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CynthiaWVirginia -> RE: What can we do to retain new posters? (12/22/2013 2:15:15 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: VideoAdminChi
Some people complain that we coddle new posters too much and some people complain that regulars are too mean. Staff does enforce a welcoming and constructive attitude in the Introduce Yourself forum.
We don't want to chase new posters away but we don't want to coddle them either. Please share your thoughts.
Inspired by:
http://www.collarchat.com/fb.asp?m=4603560
quote:
ORIGINAL: freedomdwarf1
quote:
ORIGINAL: LittleForDaddy31
My advice is to not be so rude to newbies. I get that there's a clique of like 30-35 of you who post here on a regular basis, but you do have trouble seeing beyond your tea cups here, and it should be called out.
Actually, my advice would be to tell the newbies to learn to read the fucking ToS, read the sticky posts, browse around and take note of how things are done BEFORE you waltz in and open your gob.
This applies to any forum, anywhere, not just on CM.
And what do we often see?
A newbie that comes flouncing into the forums, bold as brass, spouting as if they know the world and everyone on the forum that doesn't like what they gotta say is either a troll or something equally abusive or obnoxious.
WTF?? Where are their manners?
Where are those social norms that everyone wants to see?
Do they always behave like this in a strange bar or restaurant?? No, they don't.
But they think it's ok to do that on the net because... well, it's the net.
And then, we get those cotton-wool packers that think everyone needs to be wrapped up and coddled and treated with super-uber softly-softly kid gloves.
How dare someone else think they should be grown-up and know how to tow-the-line and fucking behave like an adult!!
Oh jeeez no.... we might offend the kiddies.
Sorry LFD, your attitude towards a lot of us on here is just... well, stupid and obtuse.
To use your analogy: if you don't drink tea, don't go to a tea party.
If your skin is too thin to take criticism because you've behaved outlandishly, ignored the site rules and ettiquette, then you shouldn't be on the net let alone an adult kink site.
The main problem for newbies, as I see it, is transitioning from the other side of CollarMe into the message boards. Many stay on the other side for years before trying out the boards. Take a good look at the other side. It's a newbie fantasy island, at least for the guys, where the ads encourage them to run up to every kinky woman and grab their ass. Judging by the ads, they are ENTITLED to behave this way. I was here before CM had ads, back when I wasn't embarrassed to have my son walk into the room while I was opening letters and/or spending hours in the Lobby chatroom. I understand that CM needs ads now. Am not saying they need to be removed. But! I feel that this affects the tone of this site and makes it more difficult for new people to...not stick their foot in their mouth and embarrass themselves. Many new posters are not responding to US, but to their impression of the "kink world" they've just become a member of. I'm suggesting a transition, something to help new posters to save face.
I'll get specific in a moment, after I mention that...I fell to sleep while reading the TOS. Making someone read this legalblahblahblah is torture and they still won't learn the new rules of behavior when they enter the forums and/or go to their first munch or play party. Many are doomed to screw up and get humiliated. [;)]
My suggestion? When someone with less than five or ten posts tries to leave a comment, have a box jump up in their face reminding them that this area of CM is not for personal ads, give a bad example or two of what to avoid. Keep it brief. Roll out the welcome mat for new posters and have a link to click on if they are here to whine about fakes (that leads to that specific warning area in the mail room) and something similar for handling all the mail from wankers hollering "ON YOUR KNEES SLUT!", etc. Let them know that Support (give a link) is the best place to lodge a complaint.
Also, for a first post on this side, it would be nice to have their trying to post (or just entering this side) trigger a "walk through", a nice suggestion to read the sticky in each area before posting, a closeup of where it is, and a blinking cursor clicking on it to open it up before taking them back to where they wanted to leave a post. (Btw, the other side of CM kept me so busy that it took me about two years to find the boards, and another year to read the stickies.)
I don't know anything about computer programming and if this would be too difficult to do.
The thread that inspired this one was by a newbie living in an area with a sh*tload of munches and play parties in his area. Several a week! Holy cr*p! I try to make other people realize that many areas are not so blessed, that some of us NEED places like CM because we live in a BDSM event desert. I have to drive at least three hours to get to a munch. (Btw, that 67 miles CM says separates me from bo is actually 150 miles.) I would have to drive another hour and a half to two hours to get to our tri-state play party. Because of the distance, we rarely go. Until newbies can learn enough here to be aware that munches exist and can find out where to find them, this IS their BDSM community. Helping them to save face while their fantasy BDSM bubble bursts and they become better grounded in the real kink world will add to our local BDSM communities, and someday...I might not have to drive to Timbuckf*ck to enjoy groups of other kinksters.
Edited to add this:
I believe that most people find their way to the message boards through something interesting they saw in the scroll, and not through the message boards tab. It takes them immediately into a thread, bypassing their chance to see the stickies. This is another reason I try to have mercy on the newbies. Possibly, before being allowed to post in each area...they should be directed to the rules/sticky in each area of the boards and have to hit an "I agree" button before being allowed to post.
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