The last post in THIS thread pretty much explains my experiences. I’m curious as to how it was for you when you first came to the SDMB as a “newbie”. Was the SD your first message board experience? What were your first reactions?
Were you ever pitted for saying something that you didn’t realize was offensive? Have you changed your views on anything since you’ve been here? Do you regret anything you said in the past?
And what, if any, advice do you have for new newbies?
What was it like: It was cool I suppose, best MB to date.
Was SD your first message board experience: No, snopes was though.
What were your first reactions: I thought it was the coolest message board out there. Tons of information and as a side bonus, plenty of people were willing to post responses (and relatively quickly too).
Was I ever pitted?: Not that I’m aware of.
Have I changed my views on anything?: I suppose I’m willing to see the other side of the argument now. Also I’m less likely to get into a name calling contest.
Do I regret anything I said: No.
Any advice: Uh…I suppose big claims require big justification.
I remember it just like it was yesterday. . . .
I’ve never been seriously Pitted. Not even as a newbie. What I remember from way back then was being quite invisible. Or feeling invisible. I also remember feeling a bit intimidated, thinking how easy it would be to post something and look like a total ass.
Now I post stuff, look like a total ass and keep right on posting.
It was cool! I liked the diversity, my only other MB experiences being Dutch car MB’s, really.
I quickly found out that most people are friendly and forgiving. I also learned that a few people are needlesly hostile over extremely trivial matters. After three years of seeing them post, they still are.
Yeah, I was pitted as a relative newbie, for being a little too inquisitive about something very private another poster had shared. My bewilderment remains, but I should have shown more tact in that case. I apologised, and that was it.
Changed my views? On a lot of things! Mostly, the enlightenment concerns American culture and politics.
Regret anything I ever said? Not on your life.
Well, since I’ve left the Great Debates for awhile I’ll put my two cents worth in here. I’m a newbie here but not new to message boards. To tell the truth I feel like I’ve been attacked by a pack of rabid dogs. I’m getting the impressions that a person is required to give up long held Christian convictions and beliefs to participate in debates. Not going to happen with me. There are a few very rude and hateful people here because I dared (gasp) to disagree with them. I will continue to disagree with them. People should be able to talk without resorting to name calling. I’m not the one who’s acted hateful here though I’ve been accused of it.
When I cited a reference to back up what I was saying, it was immediately said to be fraudulent but yet I’m supposed to accept everything they tell me. Don’t think so. I’ve never met people online like the people here. It’s truly been a shocker to me to be treated as I have been here.
By the way, what is being “pitted” and what to you do to get “pitted”?
I’d wager most people lurked for a while to see how things operate here, then posted more frequently.
SDMB was very intimidating - I felt like everyone here was an expert in something except me. And even those who were total experts had something witty to say every time, except me.
Not my first mb - I was on BBSs back to 1985.
I’ve never been pitted, and I don’t regret anything specific, although old and new posts of mine look pretty silly.
His4ever, “being pitted” means someone has begun a thread about you in The BBQ Pit. This is usually in response to something you’ve said in another thread in another forum. Your own comment could have been innocuous enough, but it’s all in how the other person takes it.
I lurked for a good amount of time, so I knew how to handle myself before I started posting. I found most people to be friendly and thought provoking, and I found a few to be asses, pretty much like life.
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I did some lurking before I started posting. Even so, it didn’t help me. In my very first post I completely missed a joke by Arnold Winkelreid (who wasn’t an Admin back then). CK had to point it out to me. WHOOSH!
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I came here from Usenet, where getting flamed for having an opinion is the order of the day. I expressed my feelings about coming here from there after one year here. I did it in this thread.
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No. To my knowledge, the only time I was the subject of a pit thread was when I started it myself (such as in my apology to Sweet Willy).
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I can’t say that I’ve actually made a 180 on an issue because of the SDMB. However, this group has helped me to see other sides of issues that I had not thought to explore before.
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Actually, I regret the first post I made. I also regret the comment that caused me to apologize to Sweet Willy in the first place. Besides that, I occasionally make remarks that can be taken the wrong way, and I do regret making them (I also usually apologize for them if I’m in the wrong).
Be a mensch. It’s OK to have opinions and to state them strongly. But be a mensch.
