hard to be a newbie when you're so experience. We all know that. We've all been newbies, most of us more than once. However, you're just gonna have to remember that we don't you yet. Be patient. Post funny stuff. Post helpful stuff. Keep posting. That awkward newbie thing will be past before you know it.
(This post was lifted, liberally, much of it verbatim, from a PM i sent to one of our most esteemed newbies in response to his/her PM'ed comments to me that indicated, i thought, some bit of resigned exasperation about being widely misunderstood in a public post... and about misunderstanding someone else. I just thought the sentiments might be of use to more than that particular newbie.)
Anyone else care to offer sincere advice?
