TalkBoard Elections/08 - Question 3: The Welcoming Tone to New Members

submitted by wharvey
There has been feedback that FlyerTalk is not user-friendly to new users. In addition, many veteran members are not welcoming to new members. What would you do as a TalkBoard member to improve FlyerTalk to make it more welcoming to new members?

nothing

I'm not sure that this issue, to the extent that it is an issue, is something TB can deal with - it's really a case of how certain members conduct themselves.

TB could suggest Randy create some 'ambassador' programme or other and he may well agree - but those members who are rather less than accomodating to newbies are hardly likely to be the ambassadors so the problem would remain. Albeit hopefully the 'good' would start to outweigh the 'bad' - not that I don;t think it doesn't alreaddy.

The only real solution is in terms of moderation - which is obviously not TB's thing. At best TB could perhaps look to get Randy to tighten to TOS - but it would be a very difficult thing to try and define and the simple fact is that some people will always be more/less welcoming than others.

nothing

Interesting point of view, there, GK...

I think that phillipas' insight is relatively correct...it's difficult as an advisory board to make members be more welcoming to newbies. There was talk of an ambassador program previously (http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=836422), but versions 1 seemed to offend a lot of the moderators who felt they were being slighted & version 2 was put to rest given the ongoing debate that never conclude with anything positive coming out of it.

That said, I think that the TB can lead by example by being welcoming themselves to folks that are new to FT and folks that are new to the TB forum, even.

submitted by wharvey
There has been feedback that FlyerTalk is not user-friendly to new users. In addition, many veteran members are not welcoming to new members. What would you do as a TalkBoard member to improve FlyerTalk to make it more welcoming to new members?I've written about this before. Like any community in the real world, unless we have a constant infusion of new blood -- people bringing new ideas and perspectives -- we're going to stagnate. We'll become an insular group, speaking in code to each other about the same old topics.

For the most part, I think we do a fairly good job at welcoming newcomers. Someone posting for the first time will always receive a series of "Welcome to FT!" posts from the vets and, usually, if it's a reasonable question or interesting point, and not just trolling, a considered response.

I'm not a particularly sociable person so I leave the welcoming to those who can handle it best.

I do support some sort of formal program though to recognise and assist new members, as the only way a community can thrive is to constantly renew itself with fresh ideas and personalities.

I don't have any really good ideas about how to make Flyertalk more welcoming to new members. The "ambassador" idea was good in concept but very difficult to implement properly especially since it could setup a bad ("good cop" / "bad cop") dynamic between the "ambassador" and the moderator within the forum.

I (as a moderator) try to be welcoming in the forums that I moderate and will continue to do so and perhaps even try to expand it if I'm on TalkBoard.

I feel nervous about posting in forums that I haven't posted in before. And I've been conditioned to, unfortunately, feeling like I'm going to get my head bit off if a question was asked somewhat recently. There are a couple of forums that are notorious for that.

While the overwhelming majority of FTers are great in extending personal welcomes in general and/or answering a newbie's questions, we should understand that most of people who sign on for the first time, in my experience, look for a simple question to be answered.

I think we should have either a sticky and/or a bolder message when people register to encourage them to use the search feature within a thread. It's all about understanding why many people come to FT in the first place.

As a FlyerTalker who is also a TalkBoard member, I always greet new members with a "Welcome to FlyerTalk" when responding to a new poster's thread/post.

Well I always try and be helpful to folk when they are newbies and dont really understand what its all about. No use shouting at them to use the search facility, they probably don't know how to use it....

We were all newbies once and sometimes when I dare wander into another part of FT, I feel like a newbie as well, there are some strange dark places...not wanting to point fingers at individual forums...:D

I know that newbies can be frustrating at times, as they dont read further down the threads and we get duplicates etc, but that will never change on FT or any other forums. Its part of life and we should help these folk out.

A lot of forums have some really good "sticky" but again newbies might not understand what that is and again we should point this out but in a nice way, not bark at them.

regards
J

submitted by wharvey
There has been feedback that FlyerTalk is not user-friendly to new users. In addition, many veteran members are not welcoming to new members. What would you do as a TalkBoard member to improve FlyerTalk to make it more welcoming to new members?

