Welcome the Newbies
 

I would like to share a little story…

A sophomore, who has been in FIRST for one year, heard a lot about Chiefdelphi, so he decided to register for the forum and become involved in the community. He was warm welcomed on the forum by many. He is a type of student who needs to read the rules few times in order to get it inside his head and remember it. He went through all the Chiefdelphi rules just to make sure that he wouldn’t break any. He searched before posting any threads or even to post something about the topic. One day, he saw a thread about Battlebots and FIRST which was created about 5 months before he registered. He decided to give his 2 cents to that thread about FIRST and Battlebots. Next thing you know, he gets a negative reputation from a respected mentor on one of the most involved and coolest team in FIRST. The message on the negative reputation stated “DO NOT BRING BACK OLD THREADS.”

The reason I am posting this…

We have a lot of newbies who are joining the forum and hoping that they will get the best out of us in helping them. Giving the newbies negative reputation for simple mistakes is scaring them away and not welcoming them on the forum.

What I am trying to prove…

I have seen a new thread few days ago. Another thread with the same topic was posted 6 months ago too. Right away after the new thread was posted, few members posted in that thread saying “Search before you post,” “The same topic exists.” After that I haven’t seen that person on chiefdelphi forum. I am on the forum all the time checking for new threads and new posts all the time.

I am the same Arefin who is the guy in the little story I posted in this thread. The way I was getting bashed by particular people for making simple mistakes I didn’t come back to the forum until the season started again.

Let’s not scare the newbies away, let’s welcome them and help them.

Please share your opinion and post whatever you want, I wouldn’t mind. Because I maybe wrong.

p.s.- Yes, I know there is a similar thread that exists.

Also, read this thread please. It also shares a similar thought.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

I agree, the same thing happened to me. I was almost afraid to post my questions - afraid someone would yell at me and think in their head "stupid newbie" -- i don't think i've even gotten over that fear yet. We all mistakes but that doesn't mean we should be put down. A person can explain what we did wrong, but that's that. The lesson is learned and another person doesn't need to bash them. We're in a positive atmosphere, we should make sure we show it. =)

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

well i'll just add my 2 cents in....

so everyone lets think about this...we all were newbies once..so may be many years ago for some but yeah we all were there starting out
so come on just give people a break at times...we all have made the same mistakes...reopening old threads, not searching before posting... it's okay...we won't die because someone accidently forgot to search before they posted... we all just live and learn...

well the end of my 2 cents...

CD is a great community of ppl...so newbies welcome and old members i'm still glad you are around to make this place a great one...

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

One of the problems with this place is that too many people thinks it's there place and attack people who don't fall in line. That's why none of our kids post here. They got thier heads ripped off when they were scouting and now think a majority if FIRST hates them so they don't bother with the place. And these were veteran poster who made them feel that way.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

OK, the same thing happen to me. It made me stop posting for a while until I got over it and started to make some friends on here. While I know I am guilty of saying "Search before you post" - we all should learn to be more forgiving. Unless a newbie is being really obnoxious we don't have to go crazy and give bad reps. We could give some polite suggestions using the Neutral rep option. If that does not work the moderators know how to handle it. Good plea Arefin.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

As the above mentioned link shows, I agree with Arefin on this one 100%. Let's welcome the new people so they may learn, like we did from each other. We were all newbies eventually, we all know it, so you know what its like to be new here and trying to get help. We can never make it too easy, and I'm keeping up my aforementioned deal, if I see people being especially welcoming to new people, or teaching (not ordering, commanding or otherwise forcing towards) searching when it's necessary, and doing it tactfully, I'll reward with what little rep I can give. I admit it can be frustrating when five people start threads about the same thing, but there's no reason to scream about it, we have mods to fix that. And when a threads been dead for six months, sometimes reviving it is more likely to get you yelled at then starting a new one. And just because it was discussed once doesn't mean everyone got their say in. New people, inactive ones turned active, there can be a lot of new perspectives that can help. So I see no reason for every topic to only be discussable once.

Those are my $0.02, if it seems brash I apologize, I just want to make sure my point isn't diluted.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Although I agree with the general topic (and as can be seen by my post total, I too am timid of posting for fear of it already having been said or just being frivolous) I think the majority of CD is a very welcoming community. Yes occasionally people get upset, but I feel those events are not frequent occurances and for the most part people respect "newbies" even if they do break a rule knowingly or unknowingly.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

I have to say that I agree with all of y'all on this one. Instead of bashing the newcomers for not searching, perhaps it would be better to persuade them into searching. Something like answering their question, pointing them in the direction of the previous thread, and telling them it might be faster and more efficient if they searched for it beforehand.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Fin,

Yup, I got the same one as one of my first posts. One of my few reds actually. To newbies, the people on these forums may come off as attacking or rude sometimes, each and every person here. 99.9999999...% of the people here, aren't, and just come off so accidently. To anyone who gets a similar message as this, pat yourself on the back for searching and welcome to CD, it's a great place to be

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

I'm just curious, what is your criteria for giving good rep? What would 'wow' you enough?

