We definitely welcome newbies. Pleased to meet you @Aspire! Please stick around.
As long as you follow the guidelines and try to write clearly (don’t use text speak, try to use proper English and use separate paragraphs when you write long posts so it’s easier to read, and try to put as much concise detail into your questions and replies, so we don’t have to guess what you mean) you’ll do just fine.
Don’t forget that you are, in fact, online. Because statements can have different meanings when you can’t hear the tone of a person’s voice or see their body language, you should be conscious of what you write (and think about how it might come across to someone else) before you post. You should not have to change the way you are, or what you think, but just try be polite and respectful and understand that there are lots of different viewpoints on this site.
If you read something that really upsets you, don’t react immediately. Take a minute to decide how you want to handle a post by another member that seems really wrong or inappropriate to you. You have lots of options. You can always ignore people that you don’t like. You can also flag any question or posting. You can also contact @augustlan (our community manager) with a private message. She can help you solve just about any problem that you might encounter. You can also send private messages to other members if you just want to vent a little bit or get more information. Or you can post a reply right on the question letting the other person know what you think, but always try to be polite and respectful and follow the guidelines.
Fluther is an amazing site. It really is different than anything else I’ve encountered online. You can get answers to your questions almost instantly and most of the people on this site are actually trying to be useful and helpful, although there are some folks that simply like to get attention or want to be silly and funny (just like in real life). There is plenty of room for both light and serious topics. Everybody on this site has a whole lifetime of disparate experiences, so even if you have a really unusual question, there is likely to be someone on here that can help you get the information you need, even if they have to refer you to another member or another website.
If you like to eat, the folks on Fluther can help you find a snack, plan a dinner party or throw a wedding for 500 guests or put together a family reunion on a budget or figure out how to change your diet if you become a vegetarian, need to lose weight, or find out that you have celiac disease or diabetes.
Fluther can help to feed your stomach, your heart and your soul. Stick around, see if I’m wrong : )