I moderate the Southwest forum, and almost every new arrival is publicly welcomed at least once. The forum participants do it, and nobody had to ask them to do it. Furthermore, I urge forum regulars to cut new members some slack even though they may appear to be trolling. Some percentage of those people will turn constructive if we make an effort to be constructive ourselves.

Busier forums may feel less welcoming (e.g. "Do a search" responses), but it's the moderators' responsibility to improve that. A busy forum is like a busy downtown, and people need to have reasonable expectations. The Southwest forum is still relatively quiet and calm, like most of the less busy forums.

The best the TalkBoard could do in this area would be to recommend an addition to the FlyerTalk guidelines asking all members to make the extra effort to be kind to newbies and welcome them if no one else has already done so.

submitted by wharvey
There has been feedback that FlyerTalk is not user-friendly to new users. In addition, many veteran members are not welcoming to new members. What would you do as a TalkBoard member to improve FlyerTalk to make it more welcoming to new members?

It seems to me that most new posters are either long time lurkers who found a topic that relates to them and post a follow up question or comment, or "passengers" who have a specific issue they need an answer for. In both cases my experience in forums i frequent (LH,LY,BA,CO) is a warm welcome by both members and modorators.

I believe like any online community FT is very open, users usually register and chime-in only when they have some specific in mind. I would suggest an easy guide to compliment the available FAQ to welcome new members and help them with what sometimes seems as a "maze" of forums, but not much other then that.

D.

I'll steal an idea from l'etoile that she mentioned recently. I really like the idea of a new members forum, sort of a Genius Bar (l'etoile's term, not mine, but a great fit).

Being a newer FT isn't easy. There are very few things that are new to people that are easy.
Why do some people want to ridicule and rag on people that were in my shoes and your shoes? I have seen the rude and often time disgusting comments made. It made me skeptical and hesitant to ask questions or post advice.
I don't believe that Mr. Petersen ever intended for people to act like thugs and make people shy away.
One solution may be the addition of a "Bootcamp" thread. As a director I would like to take the reigns and make FT a place that could bring new FT members into our group without the loss of dignity or face embarrassment.

I would address etiquette, rules, regulations, & standard operating procedures.
Like a young person, if you give them a goal, show them a path, advice for staying on that path, consequences of leaving the path, and show them a reward, then we can eliminate a large majority of the negativism that new members often encounter.

I would encourage your thoughts, comments, and your votes! If I don't get back to you quick, I am most likely our taking care of Uncle Sam's problems!

Thanks;)

I think some forums more than others can be scary or downright unfriendly to newbies. However, in my experience, the moderator team with Randy's help has worked very diligently to make sure particularly devilish forums, were assigned moderators who took special care to both welcome newbies and instruct those members who had a hard time with basic questioners and new questioners.

I think that is a role moderators serve to do and don't know that the TB should take on any special responsibilities about this, except for discussion of the idea of a newbie forum. I have always liked that idea and I'd be curious what the membership at large would think of it.

The issue is probably not "being unfriendly" in general but frustrated in seeing the same issue again and again: Posting without any research and relevance for the particular forum.

Personally I think: Let's stay calm, give some words of advise how to post in the future and nothing can be that bad not to say "Welcome to FT".

A friendly tone in the beginning motivates the new member to stick around !

For several years, as a Moderator attening the Moderator meetings I have asked Randy and Internet Brands for a tool that would tell Moderators when a member posted in their forum for the first time.

This hasn't been delivered yet.

It would be great for Moderators to know when someone posts first so that they can welcome them and give them some background about the forum.

In the wider welcome arena, I'd like to see one or two volunteers to welcome new members as a general idea. But forum specific welcomes seem a way to go to me.

I think new people are vital to FlyerTalk's future.

Side analogy: I am an amateur sports official. I referee football, officiate basketball, and umpire baseball -- all at the high school varsity level. We get new blood all the time -- the problem is that 80% of the people who start in this avocation get out within the first year. Many of our football crews have 2-3 guys over the age of 60 on the crew and we're facing major shortages in the next 5-10 years.

I'd hate to see that happen to FlyerTalk.

So new members aren't what's important -- it's new members that stay and become valued members of the community that are important.

