Greek Chat - should membership be closed?

[skylark]

I get the impression from some people who have been around the GC block (and like to prove it) that contributions from new GC members are not so appreciated. I'm starting this thread so that both new and old GCers can post about the community and whether new membership to the site should be encouraged or discouraged.

The reason I think that this subject needs discussion is because I have seen a number of new posters (like myself) get their a$$ handed to them because they were trying to meaningfully contribute to a conversation, but used the wrong word or were not able to give as much insight as some of the veteran-posters.

I'm sure that some moderator will think this is an attempt to personally attack and delete this thread, but I honestly think there needs to be a conversation about being nice to new posters. Yes, we don't know everything, but just because we're new doesn't mean we don't have anything to contribute. I've even read in other threads that we (new GCers) should refrain from posting for a matter of months before contributing our own thoughts. How lame would that be and how many great minds would be deterred from becoming involved in GC chat if they had to go through the motions so that they were deemed worthy to contribute?

I understand that a lot of new posters start discussions that have already been discussed (and many of you find that annoying) or say things that you may agree with as a whole but don't think are 100% right, but what good does it serve to rub it in new posters faces and possibly drive us away from the site altogether? But maybe some of us want to start a new discussion on an old topic because we don't just want to read a thread back from 2002 and call it good. Maybe we want to have a dialogue and that is why we came here to a FORUM.

So do the new GC people need to just suck it up and get whipped into shape? Should GC have stages of membership where you have to earn your right to post (members for 1 month get 1 posting a week/day or something)? Should old GCers have a little more patience and just laugh at all us newbies on the inside, knowing we will eventually learn?

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by skylark

I get the impression from some people who have been around the GC block (and like to prove it) that contributions from new GC members are not so appreciated. I'm starting this thread so that both new and old GCers can post about the community and whether new membership to the site should be encouraged or discouraged.

The reason I think that this subject needs discussion is because I have seen a number of new posters (like myself) get their a$$ handed to them because they were trying to meaningfully contribute to a conversation, but used the wrong word or were not able to give as much insight as some of the veteran-posters.

I'm sure that some moderator will think this is an attempt to personally attack and delete this thread, but I honestly think there needs to be a conversation about being nice to new posters. Yes, we don't know everything, but just because we're new doesn't mean we don't have anything to contribute. I've even read in other threads that we (new GCers) should refrain from posting for a matter of months before contributing our own thoughts. How lame would that be and how many great minds would be deterred from becoming involved in GC chat if they had to go through the motions so that they were deemed worthy to contribute?

I understand that a lot of new posters start discussions that have already been discussed (and many of you find that annoying) or say things that you may agree with as a whole but don't think are 100% right, but what good does it serve to rub it in new posters faces and possibly drive us away from the site altogether? But maybe some of us want to start a new discussion on an old topic because we don't just want to read a thread back from 2002 and call it good. Maybe we want to have a dialogue and that is why we came here to a FORUM.

So do the new GC people need to just suck it up and get whipped into shape? Should GC have stages of membership where you have to earn your right to post (members for 1 month get 1 posting a week/day or something)? Should old GCers have a little more patience and just laugh at all us newbies on the inside, knowing we will eventually learn?

This is kind of hilarious - you basically tear up "old" posters, then at the end shift it to be a 'discussion' when it's essentially a rant. Good stuff.

It won't surprise you that this exact topic has been both a problem and a discussion in the past - and the situation isn't unique to this forum. It's kind of an Internet Meme at this point, a sort of fanciful David v. Goliath where both sides claim a non-existent high ground.

I would just chill and enjoy it - anyone who's a douche to you is probably a douche, until proven otherwise. It's kind of like life - sometimes you get along, sometimes you don't.

New members can have some really awkward threads - googletarding, abusing anonymity, asking questions the forum can't possibly answer, and similar. Not surprisingly, OLD members can have some really awkward threads - googletarding, abusing anonymity, asking questions the forum can't possibly answer . . .

It's all good, guys. Life is not a puzzle, just go with the flow and waste some time on the internet, yo.

[AlethiaSi]

I think that some people may see this as a personal attack, (or whatever), but I think in a way, you are right and in another way you are wrong. I have been on GC for a long time, but I also was gone for like 2 years because I was sick of people saying that we were niave or just plain being mean. It wasn't until I came back, and was used to the way things were done, that I really felt comfortable enough to post what I thought. I do think that perhaps a more easy going style would be preferable and more conducive to the "community" setting for new people.

