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Influx of newbies as of late?

Veritas&Equitas

Veritas&Equitas

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Oct 31, 2005
1,528
1
Twin Cities, MN
Is it just me, or has there been a major influx of newbies here on MR the past couple of months? Maybe it's the iPhone effect, but it seems like we've added many thousands of people over a very short period of time? I'm not completely whining, but I've noticed there are many newbies that are quite juvenile when it comes to flame wars and whatnot.

I'm glad that we have great mods and rules around here that moderate quite well, but I've just been a little disappointed with some of the attitudes and total "newbieness" of many of the new arrivals (almost indecipherable grammar & spelling, SMS-like responses, etc.).

For example, a typical post the other day:
"This forum is dead. There haven't been any new developments in the world of windows on mac for a while, and I think the forum should be closed until something fresh and new pops up. Don't you agree?"

and another:
"Go fart on yourself."

I'm not trying to be Johnny Raincloud here, but I just hope this site doesn't turn into one of the other childish, name-calling hardware sites that I've left over the years, because I adore MR, the members, and the community very much.

I don't even know what kind of response I'm looking for, it's just something that's been concerning me the past few weeks while reading over many of the different sub-forums. Thought I'd give it my $.02...
 
We need to adopt stricter hazing rituals. That way, noobs that want to stay here will prove their meddle and those who sign up just to troll will be dissuaded.

I think the old paddling with a cricket bat isn't getting the job done anymore. Time for something more... sadistic? :D

But seriously: I do think it's the iPhone effect, or some product of their cognitive dissonance against Apple's rising market share; I also blame the total free-for-all non-moderation of forums and comments sections on many other sites for encouraging these little brats to come in and try to pollute new environments. Strong moderation helps, but I can understand it being a chore.
 
There is always a noob influx from time to time, sometimes they are better behaved then other times.
 
Johnny Raincloud is the single funniest term I've heard all day! :D

Yeah, there're quite a few wankers out there right now. The same thing happened when Apple switched to Intel, to a degree... I've just become quite selective about which threads I jump into.
 
mad jew said:
Johnny Raincloud is the single funniest term I've heard all day! :D

Yeah, there're quite a few wankers out there right now. The same thing happened when Apple switched to Intel, to a degree... I've just become quite selective about which threads I jump into.
Click to expand...
You selective, since when.
 
mad jew said:
Technically that's still selective.
Click to expand...

Very true.


I have to say i've noticed the same influx, and they seem to flout the rules more these days. The main one that gets me is 'bumping' threads. Whilst technically not fully against the rules, it's frowned upon and it does irritate me.

Although these same newbies will help each other out on occasion, which is nice to see. If you ignore the flaming and silly SMS speak, they're not so bad.
 
Osarkon said:
I have to say i've noticed the same influx, and they seem to flout the rules more these days. The main one that gets me is 'bumping' threads. Whilst technically not fully against the rules, it's frowned upon and it does irritate me.
Click to expand...
It's more than frowned upon:
The Rules said:
Bumps. Posts that bring a thread to the top of the New Posts list but add no content to the thread (bumps) are not permitted. This applies not only to posts that say "bump" but to those with the intent to bump.
Click to expand...
The fact that it's put under minor probles, just means you won't get banned for it... unless you overdo it...

As always, if you see someone you think is breaking the rules, report, report, report:
report.gif
.
 
Couldn't resist a reply

I visited this site for over a year now, but it wasn't until last month that I felt the urge to actually post something.

I find that IF I have something good to post or some way to help someone out, I am usually slower on the draw than Mad Jew or MKrishnan.

I usually also refrain from answering just for the sake of it. I feel that this forum is great because of the VIP or maybe I should say VHP (Very Helpful Posters) that are here...

Thank you all for a great daily read.

:)
 
MacNut said:
Admit it you hate them.:p
Click to expand...

Sssssh. ;)

You do find nice ones, and remember, we were all newbies at one point...

I wonder if they do read the rules though. I did out of curiosity when I first joined, just to make sure I was behaving.

Ah thanks Mitthrawnuruodo, that's the point I meant to make. :D It's only recently I've seen the bumping appear, it seems to be common on other forums which is probably why it's starting to creep up here.
 
Mitthrawnuruodo said:
As always, if you see someone you think is breaking the rules, report, report, report:
report.gif
.
Click to expand...


As the man's sig says: Don't you forget about me. ;)

Seasons come, seasons go. Each new Apple product brings joy and pleasure as new members join MacRumors. Those accustomed to the waters, stay. The others? Well, they tend not to.

