WikiNewbie

MeatballWiki | RecentChanges | Random Page | Indices | Categories

Newbie, newb, n00b; or just "newcomer". See [Jargon File, newbie].

It can be laden with meaning: damn newbs, NoRespectForHistory, RTFM and all that.

An essential part of a community is to WelcomeNewcomers.

Many of the best-intentioned newcomers soon conceive some grandiose project that will revolutionize this or that. Is it subconsciouly trying to make one's mark quickly? Most of these projects flounder. Sometimes they're not appropriate, or ill-conceived, or badly presented. Maybe the community has an inbuilt resistance to outside proposals -- they don't feel the newcomer has served their "apprenticeship". Let them be, sleep on them for a few wiki-months. Go back to them when you are an old hand (or just a little bit less wet behind the ears). There is often a lot to be learned from your early impressions of the community. Reexamine grandiose projects and see what can be salvaged an applied.

I wonder if only the impetuous youth do this. What about the OldGeezers?

Here's a fact that many people don't understand. All organizations need a continuous supply of fresh people in order to sustain it and even grow. Pushing away new users is death as it will starve the hungry organization of talent. -- SunirShah

WikiNewbie

Discussion