ETA: However, as AlphaFrog said, you are paying for the sins of the trolls before you (you being the new posters), which I think sums it up, everytime a new recruitment thread is opened up, I tend to avoid it like the plague (b/c for
1. I don't know nearly as much about national Orgs as the other members and

2. I don't have NEAR enough patience in order to respond to the same questions each and everytime) I give the posters that do respond a lot of credit, for being patient, explaining the processes and supporting the new posters, only to have them disappear.



(I am also VERY grateful for the advice, support and "communication" of GC and enjoy being a member of this community)



off topic: p.s. whyyy doesn't posting allow you to copy(paste) anything??? grrrrr

[AlphaFrog]

This is the exact thing that drives people who have been here crazy.

GC has been around for almost 8 years. Why should it change for the people who have been here 8 days?

No, I don't think there should be stages, and I do think that first time posters can have valid ideas, but it's up to them to learn the atmosphere/posting style (which is NOT 13 year old AOL chat-speak) before they post or, yes, they will get their ass handed to them. There is a reason why new posters are treated the way they are - they are paying for the sins of the trolls who came before them. Right or wrong, it's probably not going to change.

People here take themselves too seriously. And, they especially take other posters here too seriously. To quote another GCer (who I can't think of off the top of my head): If someone is snarky to you, take a look at their past posts, chances are, you're not special. I'm sorry if people can't tell that I'm being sarcastic 90% of the time. I would think MysticCat's quote (which BY THE WAY, I used with permission) in my signature would help a little.

As for people perciving your post as a personal attack, since I'm the person you're talking about, I'll go ahead and say MODS, I don't care if you leave this post up. It doesn't bother me in the least. I'm sure, skylark, you'll get a bunch of PMs saying "Yeah, there's a bunch of mean, nasty girls on here, I'm glad you're nice". (Feel free to share with us how many you get, that's always entertaining.) It's a messageboard. To quote another GCer, "It's not Happy Pony Rainbow Land". Most of us who have been around are straight-up and don't sugarcoat.

[skylark]

Yeah (to Ksig), this is admittedly a rant, but I really do encourage people to rant back, if they'd like. And I have participated in other internet forums, always make an effort to learn about the site-culture before sticking my neck out, but I have never been belittled in the ways I have either on threads or by PM like I have on this forum.

Sometimes I want to ask these people, when you were an active in your GLO, did you jump all over your new members when they tried to contribute? If you did, how did that work out for ya?

And yeah, I know this isn't a new topic, but I think that it needs to be discussed again. Why is that a problem?

[NinjaPoodle]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

This is the exact thing that drives people who have been here crazy.

GC has been around for almost 8 years. Why should it change for the people who have been here 8 days?

No, I don't think there should be stages, and I do think that first time posters can have valid ideas, but it's up to them to learn the atmosphere/posting style (which is NOT 13 year old AOL chat-speak) before they post or, yes, they will get their ass handed to them. There is a reason why new posters are treated the way they are - they are paying for the sins of the trolls who came before them. Right or wrong, it's probably not going to change.

People here take themselves too seriously. And, they especially take other posters here too seriously. To quote another GCer (who I can't think of off the top of my head): If someone is snarky to you, take a look at their past posts, chances are, you're not special. I'm sorry if people can't tell that I'm being sarcastic 90% of the time. I would think MysticCat's quote (which BY THE WAY, I used with permission) in my signature would help a little.

As for people perciving your post as a personal attack, since I'm the person you're talking about, I'll go ahead and say MODS, I don't care if you leave this post up. It doesn't bother me in the least. I'm sure, skylark, you'll get a bunch of PMs saying "Yeah, there's a bunch of mean, nasty girls on here, I'm glad you're nice". (Feel free to share with us how many you get, that's always entertaining.) It's a messageboard. To quote another GCer, "It's not Happy Pony Rainbow Land". Most of us who have been around are straight-up and don't sugarcoat.

Pretty much what ^^she said.
AND

Originally Posted by skylark

So do the new GC people need to just suck it up and get whipped into shape?

Yes.

[Senusret I]

I didn't read the whole thing, but I don't think there should be a probationary period or anything.

But i DO believe that you should have to register before you can lurk.

[cuteASAbug]

I joined greekchat in April because I had trouble finding appropriate clothes for initiation. I have to say that no one attacked me or tried to pull rank on me and that everyone was incredibly nice and helpful, and I'm nor talking about just the ASAs.

[MysticCat]

Yes, as KSig RC says, rookies and old timers on this, as on all, boards can be jerks. Welcome to life.