P.S. (I'm pretty new) how do you go about giving rep? :o

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Everyone's criteria for good rep is different. Personally, if I see someone going out of their way to help someone else, if I see someone making a good point (and doing so in a classy fashion not a "you're dumb I'm smart" way) or anything that just makes me say "wow", I will give a good rep.

As to how to give +/- reps, on the top right of each post, there's a white scale. If you click that, it will give you a popup with the options of "I approve" "Neutral" or "I disapprove" and a space for your reasoning. You are required to tell them why you are giving them that rep.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

I got this sort of treatment as well my first few months of being on CD and I am just now getting into the positive numbers for reputation. if this wasn't a FIRST oriented site I would have been long gone a while ago.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Jeez...I guess I'm not the only one who screwed up...it's kinda discouraging though, to be here for a few months and have totally blown my rep...

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

My criteria is when someone adds a fresh perspective to an argument or posts something particularly clever or inspired. I haven't given out negative rep since a fellow veteran poster attacked some of my kids for posting for scouting info and I charged in basically telling him to back up off of them.
I was sorely tempted to slam one kids on the board who seems to have respect issues with adult mentors (lesson to the wise kid: labeling someones post "retarded" is not graciously professional" and this isn't the first time I've witnessed rudeness in your posts and you are in serious need of being taken down a peg. I PM'd the kid instead).

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Well thank you so much for having the courage to say something. When I joined I got negative on i think my first post. it was so discouraging. I think people should realize that giving negative reputation on a first post doesn't encourage people to want to be friends and share valuable information. THey are disenclined to help with problems. at least this is true when you first join. if people want to make their point, they can give neutral and just state what it is for. once people have been on the site longer they should know whatever better. so of course by all means. use the negative reputation if you feel the need. but really. how nice is it to welcome a newbie with a slap on the wrist?
well thats my $.02 and arefin you said we could post whatever we want so i hope not to be repremanded for anything that may have offended someone.
Christina

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

When I first joined, I never really posted. In fact, in six months or so, this is my third, maybe fourth post. I was just here to collect information, as I was just starting out it FIRST and didn't think I had very much to offer. Which, seems to be the point of CD, collecting information from those who've already done something, then passing on what you have learned. However, there was another reason I didn't post either- I was afraid. For the number of times I've seen people getting yelled at, reprimanded, or otherwise shamed for doing something that seemed pretty harmless, I didn't want to make that mistake. I love FIRST, and I don't want to say or do something that will cast me in a negative light in front of some of FIRST's most influential people. It wasn't until members of my team insisted I should post more that I actually made a post or two. But, after reading this thread, I feel better.

When going through the fundrasing threads, I found something I wanted to comment on, but, it was started last summer, and finished then as well. I wasn't sure whether to post on it, or start a new thread. I believe Matt Krass already mentioned this as well, that just because the conversation no longer is one of the twenty or so recent threads, does not make it old news or irrelevant. What if the new thought provides a solution to a problem? FIRST is constantly growing in size, and as new generations step forward, new ideas and perspectives are ultimatly going to come with them. I think it a bit hypocritical to say "search before you post," and at the same time, "don't bring back old threads."

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

I agree with your point 100%. I can honestly say I have not received a negative rep point yet, but I am always edgy and really cautious about what I post. I find that it is often intimidating to start posting on CD, especially if you don't already know some more popular posters. I remember that when I first joined, I felt like I was just an insignificant poster, and I could imagine that if I ever did get a negative reputation point, I probably would have been scared away. I'm glad someone was brave enough to bring up this topic.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

I cant agree more. I made a post in a thread that was maybe a year or 2 old, but I didn't really check for dates or anything like that. I got hit with negative rep points from 3 diffrent people within the hour. And yes, What if someone had a discussion 3 years ago on say what type of support your club recieves from your school and how can you gain more support. I mean I was here this year, If I had something that would hlp this topic even though it is kinda old doesnt mean I cant put my 2 cents in because if I say something, others will see that and maybe get something out of it.

If someone is complaining about me posting in something that is old, then don't read it. Maybe that sounds a little mean, but that is no reason to bash some one who has never used this forum before. Much of my team has also had similiar run ins with this kind of stuff and is scared of coming back.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Arefin,
This seems like a pretty valid concern, it can certainly be very intimidating to come into this environment. It is great to see new people come and join, and we should certainly welcome them. But we also have a responsibility to educate them. I would never negative rep someone for posting a thread that has been posted before, that is a trivial "offense"...

However, there are worse offenses...
This also happens to be a place with a great number of "really smart people". Engineers and professionals with a large amount of experience deign to post here and share their wisdom. As my father so frequently told me when I was younger "Listen with your ears, not with your mouth." It is important that all younger members learn to listen, rather than jumping in and offerring opinions and advice that may not be well founded, or worse yet... posting inflamatory accusations or attacks.

