# Hints for Newbies
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-newbies/1489
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [March 30, 2000, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-newbies/1489 "2000-03-30T14:45:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2000, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-newbies/1489/21 "2000-04-03T05:18:00Z")
Um. Make that “help you to _not_ come across as a gullible idiot.”
Sheesh.
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### Author:  [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2000, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-newbies/1489/22 "2000-04-03T12:42:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Originally posted by beatle:
> **…his user name (which I think is actually bedboy4).**
FYI, in the past he has also gone by Bedboy, Bedboy3, and Bedboywhoforgothispassword…doh.
## You can just put in “Bedboy” and click on partial match. 🙂
“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!” - the White Queen
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### Author:  [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2000, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-newbies/1489/23 "2000-04-03T22:41:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Originally posted by MrKnowItAll:
> Make that “help you to _not_ come across as a gullible idiot.”
But haven’t you split the infinitive?
Just kiddin’ 😉
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### Author:  [@ralphredan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralphredan)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2000, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-newbies/1489/24 "2000-04-10T05:36:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Originally posted by coosa:
> \*\*ralph, I think you’re getting your forums, etc. confused. For example, this forum is for discussing Cecil’s columns, not for getting manhattan’s attention.
>
> manhattan moderates the General Questions forum - if you want to call his attention to something, you need to post your thread there. Or, better yet, e-mail him directly - you can do that by clicking on his name at the top of the page, where it says ‘moderated by’.
>
> Another alternative is to post this sort of thing in the About This Message Board forum.
>
> The thread about writing checks is in yet another forum, the BBQ Pit. It might be helpful to use the search engine when you are looking for a particular topic.
>
> Also, if you will look at the very top of a locked thread, you will often see that it says ‘transferred to …’. This means the thread was not actually closed, just moved to a more appropriate forum. The version of the thread in THAT forum was closed, but the discussion is being continued somewhere else. The thread will remain open in its new location unless there is another reason to close it.
>
> Hope this helps!
>
> \*\*
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### Author:  [@Smart\_Ass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smart_Ass)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2000, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-newbies/1489/25 "2000-04-10T12:38:00Z")
Do we get a welcome or what?
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### Author:  [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2000, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-newbies/1489/26 "2000-04-10T15:40:00Z")
What.
(Sorry, couldn’t resist.)
Actually, we’re happy to meeet all of our members, lurking or not. It’s always nice to know another Teemster.
your humble TubaDiva
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### Author:  [@Smart\_Ass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smart_Ass)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2000, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-newbies/1489/27 "2000-04-10T18:21:00Z")
Adminstrator?! Damn, pretty good. That’s like being greeted by the Governor when you cross the state line. One thing, though. How do you break into the cliques? So far I’ve asked how you get to Great Debates, and whose ass I need to kiss. I’ve been less ignored on phone calls to tech support hotlines.
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### Author:  [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2000, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-newbies/1489/28 "2000-04-10T18:40:00Z")
Smart Ass, you just need to know where to ask. I saw your comment about whose ass you need to kiss in a thread about another poster and had absolutely no idea what the hell you were talking about. To the extent that cliques exist here, they are composed of people who have been here since this MB was transmitted by Pony Express. In general, if you want a nice, warm fuzzy greeting go over to MPSIMS and start a thread saying hi. Otherwise, I’d suggest looking for threads dealing with interests you have and post with relevant information and/or opinions. Sorry there’s no real welcoming committee.
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### Author:  [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2000, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-newbies/1489/29 "2000-04-10T20:17:00Z")
The change from newbie to accepted Teemster comes in its own time and comes strictly by merit. Your own merit.
All you have to be is friendly, curious, have half a brain and know how to use it, and show a willingness to play our reindeer games. A sense of humor is helpful.
Some folks assimila–I mean, fall into things, become accepted members – very quickly. Others find their own place in time.
Think of it as you would when finding any other new place to hang; at first you don’t know anybody and nobody knows you, but after a while you become a part of what people are used to . . . and then when people start asking about it when you take a day off, you know you’ve made it.
You’re in good company; there’s some great people here.
your humble TubaDiva
Proud to be a Teemster.
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### Author:  [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2000, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-newbies/1489/30 "2000-04-11T21:24:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Originally posted by Smart Ass:
> **Adminstrator?! Damn, pretty good. That’s like being greeted by the Governor when you cross the state line. One thing, though. How do you break into the cliques? So far I’ve asked how you get to Great Debates, and whose ass I need to kiss. I’ve been less ignored on phone calls to tech support hotlines.**
All you really need to do is send me large amounts of chocolate. GOOD chocolate, like Godiva. Then I’ll smooth the way for you.
Lynn
Queen of the Pit
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### Author:  [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2000, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-newbies/1489/31 "2000-04-11T22:04:00Z")
Yeah, and don’t cross her, otherwise you might as well die right now and get it over with.
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### Author:  [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2000, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-newbies/1489/32 "2000-04-21T14:27:00Z")
Hey, this thread is so informative, I think it needs to be back up top.
* * *
The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between the lightning and the lightning bug.
Mark Twain
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### Author:  [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2000, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-newbies/1489/34 "2000-05-07T12:51:45Z")
I figured this might be useful again after seeing the discussions going on over in the Pit.
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### Author:  [@Jamoross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamoross)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2000, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-newbies/1489/35 "2000-05-12T05:47:39Z")
Newbie Alert!
Um, sorry, not an alert **to** newbies, but rather a warning that another gormless
newbie (yours truly) has stumbled in from a.f.c-a.
After years in the text-only world I have finally broken down and accepted the
inevitability of these clicky (cliquey?) Web-based systems.
Assuming that other recent arrivals will also be attracted by the subject “Hints for
Newbies” I expect to find more of my kind here.
Please bear with me as I try to settle in.
- jam
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