Zev Steinhardt
Yes, be He-Mensch, the Most Powerful Doper in the Universe!
I found the SDMB through the Snopes MB - they were discussing some topic or other and someone posted a link to one of Cecil’s columns. I poked around the main site for a few days before finally deciding to check out the board. I wasn’t expecting much - I was pretty new to the Internet and most message boards I had seen were full of illiterate yahoos who thought “homo” was the most creative and devastating insult you could call someone (although not Snopes, of course). But when I came to the forum index for the first time I was like Charlie stepping into the chocolate room. (I remember I saw the title and description for Great Debates and I was like, “There are….intelligent……people……here? Who discuss……thought provoking topics…….in a reasoned and articulate manner? And they don’t call each other homos?”) I perused the forums and threads with astonished glee. I was in a thread where Esprix has posted and I saw the shiny baubles dangling from his sig line……the “Ask the Gay Guy” threads, of course. (There were two at the time, I think.) I thought, “Hey, there’s several things I have always wanted to know about gay folk but was afraid to ask!” so I clicked on the threads and was educated. I went into the Pit and it was like someone had stolen into my brain and brought to life my fondest dream of heaven. I was in a daze of love, love, LOVE! It didn’t even occur to me to register for four of five months. I never thought I was worthy enough to exchange words with such brilliant luminaries (yeah, I’m talking about you guys! Ha!). Then one day there was a topic in IMHO that was just screaming for my input, so I took the plunge.
I felt achingly out of place for a good year or more. Every time I had something to contribute someone was always there with a quicker reply, or with a response much more eloquent than I could come up with. I always tried damn hard not to post unless I had something really, really IMPORTANT to say (well, that was my goal, anyway. I’ve made a fair number of silly-ass comments that weren’t worth the bandwidth they were printed on.) Then one day I realized it didn’t matter! I don’t have to be the archetype of what a SDMB poster should be! I can just speak my mind and not worry about if I sound smart or funny or if other people stop and stare in awe at my brilliance. Maybe somewhere some lurker will nod their head and go, “yep!” and that’s all I need. So I’ve been posting a lot more lately. :groans from the crowd:
I was very vaguely pitted once, but it’s too lame to speak of. Do I regret anything I’ve said? Hell, yeah, I think 40% of what I say comes out sounding much bitchier than the situation calls for, so I’ve been trying to work on that. Plus, I can be a long-winded beyotch. (Get out of town! That was a joke, right?)
Advice I have for newbies - hang low and lurk a good loooooooooooong while. Realize for yourself who you should respect and who’s an idiot. Don’t pick fights your first week (or month) out of the gate. And know this - you have something to give. You keep us from stagnating. Don’t be afraid. And don’t start any pit threads about Esprix, or I’m coming after your ass.
This is a great thread. Like most of the others I lurked for a few months before joining and gracing the board with my contributions. I try to avoid Great Debates because the posters seem to guard their turf jealously and DEMAND cites on every opinion someone might have. I’m afraid Collounsbury is going to attack me.
I consider Biggirl, Scylla, Fenris, and Coldfire to be among the top funniest posters on this MB. I think I was invisible till I hit 300 posts, although Rilchiam welcomed me to the board. I didn’t start a post of my own till I asked opinions about daytimers and I got a respectable number of posts. Till that happened, I thought I was the SDMB Official Thread Killer.
I must confess I’m a doofus when it comes to utilizing vb codes. I’ve puzzled over explanations in ATMB. but I guess I’ll just have to practice, practice, practice.
My main pet peeve is the constant insistance on cites to back up everything you have an opinion on. A lot of times, my opinion relies on stuff I’ve learned years ago, and a lot of times I just don’t feel like doing the research.
I’m not proud to admit this, but I eagerly seek out and study all TMI threads that deal with monster zits, farts, and surgery gone wrong.
I’m really happy I stumbled on to the SDMB. The myriad subjects I’ve been exposed to have expanded my horizons. I’ve copied threads from the Cafe`Society forum that dealt with advising on great pieces of literature. I print out these lists and go to the library to read them. I discovered half.com and other websites that fascinate me. I discovered authors such as Laurell K. Hamilton, Tanya Huff, and Nancy A. Collins. The next book I want to get is Guns, Germs, and Steel.