When I was a new member back during the 2001 season, I was an idiot. Reading some of my posts from back then makes me cringe. Eventually I learned, and I got better.
Now I can say with authority, that in four years I will look back and say "Wow, I was an idiot in 2005".

Okay... no more ranting... short and sweet:
There are obviously two sides to this...
New members must be welcomed, but they must also learn the ways of this wonderful community.
Veterans need to make sure that in their zeal to educate new members, they do not scare them away.

$.02
John

edit:
Some would argue that even today, I am an idiot.
No names mentioned...
/edit.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

You still have to be careful with that. I have given neutral rep to someone and even started the comment with "Just a suggestion," but I got back a PM which indicated the user was rather annoyed at having received "negative" reputation. Although I did PM back and explain that it was neutral and didn't effect them either way, I never heard back from them and was afraid I had driven them away from CD. Fortunately, they're still around.

We should try to give a grace period to new comers. If you see someone who joined 15 minutes ago make a new thread when the very same topic was sitting at the bottom of the portal list, just calmly and politely point it out to them and tell them not only to search, but how to do that. As I remember, things like the forums list and even the somewhat more obvious search link were rather hard to find when I first joined. Posting on a new forum, especially one with as many forums and extras as CD can be confusing for a while. Give the inexperienced a chance.

On the other hand, if a person has been making the same mistakes for months, then it might be justified to use a negative rep to try to drive your point home.

Anything insightful, helpful, etc. Anyone who helps me almost always gets positive. (That means reply to my threads. ;))

Seriously though, I don't really have a criteria for positive. I rarely give out negative rep. I've only given out 4 negatives on my last 4 pages or rep given and they've all been to the spam bots which occasionally pop up. :) The last real negative I gave out was in 2004 to 2 people who were insultingly negative of another person's idea.

P.S. Interesting thread, Arefin.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

This thread brings up a very good point. Maybe it should be made a "Sticky" here or in the "Forum Help, Comments, Suggestions" area?

Just a thought. :)

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

When I come in the forum and start reading, I prefer to see posts where I learn things from. Once I start reading, I check for the quality and the content of the post. Is it useful? Is this post going to help others? I do give out reps in chit chat foum, depending on how funny, entertaining the post is.

... Thanks everyone for your input.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

I would agree with most things said above but I'm going to add in my slightly different viewpoint so this isn't just one sided story. I would like everyone to read my previous post here to see my perspective on this topic.

I regard Chief Delphi as some of the most efficient forums on the net. It would be a shame if they couldn't stay that way, because efficiency is the key to success. Duplicate threads, posting twice instead of editing, posting in the wrong forum, not searching, and poor grammar and spelling all contribute to inefficiency.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

That happened to me. I was afraid to post for a while, and constantly checking myself. That probably isn't the best situation for a Rookie Team Leader to be in. I really hope this thread at least gets one person to be more patient with the people on here, because you could scare some really worthwhile FIRSTers out of FIRST.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

This is a great thread. It should be repeated again about a week after Kickoff. About then tempers will be flaring about all these "disrespectful newbies who don't know the rules". It happens every year. Admittedly that is also a very stressful time of year, for both this forum and the individuals on it. So maybe there is some excuse, but not much of one.

I remember a few years back, 2001 to be exact, before many of you were here. I made one of my first posts in a thread that had a raging debate about how electric cars would save the world, or not (Note: this was pre-Segway). I just could not let some of the mis-information in the thread go unchallenged. The esteemed Dr Joe replied with something to the effect of "Your reply made me want to kiss my monitor". At that point I was hooked.

I don't post so much anymore. Being on the West Coast, somebody usually says what I was going to better than I can before I even read the post. So nowadays I only come out of the woodwork when I really think something needs to be said, or I can contribute to a technical discussion.

But I remember what a powerful thing that enthusiastic greeting was. Maybe we could get better results by encouraging good behavior than by slamming people with negative rep for what are obvious rookie mistakes.

PS I've handed out more rep in this thread than I have for a long time, ALL of it positive, all to relative newbies. The new people who have commented will be worth listening to in the future ...

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

I remember that thread like it was yesterday. Some great discussion took place. For all those who are interested, it can be found here:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=13124

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Quick question...

What is this "rep" business and does it affect your account/forum operation at all? Or is it some sort of social benchmark, like "popularity" at schools? I see alot of posts about "giving" positive and negative reputations which makes me suspicious about the actual nature of it.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

The green, gray, or red dots on the right side of the bar along the top of each post give you an idea about how, um, insightful (for a lack of a better word) each person is.

You can give a person rep on a post you like by clicking the scale icon () which is on the right side of the post. (near the rep images) You can see the rep you've received by going to your user cp.

No.