It's not just being welcoming -- it's discouraging people who are NOT. It's not just moderators who need to be welcoming. It's everyone who needs to be. And that's just not a "welcome", it's the ongoing attitudes and treatment of people who come onboard.

As a TalkBoard member, I would be willing to lead a committee dealing with this. Perhaps we could set up a board for new members and volunteers could monitor it and volunteer to interact with those people and act as liaisons between the new member and the forum moderators where they are participating. Just brainstorming. But as absurd as the idea of recruitment may be, it's absolutely vital we get new blood participating on FT so that we can continue to grow and thrive.

Saying "Welcome to FlyerTalk" isn't enough, though. We need to make FT a place where people WANT to come back regularly. And that's only done by making the experience better for those who are relatively new and not hooked, as many of us already are.

It's not just being welcoming -- it's discouraging people who are NOT. It's not just moderators who need to be welcoming. It's everyone who needs to be. And that's just not a "welcome", it's the ongoing attitudes and treatment of people who come onboard.

^^^

Every FT member can help with this. If you see someone biting a newbie's head off, or feeding what appears to be a troll, SEND A PM to that person. Or use Report Bad Post. Whatever you do, do not use a public post to respond. If you want to post in the thread, just be welcoming and constructive and don't mention any of the negative comments, as if they had been deleted.

That's how I expect all the regulars to behave in the Southwest forum, and it works out pretty well. People who would normally feed a troll eventually realize that this way works much better for everyone.

But none of this has much to do with TB unless...

How about we go ahead and assemble a set of recommendations (not enforced rules) for how to be a better FTer? This wouldn't have to be a TB project, but it certainly could. I would expect mods and general members to participate and perhaps even lead the effort, but TB could get the ball rolling.

As a FlyerTalker who is also a TalkBoard member, I always greet new members with a "Welcome to FlyerTalk" when responding to a new poster's thread/post.

That, IMHO, is key.

You also have to remember that conversation in text is MUCH different than one in person.

The moderators do a good job welcoming new members; and I think Markie's most excellent idea (http://flyertalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=10611588&postcount=17) would help them do this part of their job even better.

The value of the simple, yet elegant 'Welcome to FlyerTalk' greeting cannot be underestimated. All too often, a forum reply --even one well meant-- has the subtlty of an autoreply email with all the emotion and tenderness removed.

Finally, the barrier for some FT newcomers is an unwillingness to RTFM, or at least the FAQ of the forum concerned. Sure, FT is open to all, but we're not just everyone, now are we?;)

I say: "smother them with kindness."

IMO, TalkBoard members should be FlyerTalk Ambassadors, and as such, should go out of their way to welcome new members.

Many FT'ers do extend a friendly welcome when they see a new member post (others can tend to be critical, which can be off-putting).

But more friendly welcomes is better tan fewer. It's not like we can be too welcoming.

FT is indeed a community and new members are vital to the health and growth of our community.

Question 3: The Welcoming Tone to New Members

Barman, I’ll pay for that drink. Always an ice breaker when either in a remote bar to start up a conversation or to welcome outsiders in to the yokels pub. Admittedly some people have turned around and thought better of it.
Could an automate reply be set up after the first post welcoming the new user to the Forum or Sub group welcoming them and pointing out a few sticky posts and general help?

A very key point to the sustainability of FT. This question touched all of us at some point when we started on FT. I think that with the increased visibility that one would have as a TB member one should definitely take on the additional responsibility to make the face of FT a positive place. I am asking you all to let me participate as your representative, so it stands to reason it would be job to be extra active in the role of a smiling and welcoming face to FT. Why in the world would anybody want to be a face if it were a snarling one? I get the sense from all of the responses here, from thousands of posts in dozens of fora, that in general, FT’s membership is good at welcoming people. And if and when that effort were to lack, I would expect as a TB member to step up and show a good example to get things back on track. We all at some stage felt the fear of the first post, the hesitancy to move from lurker to participant. And as a TB member I would try to make very sure I rose to the occasion and welcomed those who made the brave leap from outsider to FTer. I have done it with numerous international events, I do it regularly in normal posts and I can only imagine that as a TB member I would increase the effort I put into that aspect of my reading and posting on FT.