But personally, I don't think it's a matter or newbies needing to be quiet at all. Still, the reality is that old timers may have experience and see things that the newbies don't see.

You may think of it as simply using the wrong word or not being able to give as much insight as some of the veteran-posters. But others who have been around longer have seen that sometimes, lack of precision on things like whether someone can join a second NPC group has caused major headaches and misunderstandings.

I don't think anyone has ripped you a new one, at least not in the thread that I imagine gave rise to this one. In fact, I think that more than one person said they weren't trying to attack you, but were trying to avoid misunderstanding that has been seen in the past.

[skylark]

Alphafrog, if you were the only person I saw on GC that I thought needed to hear my thoughts I would have just PMed you. I am not isolating my criticism to you, but yes, your comment in another thread did become a last straw.

And yeah, I do realize this is the exact thing that drives you veterans nuts, and you know what? I don't care. Furthermore, I hope you were talking about someone else when you were referring to AOL chatspeak, because I always try to make sure I post in complete sentences, without typos (as much as could be expected on a forum) and with correct capitalization, even.

And as far as learning atmosphere/posting style, I have something I think can be added as a search function feature. There isn't a way to look up an abbreviation on this site if the abbreviation is 3 characters or less. So I am sorry for having to ask what certain things mean sometimes.

As far as getting PMs saying that I'm nice, if I get any I would certainly not share, but that is honestly not even close to the reason I am posting. I am posting because I think that some old posters should check their self-righteous attitude at the login and learn to let something go if a newbie poster says something you find annoying because of our inexperience.

I'm not asking for GC to change for me, I'm asking whether the attitude (however long it has been around) is beneficial to the purpose of having greek chat.

[OneTimeSBX]

Originally Posted by cuteASAbug

I joined greekchat in April because I had trouble finding appropriate clothes for initiation. I have to say that no one attacked me or tried to pull rank on me and that everyone was incredibly nice and helpful, and I'm nor talking about just the ASAs.

i second that...i joined a non-traditional sorority and was already out of college when i did so, and wasnt 100% familiar with how things worked. this has been one of my favorite things to do to help kill time at work , inform myself of both collegiate and greek issues, and have a good laugh!

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by skylark

Furthermore, I hope you were talking about someone else when you were referring to AOL chatspeak, because I always try to make sure I post in complete sentences, without typos (as much as could be expected on a forum) and with correct capitalization, even.

And as far as learning atmosphere/posting style, I have something I think can be added as a search function feature. There isn't a way to look up an abbreviation on this site if the abbreviation is 3 characters or less. So I am sorry for having to ask what certain things mean sometimes.

Absolutely not. And I understand the abbreviations take time. It's not irritating when someone asks about something like that when they don't understand. It's irritating when someone posts about NPC unanimous agreements that they don't fully understand.

Originally Posted by skylark

I'm not asking for GC to change for me, I'm asking whether the attitude (however long it has been around) is beneficial to the purpose of having greek chat.

No, not just for you, but for all the newbies who have come before and who will come after. How nice of you to martyr yourself. Speaking of self-righteous.

[_Lisa_]

Originally Posted by skylark

There isn't a way to look up an abbreviation on this site if the abbreviation is 3 characters or less.

Go to Google, then click on advanced search. Fill out the domain as greekchat.com and then search however you like. Its quick & easy & searches for any number of characters.

[skylark]

Originally Posted by OneTimeSBX

i second that...i joined a non-traditional sorority and was already out of college when i did so, and wasnt 100% familiar with how things worked. this has been one of my favorite things to do to help kill time at work , inform myself of both collegiate and greek issues, and have a good laugh!

I agree with both of you, for the most part. I have had some very valuable advice given and I have enjoyed many of the people on here. I have also been pretty annoyed though, that I keep reading about how annoying it is for new GCers to be involved in conversations.

And you know what? This does not have to do with what happened in one forum earlier today. There was another forum (that I searched for, but may have gotten deleted) that was all about the dos and don'ts of GC and new posters (not me, but I read them) got reamed for even voicing their opinion on the thread. And I've also watched as other newbies have gotten their a$$ handed to them for really only trying to participate.

This is not about what a couple people said to me in one thread this morning. I have thicker skin than that.

[skylark]

Originally Posted by _Lisa_

Go to Google, then click on advanced search. Fill out the domain as greekchat.com and then search however you like. Its quick & easy & searches for any number of characters.

Thank you -- that is extremely helpful.