The fact that the rep(utation) system is fairly opinionated causes all the discussions about it. A lot of it is a popularity contest, but you also have to remember that the people who are popular here are almost always the ones who are helpful. :)

Good question.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Sounds a bit subjective. But if it's a good measure of a person's ability to help others, then it's acceptable.

Regardless, I would like to take the opportunity to remind everyone that getting caught up in popularity contests is destructive and frivolous. My advice to newbies who are worried about people lowering their 'rep'....is to not worry about it, go on your way, and be a good forum member.

Hijacked by the Newbie
 

Search before yo.... er ah.. :rolleyes:

It is in the FAQs, Reputation FAQ

Wetzel

Re: Hijacked by the Newbie
 

Hm... don't think the "forum perks" part was there when I last read that several months ago... :)

'parently I was wrong/might be wrong in the future.

--EDIT--
English/grammar police out there, would you capitalize the "P" in the above sentence? In case it isn't obvious, that's "apparently" with the initial "ap" taken off... :) Just curious.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

well like i said before I had just got on and I imeadiately was getting slammed. which is why i suppose there is only 2 students that actually post on CD from our team. Eugenia Gabreilov and myself.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

I agree that this may be scaring people off but, sensitivity is OK to a certain degree. Just realize that reposting is not the end of the world and life will go on. Give the newbies a break.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

I hardly ever give negative to anyone. For me, it takes something pretty bad to get a negative rep. And also, I don't just go handing out positives too often either.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

personally i have two bad reps and both are in my opinion ridiculous.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

I will be one of the first to say it right out loud: I know that I can be very harsh sometimes with newbies. Patience isn't my natural strong suit, but I do try and sometimes I fail to be the member I wish to be and sometimes I succeed.

As I often read back in my posts, I think to myself in shame and say "How would I feel?" After doing this numerous times back in the day, my manner of responding to inexperienced questions and actions changed bit by bit until I felt that I responded with the adequate amount of grace needed to maintain self-respect in an intelligent and developing community.

I feel that many that have posted above me are very correct, but I will say that when I am sitting there posting, I find it difficult to tell myself and make excuses for a person. I realized that many months ago, and consciously chose to change my style or giving reputation.

In fact, I have made amazing friendships just be giving a rep point to someone when it looked like they were shy to post much but wanted to put in their 2 cents, or if the rep prompted a dialogue on an issue and later developed into a strong friendship. The same thing happens with private messages. Two examples of two best friends with whom the entire thing began with rep or private message? Neha & Bridgette. I love you guys...

Some people would say my giving of reputation is arbitrary. I give lots of it. I don't always give it for posts that I see that are long, or that give insight. I give reputation for effort. When I see a new individual, with a bit of rep, post a short comment in a thread that has a good function, I compliment them. Yes, negative rep is discouraging, but not recieving any rep at all is just as discouraging. I'm sure there are many people out there who check their rep screen every 20 minutes in hope of positive reinforcement in a unique community, where they may not get positive reinforcement for sharing information in their home, school, or robotics program.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

i am on here reading a lot, but i only post when i feel that i can say something without getting negative rep points. perhaps the forum might seem more friendly without rep points at all?

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

I see no problems with ANYONE offering opinions or advice. They are just that, opinions and advice from their perspective. It doesnt require you to listen to or follow their advice, instead it offers a learning potential. If you dont follow their advice (because its flawed) and instead of slamming them for being a newbie and trying to help, tell them why it wouldnt work very well. After all, the newbie WAS just more than likely just trying to help.

They reserve the right to express their opinions and advice just as much as some mentor that's been on the forum for years. I think anyone who says otherwise is just being silly.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Yes, the ignorant have as much a right to an opinion as anyone.
However, they do not have the right to remain ignorant, and still remain a part of this community.

Maybe I am just being silly.
Crazy me for thinking that the knowledgeable should have more of a right to share knowledge and that maybe the ignorant should keep their mouths shut, until they become knowledgeable. I know I wish I did (it took me a while to figure this out, thanks Dad).

Opinions are like <noses>-- everyone's got one, but nobody wants to
look at the other guy's.
-- Hal Hickman

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Call me crazy, but I feel it's a little silly to be giving bad rep for someone who re-posts, or didn't use the "search" feature, but sounds like it's happening a lot...I don't think that's deserving of neg rep, actually I rarely find something that is truly deserving of bad rep. Yes it's frustrating for the rest of us to wade through those posts, but hopefully mods can delete, or close redundant threads, in addition to everyone helping the newbies find their way.

We can always hope that the newbies will read for a while and learn all they need to before they start posting - but this isn't an ideal world. So, we can post those sticky's for reminders, we can PM them individually with a positive encouragement to do something different, or we can post a nice message in reply to their redundant threads, but I think it's unnecessary to give neg rep. We don't want them to leave all together, so we shouldn't be adding to their worries about being yelled at.