When the powers that be put the questionnaire about supporting the SDMB, I signed up right away. I consider that over the last year and a half, I’ve received quite an extensive education and my simple contribution would be money well spent.
His4ever
If you think that was bad, you should be happy those threads weren’t in the Pit. You should take a look at some of the threads in there.
That has to be the first time I’ve ever heard anyone describe their experience in the pit like that!
I’m thinking there should be a “Advice for Newbie’s From Used to Be Newbies” thread somewhere, maybe in ATMB so they can go and read advice like Myrnalene’s. 
Was the SD your first message board experience? Yes, I moved over from chat where I’ve dabbled since 91.
What were your first reactions? Well since I had been reading Cecil since the early 90s I expected something kinda like his column. I wasn’t disappointed, except that Cecil basically never made an appearance in GQ nor in any of the other threads I posted.
Were you ever pitted for saying something that you didn’t realize was offensive? Nah, I’m a typically inoffensive person. When I do see something that might does make me curious (like Coldie’s example) I usually just wait and someone else will do the dirty work for me.
Have you changed your views on anything since you’ve been here? Nope. By and large my views have always been with the majority of the dopers. In the few things which I differ greatly I figure there’s little since in debating them so I don’t.
Do you regret anything you said in the past? Well there was this “Haunted Thread” I started and Byz. came down on me hard and I chickened out and second guessed myself when I should have just said “Oh my God! It’s already gotten to her!” Oh well.
And what, if any, advice do you have for new newbies? shrug Try not to read emotions from text. Believe everyone is trying to be honest and polite unless it’s obvious they aren’t. Save you some grief.
Nothing I say seems interesting to anyone
Pretty cool. I got the answers to some questions that had been bugging me for a while. I also appreciated this gang’s cumulative intelligence.
Yep.
Amusement and enlightenment, mainly.
No…at least not for being unconciously offensive.
I’ve been enlightened about a couple of urban myths, and I’ve gained some respect for some differing viewpoints.
Nothing that I haven’t apologized for already.
Read, participate, have fun.
I found this site while working on a project for my school. I posted a question in GD within 5 or 6 minutes of finding the site. I glanced through all of the information that I should have read closely. I was amazed by the quantity and quality of responses. I was thrilled at this point and started to appreciate this community. I thanked everyone for the thoughtful responses and shared the details about how the information would be used. The thread was closed and I was scolded. There was a thread in the pit about the issue. Basically, I was schooled on the ways of the SDMB. Even though this took place in the pit, everyone was very patient and polite with me.
I still consider myself to be a newbie. I have tried to participate in a few threads in GD. I feel inferior but I post anyway. I think everyone has been super nice and seemingly patient. Collunsbury has responded to one of my questions with patience and restraint. I imagined him rolling his eyes and shaking his head but never-the-less, responding.
I am amazed by this place. This is one of my favorite things to do…hang out here. I am intrigued. I have encouraged some of my friends and co-workers to visit. I even told one of my students about it the other day. I want to order a T-shirt and coffee mug.
The suggestions I have for other newbies… enjoy and don’t take yourself too seriously. Preview is your friend.
I have been in there a few times. I notice they use the F word a lot. This board’s too big to read everything I’m afraid. Takes forever to connect sometimes.
[QUOTE I try to avoid Great Debates because the posters seem to guard their turf jealously and DEMAND cites on every opinion someone might have. I’m afraid Collounsbury is going to attack me.
My main pet peeve is the constant insistance on cites to back up everything you have an opinion on. A lot of times, my opinion relies on stuff I’ve learned years ago, and a lot of times I just don’t feel like doing the research.
This is also my pet peeve. And even if you do have a quote from a book they will automatically call it a fraud if it doesn’t support their position. Well, guess what, I can say the same things about their books. I also remember things from reading many books over the years and I just don’t have time to do a bunch of research. They wouln’t accept anything from any books I read anyway because they’re mostly Christian books. My main reference book is the Bible and if they don’t accept it or what they call “my interpretation” of it, I can’t help that. To me, some of them act like angry little children stomping their feet because someone disagrees with them. I find it utterly ridiculous that they can’t just agree to disagree and stop badgering people to give up their deep Christian convictions (speaking for myself here). IMHO they need to cool it and let other people have their own beliefs on things because mine aren’t going to change.