I'm glad to see the community grow and the popularity of MacRumors increase. Let's welcome all newcomers, where possible, and show by example where we can. :)
 
While I myself am new to the FORUM, and in fact to Apple products as well, I deffinetly agree with the OP. I'm a CS major and have spent most of my young (and getting older ;)) life on computers, reading about "gadgets" so I can at least hold my own in most conversations.

But it seems ANYTIME I make a comment, ask a question, or just read a thread, there will be countless numbers of totally wrong answers.

Additionally, people in this forum thread jack like it's there job. If I make a forum asking a question, I'm honestly lucky if I get one response (usually a wrong answer) before somebody asks a follow up question that completly derails the thread.

Of course in general I keep to the MB/MBP/iPhone/iPod(touch) forums which obviously generate teh most "new" traffic, but still.

I agree with the OP :)
 
I am one of the many new people on the boards, although I have been lurking for a while anyway so I'm not that new. I think it's because of the tons of people yapping about problems with their brand spanking new iMacs. I am lurking in the background trying to help solve these problems on my own and give support, even though my own experience with OSX is fairly limited. But I think it is a question of time and patience.
 
shoelessone said:
...people in this forum thread jack like it's there job. If I make a forum asking a question, I'm honestly lucky if I get one response (usually a wrong answer) before somebody asks a follow up question that completly derails the thread.
Click to expand...


Free troubleshooting would never claim to be accurate or prompt. ;)
 
I don't really mind newbies in theory. However in practice a lot of them ask questions that simple google searches would answer. (As some people might have noticed) That really irritates me.

I'm all for helping people with issues but please god at least have done some research first.

Otherwise noobs are fine. Without them the site wouldn't grow and would eventually die as the older members leave for pastures new! Then again they can also drive older members away and turn MR into a childish name calling forum as some people fear!

Remember we were all noobs once (although as a noobie i personally used do a lot of ground work first before asking questions in a forum)

~Shard~ said:
I love it when I am given the opportunity to expose new people to my bastardliness. Bring on the n00bs! :D :cool:
Click to expand...

Being mean can be so rewarding! ;)
 
TBi said:
I don't really mind newbies in theory. However in practice a lot of them ask questions that simple google searches would answer. (As some people might have noticed) That really irritates me.
Click to expand...

Yep that's definitely a big irritation for me as well. I only ask questions when a google search/forum search doesn't bring up what I'm looking for. At least then I can say I've tried searching and wont be subject to being told to go search :p
 
But yet, the majority of newcomers to this forum are a pleasure to deal with and there are lots and lots of members who offer extremely valuable help.

Since becoming a mod, I've had to read threads I wouldn't have bothered with in the past and am continually struck by how supportive this community is, and the wealth of knowledge freely shared.

Also, Googling for a solution is not the same as joining a community with a query. We have a 'Official' New Member Thread: Welcome, but that often gets overlooked, so people are essentially saying 'hello' with their first post... it's not a crime, it doesn't bother the mods, and that first point of contact with our community, any community, is so important.

I remember when I first arrived here, bringing bad habits learned from other forums, getting my knuckles wrapped more than once... but I soon drank the kool-aid and bathed in the shared glow of MacRumor's own reality-distortion field. And I saw how things could be... :D

So please, let's go easy out there. Cut some slack and be excellent to each other. ;)
 
Veritas&Equitas said:
Is it just me, or has there been a major influx of newbies here on MR the past couple of months? Maybe it's the iPhone effect, but it seems like we've added many thousands of people over a very short period of time? I'm not completely whining, but I've noticed there are many newbies that are quite juvenile when it comes to flame wars and whatnot.
...

I'm not trying to be Johnny Raincloud here, but I just hope this site doesn't turn into one of the other childish, name-calling hardware sites that I've left over the years, because I adore MR, the members, and the community very much.
Click to expand...

Agreed, and I made a post very similar to this one a couple of days ago. (Bring Back the Love). I also share some of the sentiments expressed in the posts following yours that we should lead by example and ignore these less-than-kind/immature posts.

That said, it can be pretty "depressing" to read through a stream of posts that don't address the central issue of the thread because the "newbie" posters are too busy ranting or expressing contempt for the OP.

I'd gladly report them, but they don't actually "cross the line" into a clear violation of the rules, and "tone" can be misinterpreted. I guess I'm just hoping that raising the topic will make people more sensitive to the concern and lead them to contribute at a more thoughtful level rather than coming out swinging.
 
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