Even when the newbies post "over the line" sarcasm, and "ignorant" comments, I don't give neg rep. I PM them with the suggestion that, while they may not mean harm or offense, they should think about how their post will sound and possibly affect others and to consider lightening up. Until the community gets to know them, sarcasm or those types of comments can be offensive and found "jerky", and people that join CD typically are not like that on purpose, so they need to be given a few chances. Hopefully they will heed the advice and learn proper "etiquette" as time passes, as they usually do. I've seen a few that started off really rocky, but have shaped up a bit soon after.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Opinions and advice about certain issues is always welcome and A Good Thing. However, these forums harbor quite a bit of technical discussion, dealing with potentially lethal forces (pneumatics, electronics, mechanical, etc), and in such circumstances it's best not to offer advice or help unless you really know what you are talking about.

The last thing this community needs is for someone to be seriously injured because of some bad advice given on a public forum. I think that's where John's mind was when he made that post, and his concern is well founded.


With regards to the original topic, I've been registered on ChiefDelphi since January of 2002, and had read the forums regularly since the start of the 2001 season. The one thing that has always jumped out at/impressed me about this community (compared to other large sites like Slashdot) is the overall quality of the forums, in posts, topics, members, etc. Trolls are virtually nonexistent around here, and spam is kept to a minimum thanks to the herculean efforts of the moderator crew.

As the community grows (and it has been, almost exponentially it seems), it's important to maintain the quality that keeps people coming back. The content on this site is second to none in terms of technical documents, community discussion, and overall friendship. The reputation system is one of the methods of identifying people who have in one way or another contributed something to the community, whether it be technical insight, a fresh perspective on a subject, or providing valuable input to a discussion. It's not meant to ward off would-be John-V-Neuns or Andy Bakers or Dave Laverys, and people shouldn't use it as such. But again, quality is important. It takes a lot for me to give out negative reputation, and I usually wouldn't unless I felt a post obviously detracts from a discussion.

My best recommendation for new users is to absorb as much as you can. Read the forums for a few days to get a general feeling for the types of discussions taking place. This is a community, and all communities are governed by commonly known unwritten rules (in addition to the written rules that were agreed to by becoming a registered user). Things like searching before posting and spelling and grammar are common new member mistakes.

Take in the scenery, learn how things work, then take the plunge and join the community.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

thats true your right i agree. i think soon enough when sum newbies like be sarcastiv or write ignorant comments i think they will learn from there mistakes, etc sooner or later. Yeah i admit that when ever sum1 would post sumthing that everyone on cd didnt want to hear or just whatever id go along with everyone and give them bad reps and stuff. i dont think thats a way to solve a problem especially to the newbies. although since specific commects tick alot of people off and stuff, people should lighten up on giving them bad reps because it might just really scare them and actually never post on here again.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Hey I am a newbie too and just wanted to say hi!

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

I am a newbie too and i agree with what everyone says. After being on many message boards i have learned that it is hard to start out as a newbie and you will always do something wrong, but it is not the end of the world. You get on with life. Eventually we learn.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Don't be scared to post here on the forum. The newbies are the next generation for FIRST. I was scared too when I first joined the forum. You will get used to the rules as you start posting here. We won't bash at you for making simple mistakes, I promise. It is possible to make mistakes when you are new to something. Just read the rules for the forum and start posting. If any of the newbies have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

We are all friendly here, we don't bite =). Talk to us and you'll realize there's alot more you can relate to us than you realize. As long as you have a good attitude you'll make friends in no time.

And as for feeling that you don't know enough -- I'm sure you do. I feel the same about some topics here -- i'm clueless when it comes to anything mechanical. But then again, that's why I'm here -- i learn; so don't be afraid to ask questions either by posting or messaging people personally. At the starting, I was afraid to post so I mainly PMed people with questions. I still get intimidated at times but I guess the more you stick around, the easier it is to post.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

For all you rookies in the Detroit area. Go to Sweet Repeat this upcoming Saturday. I will be there along with tons of other awesome FIRSTer's. Meet some new people and see how a comp. really is!:)

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Hey,
This is the first year Team 1768 will be competing in a FIRST event. We're all looking forward to what we expect will be a great experience. I'm glad to hear that most people using CD are helpful; I'm hoping to learn a lot through these forums.


