What does a newcomer need to know about this site?

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Welcome !

Welcome to Fluther.

This site has a tiny user base. It exists only by the good graces of a founder. It is not being upgraded at all, and maintenance is sparse.

Proper grammar is mandatory. We are actively moderated, and we like it that way.

I’m not totally sure of this but unless you toe the ideology line you are in for a tough time.

If you can hang in, you should.

Otherwise you’ll get tired of it

@TJFKAJ What is the ideology line?

@chyna
Given you have 40k + points i figure you are not a rookie.
So your question is sort of disingenuous.
Your question would be valid if it came from @orw9090
But you already know.

Oh, no need to be snide, @TJFKAJ, you could have just said that the majority of the sites users lean to the left. Maybe @chyna simply hasn’t bothered to pay enough attention to you to know what you meant.

@orw9090 the political conversations here can get heated, but the non-political discussions can be interesting and fun.

If you ask a question in General, you are only expecting real answers. In Social, you’ll also get funny comments.
Be careful about using correct English when asking questions. The mods get cranky with poorly written posts.
Don’t ask questions about your dreams, some guy you might like, or other nonsense.

@TJFKAJ, I think @chyna asked a fair question. You made a pretty general assertion, and she (like me) would like to know what you regard as “the ideology line.”

@orw9090, welcome, and thanks for asking. Despite the leftward tendency, most jellies here have noticed a propensity for disagreement among the regulars as well as the drop-ins and newcomers. A good many do stick around for the fellowship, the give-and take, the occasional epiphany, and the genuine helpfulness; remember how recently (in Meta) we expressed our collective sadness at losing one of our very vocal conservative members, who passed away in July. That thread would offer a sort of brief cross-sectional view.

We do have a range of viewpoints, but most of us prefer respectful dialogue, fair arguments, and an attitude of goodwill.

Some of us deeply dislike snark.

Dont know nothing.

I’m sure you meant to say: I don’t know anything. >;^O

Welcome.

Some of us have been on this site for 14 or 15 years, which says something about the community that it is.

Some of us are friends on FB or in real life, and care a lot about each other as people.

The first thing you need to know is that we don’t tolerate bad grammar.

“Don’t”, not “dont”.

And also we would appreciate a question more if it has a well-written detail. The question title isn’t enough. We need to know which context you are asking about. There are a lot of new users who ignore the details, leading to questions with overly wordy titles and half-hearted details or questions with too little context to go on.

“Don’t know nothing” could be too short a detail, and it comes off as you not really taking the question seriously. It may work if you are an old user and is asking a joke question. But you are new here, and we don’t know who you are, so it doesn’t work that well. A better detail could be “Hey, I’m new to this site. I don’t know anything about the site and I would like some guidance. What are some things a newcomer should know about this site? Any help is appreciated”.

And also this question should be in Meta since it’s about Fluther.

Actually, we do tolerate bad grammar all the time, and we even overlook some incurably weak spelling habits. But we aspire to a high standard, and we embrace the guidelines that point to it. I think that counts for a lot.

 
I took “Dont know nothing” to mean “Don’t know nothin’,” which I read as a gently self-deprecating expression of willingness to learn. To me that indicated openness, humility, and an intent to scout the territory before leaping in with all four feet, as so many newcomers tend to do. I’m inclined to be receptive in return and give this newcomer a chance to find his or her place in this little tidepool.

@Jeruba Thanks for the explanation. I admit that I get a bit offended by that because it’s a very impolite thing to say in my culture, especially as a newcomer. Thanks for helping me see another perspective :)

But still I notice some newbies don’t pay much attention to the detail section, so that’s still something to look for…

There are very few experts on anything, and everyone has a opinion.

Just swim little jelly. :)

It’s a pretty damn good community here in the lagoon. Small, sure — but lots of good people all around. Couple of schmucks here and there, but that’s typical of any group.

Just be nice. :)

I notice that the OP hasn’t been back since that first day. I’m afraid we might have scared them off. Hardly any newcomer has the sense to ask about the culture, and I’d have thought that was a good thing to do. I wish we’d given them a better welcome.

@Jeruba I’ve been cogitating on what you wrote. Perhaps it would have been best to lead with our community.