-a.r.levin

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

This is a good thread, hopefully all the old members will read this and take in some consideration before giving bad reps. I'm glad this thread is helping welcome the newbies into our FIRST/cd family. :)

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

one of the things that I'm still finding scary about CD is its immense size and population. Its the largest forum Ive seen on the Internet, and i just am afraid to put my topics in the wrong section that either ill get in trouble for miss placing it or not enough people will see it.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

The biggest problem with the rep. system deals with relatively new members that are just starting to recieve actual rep. One negative rep point and you're in the hole all of a sudden, and thats really scary. You didn't have much to begin with, then all of a sudden you look at your rep. and say "They think I'm a bad guy!" Its too easy to get yourself into holes and too hard to get yourself out.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

That's not always the case. If you see someone with one red rep and only like 2 posts, obviously that person is a newbie who didn't know something about the rules. I can't really speak for anyone else, but if I saw someone with a red rep, I'd give them the benefit of the doubt and now think of thm any differently.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

I joined 02-02-2005 and only 6 posts :yikes: . I was usualy just lurking around here tring to get the feel of the place. Now I visit every day :)

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

I have been a CD member for quite a while now, yet have very few posts, but I am reading threads several times a day. I have taken on more of the "observer" type of role. There's a little bit of apprehension I suppose about posting, but it's more of the fact that I just love to listen (well, read) about what others have to say. I've learned a lot here on CD, and there's a good number of the regulars and newbies alike that I have to thank for that.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Probably the best way to give rep to a newbie who makes a mistake is to give neutral rep. Neutral is kind of like a warning, so it's like "hey, I did something wrong. I need to follow this guy's advice," or something like that. If the advice/warning is not followed, then consider negative. I mean, the guy is new, probably does not have the rules memorized or just simply made an error, and then someone hits him with negative, he's not going to like it. If he gets neutral, well, "a word to the wise is enough." He's not likely to make the same mistake again for a while, if at all.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Orrrrrrrr.... recognize they are a newbie that made a mistake, and PM them. Even veteran CD'ers, PM them if you have a comment. For me, it takes a LOT to negative rep (I don't think I've ever done it though, despite the urge). The "word to the wise" is much more effective with "words" that can be fully explained in a PM, or several PMs. Perhaps after a discussion you will find there was a misunderstanding... maybe not...
Personally, I think neg rep is silly unless it's really severe or is blatantly rude, offensive, or uncalled for.. But for "not searching" or "bringing back old threads", come on. Some of the neg rep cases I've heard about just seem unnecessary.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

I think even a newbie would realize that someone popping up an old topic from a while ago would people off, even if they’re new to forums completely. Yet you shouldn't yell at them, while it is their fault for not thinking everyone makes mistakes sometimes.
Heh just noticed last post was 10 27, no matter :p ... This place seriously needs new smiles, or atleast similar themed ones. (Color, shading, style, ect… I know red is supposed to be anger, but I mean there like green, purple, blue, and yellow…)
Heck I could rustle up some of my pixel artist friends and hook you guys up with some real nice ones.
___________________

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

To tell you the truth I have never ever used the rep "thingy" or even care that it's there. it's just another area to cause extraneous discussions like this to begin with. It we never had it we would never even bother have to curtail rules to even monitor it. I for one think rules are necessary but too many rules are just absurd and make life in general inefficient. Just pm people privately if there's really some life theatening topic that they seemed to have rubbed you the wrong way on. You rarely have to make using forums a popularity contest or a place to burn people. No one else really needs to know or care for that matter.

Oh well as with everyone else my $0.0002 for what's it worth.

Actually I don't even care if anyone even reads my posts. I'm here to learn and share.

Ellery

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

O boy! I just started robotics less than a month ago, so in order to recognize people from other teams I created a cheifdelphi name. Well, evidently one of my posts was "gramatically" incorrect! I got four people who left me messages telling me how horrible I was for using incorrect english, and you know what bothers me the most, that two of them spelled things wrong in their own posts! Even though I got off to a bad start, I advise anyone who has experienced these problems to stick with your name and keep on posting anyways! I have made so many friends through this site, I still find it incredible! :D

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Well, it's a lot easier to read if you do use proper grammar, but you don't deserve a negative rep for that.
I recently got negative repped for having a differing opinion. Some people...

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

This looks like a safe place for my first post.
(I mainly want to see what I look like in print ;-)

I believe this thread will help keep me out of trouble as I get started.
Many thanks to the person that stuck it to the top of the list.
I would have never thought to search for this topic.
I hope this thread never gets so old that newbies can’t post to it.

As for people that give excessive negative rep - I see them as Bully’s.
I don’t have much tolerance for that kind of behavior.
Maybe we need a reverse rep rating to identify people that give excessive negative feedback. Then you could tell if the feedback came from someone objective.

Anyway, I am starting a new FRC team, so I already have plenty of stress in my life. I am looking forward to working with all of you in the coming year(s). I am glad I stumbled into this thread early on. Thanks to all of you.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

TniyTyne
Greetings everyone, i just joined my schools Robotics team this year. ofcourse im excited about what im in store for. ( to everyone) What was your first Robotics experience like?

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Hello! I'm a newbie to the site too, but this is my third year in FIRST. As a designer who worked in Inventor, my first year was mostly frustrating since I was trying to work with a fairly complex program on a REALLY slow computer (it took about 15 minutes to boot the laptop up and another 8 to 10 to actually open Inventor), but all the other aspects of being on a FIRST robotics team definitely made it worth it. Most people will probably say that competition is the best part, but my favorite part is actually seeing the progress of the robot being built. It's absolutely fascinating to come in every day to see this part or those wheels added to the robot, and then being able to stand by in anticipation and nervousness awaiting the 'bot's maiden voyage- even if it is one of only 3 feet (not an actual experience, just an illustration)!

I can tell you that you're in for an experience unlike anything else, and be warned - every spare second of your time WILL be eaten by FIRST! I've even had people come up to me at church and ask me how robotics was going!!

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

The irony that I found this thread...not only because I'm new here, but I joined the DevHardware forums in October, and several people there seem to be hot heads. I joined because my bf was a member on there and I wanted to learn more about computers so I wouldn't feel "out of the loop" when he gets to talking with his friends or tries to explain something to me, etc. Since the computer class I'm in at school didn't fit the course drescriptin and I'm stuck in a stupid basics class, I've stayed out of the main forums for now until I can read things in there and post something somewhat useful. In the general section alone, I have seen (and often been the target of) a lot of bashing/flaming by members who have the theory that just because they are better at what they do than the other members (especially n00bs such as me) they can basically treat people like dirt and give neg rep, flame them, etc. There has been a thread where something was brought up in the Spam section that everyone was talking about, and then suddenly there's a post about how the topic was brought up over 5 months ago, and this resulted in an all out flame war about bringing up old topics and our claim that it shouldn't matter since it was so long ago and it was the spam section anyway. Another thread resulted in a flame war because of a post that was made that ended up asking a question answered earlier in the thread. And that's just the tip of the iceberg...

Really, I agree. If you can't use constructive criticism and be polite in telling someone they made a mistake, then you're going to scare away the newbie, and make yourself look like a jerk. Sure, if someone shows that they just don't care and does stupid things repeatedly, then you need to be tougher on them. But there's no need to insult a person for a simple mistake when they had really meant well.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

OK I am a Newbie. I agree that you should be nice to me. :)

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

I am also a newbie and this will be my first post in this forum. I joined my school's team this year as you can see from my Rookie year and I hope that things described in the first post don't happen anymore. Nice to meet you all and have a great day!

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

am i free to talk about anything i need to know about my robot in this thread?? the last one i got put down the whole time :mad: :(

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Go for it, I am sure we will all help you out. If you have any questions or need help, please don't hesitate to shoot an email or im over my way. Good luck.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Start a new thread, and ask for advice relating to a specific area. It also helps to put the thread in the correct forum/subforum. Read the rules first to avoid cases of "It's in the manual, look there first," and there is always the search function to make sure you aren't asking a question that has already been answered. Doing both of those will save you a lot of hassle.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

the bot can expand 5 feet around and 60 inches up but can u pick another bot up making it like 120 inches up and then he can dump a basket into the center goal?? it is stupid but someone wants me to ask :confused: :o

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

From my understanding, that shouldn't be a problem. The rule says, your bot can't be extended more than 60 inches throughout the match. Your strategy doesn't conflict with the rule. I would suggest you to ask this question also in Q&A.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

This seems to be a common (wait, no, overwhelmingly common) occurence. So all I've got to say newbz is search before you post, jeez!

Just kidding.

If you found that offensive I'm sorry but it was too funny.

I really do apologize.

So my point, aside from bad jokes that aren't half as funny told through a forum, is that there's a good way and a not as good way to help people post in the correct place, etc etc. I know I'm not going to get shouted down for this here, but I'm not sure exactly /WHY/ bringing back an old thread is a big deal. Ah, whatever.

Also, for me, myself, personally (that's me) I am more cautious posting a new thread and less cautious jumping into an ongoing discussion. Now I guess not everyone has to be exactly like me, but we could all try a little harder.

/end rant
/end rave
/end ramble

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

From my understanding this WOULD be a violation. However, I'm really not sure. I've been pretty imersed in a lot of things, so though I haven't drowned, I haven't made it through the entire rulebook either. I have no interest in (and neither does Arefin, I'm sure) in entering into a flame/dispute. I very well could be wrong.

Don't listen to me.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

It actually depends on the thread. If it's a highly controversial topic, and most people decide to let it lie, then one person comes along and brings it up again, people will jump back in and duke it out again. Most people don't like this. There are other threads (mostly in Chit-Chat or Game Design, I think) where it's almost expected that the thread will die, then be revived later by someone with a new point of view. If it's a thread like this one, most people out there won't get mad.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

We are getting way off topic in this thread. Please PM each other about your concerns.

... and here is the answer for AceOfSpades...

<R05> At the beginning of the match, the maximum allowed size of the robot is 28 inches (71.12cm) by 38
inches (96.52cm) by 60 inches (152.40cm) tall.

<R08> Once a match begins, robots may extend horizontally beyond the 28-inch x 38-inch starting size under
their own power, up to a limit of 60 inches in either horizontal cardinal dimension. The robot may not exceed
the 60-inch height restriction at any time during the match. In other words, after the start of the match the
robot may expand up to a maximum volume of 60 inches by 60 inches by 60 inches. The one exception to the
height restriction is provided in Rule

<R13>. Any restraints (elastic bands, springs, etc.) that are used to
maintain starting size must remain attached to the robot for the duration of the match.

To answer your question (again) AceOfSpades... I don't see a problem with your strategy. Good luck.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Ok, yeah it's going wayyyyyy off topic. So heres a refresher on what the real topic is.

Its pretty much saying that we are here to help you, and usually we can, but we come off mean at times. It happens, thats life, some times it gets worse, like you PM someone yelling at them and give them negative reputation.

Veteran members-let it slide. You were a rookie once too, and I'm sure you thought about that question also at one point or another. Answer the question, ask if they have any more questions and help them.

As for the new guys out there, try to help us too, search the forums, search the rules. Please read through the rules completely if you haven't had a chance yet. That applies to everyone, you may think of something you haven't thought of yet too. If your thinking if making a thread, don't just search, browse around too, find the best sub forum for it to be in. It'll help the speed in which your answer will get question answered and you won't have to use the Shunned *bump* (nobody really likes them that much, if you do bump it, add something constructive to it, so it just doesn't say "Bump")

Welcome to Hotel ChiefDelphi
Such a lovely place
Such a lovely place (background)
Such a lovely interface
Plenty of room at the Hotel ChiefDelphi
Any time of year
Any time of year (background)
You can find it here
You can find it here

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Great, now I have that song stuck in my head, with the new words. :p

(And considering there is a rule saying you cannot attatch yourself to parts of the field, etc, I would think that is against the rules. I forget where it is in the rules, I'm too lazy to look at the moment)

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

yea so how do you change your avatar to your own personal one?????????????????????????

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

You browse for the avator on your pc (you made or the one you want) and choose that as yours under user cp.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

thx man!

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

You'll probably have to resize it, though, since it can only be 80x80 pixels.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

im a newbie, and i dont know how to use this site at allllllll :confused:

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

what is there to not understand? we simply post replies in accordance to what the person before us has posted to have a discussion. Most are robotics related, others are not. go look for them.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Well you just learned how to post ^-^ Now get out there and post s'more to other things :p

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

That's the spirit, cheer on the noobs. NOOBS, ASSEMBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

When i was new to this website..i didnt know what to do. Just get your self out there and post tons and all that so people can recognize you, etc. Its awsome how many friends you meet in the community of FIRST from this website.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

how about this, please tell us, prior to joining this website, if you have ever posted on any forum of any kind? I know i have

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

Hahah, I love forums they're sooo cool. I've been in many forums before including the Full-Metal Alchemist Forums (I like anime) and the Star Wars Galaxies Game Forums (yeap I'm an mmo loving nerd too) also my guild forums for all of thoose games I've played. Theres a whole bunch more but I think I have forgotten a few lol. I am what you would call a forum loving person lol (theres a name for this but I dont want to curse)

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

haha, yea i love forums too. in a week, i posted about 100 times on our team forum. XD :yikes:

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

I'm really liking this forum. Our robot has been saved several times by helpful posts by other people out there. Thanks! It's great to have at least one resource for information, especially as a rookie team.

I've posted on other forums too, including the best forum ever: www.unicyclist.com

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

There are lots of things to like about these forums. You get the chance to meet other people from outside your state. If you can't wait to meet people at nationals then post around here. I am speaking from experience. I have two people on my buddy list who share my love for anime and manga (most english-translated anime suck, while others suck anyway).

I wouldn't say that site is the best ever. No offense, but it comes down to our own opinions to what is the best forum.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

just 5 minutes ago that happened to me but knowing myself I DONT REALY CARE ABOUT IT. i just say well that sucks and do something else :yikes:

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

im new. corn chips. :ahh: :eek: haha. i havent had big league chew in a while.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

I see how you can rate someone else, but how do you check your own reps?
I did a search on CD and could not get a result except on gearboxes.

Carolyn

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

You can see how many points you have and what the giver said about you if you go to user cp. It will have it in a list there.

Re: Welcome the Newbies
 

One thing that needs to be pointed out here is there has been an influx of newbies who must've been raised on a steady diet of online gaming. The boast, brag and trash talk like crazy when they get here and are basically turning off alot of people around here with their poor attitude. That sort of behavior may be acceptable on the Harcourt, the gridiron or the virtual battlefield but it ain't going to win you alliance partnerships or awards.
The teams need to step up and make sure the kids are not undoing all the good works that they have been doing. Educate your kids not only about proper behavior on these forums but at the events as well.
When your kids go posting threads about trashing hotel rooms, doing stupid dangerous things in the shop and general unproductive behavior you not only hurt your team, your school, your sponsor and your community but FIRST as well.