Just my rambling thoughts..donning asbestos underwear

I've read many threads here since the floodgates were opened in June and one thing that still frustrates and disturbs me is the fact that "newbies/unverified newbies" are being judged as bad first and ask questions later.

Some seem to forget that they were a newbie at one time. No one opened the program from day one and was instantly knowledgeable. Personally I love helping new players, it in some ways enables me to see SL thru "new eyes".

As far as the "unwashed/unclean" masses as some here seem to be labeling them, yes I do agree we have a griefer/underage problem, but not all unverified persons are griefers nor are they underage. We all need to be proactive to alerting LL to these problem avatars and cut the unverified users a break. Instead of whining about the problem become part of the solution.

Plus possibly when that one unverified newbie discovers just how much fun and enjoyment there is in SL, they will then turn around and verify. How many potential content creators have been turned off just by the negativity expressed in world and in this forum recently?

*huggles*

Ash

Prejudice is bad in any form.

i don't associate with people who i suspect could be prejudiced.

I am prejudiced against people named Taco Rubio.

P2

bullshit, you liked me fine until you met me.

Just part of my dastardly plan.

Ash, you do have a point, and, speaking from my experience in hanging out at The Shelter, I can tell you it's not always as bad as you might think. But the "bad apples" are growing in number, and threatening to wreck it for all of us.

Most newbies, verified or not, are harmless, and I will treat a newbie that walks into The Shelter as such unless they prove otherwise. When I'm one of the "senior guys" present (odd to think of myself as "senior" in this context, given that I've only been in-world for a month and a half or thereabouts), I'll often be the person to greet a newbie saying, "Welcome, So-and-So! We have freebies and help and nice people here!" (And thanks to Oni for letting me borrow her line. ) Mainly, they're still a little confused--okay, maybe a lot confused; not everyone picks up on things as fast as I did. I'll help tell 'em how to get the freebies out of the boxes, how to find other places that might interest them, even something as mundane as how to join the dance line. They're grateful for the help, and often one of them will add me to their Friends List just because they think I'm a nice guy. That's always an honor for me. I have zero problem with these kinds of newbies, no matter what their "verified" status says.

BUT...some of these people have very little concept of civilized behavior. The Shelter has very few rules; basically they're, stick to PG language/clothing/etc. (yes, despite the sim being Mature), no weapons, and don't be a jerk. Some people can't seem to stick to that...and some people get their jollies by coming in and blasting people out of the sim, napalm-bombing the place, or other antisocial acts. (Now, to be fair, not all griefers are newbies either, but many are.) It's happened so often that many of the hosts are frazzled and maybe a little quicker to AR or drop the Banhammer than they would be otherwise. But, if we let this sort of thing go unchecked, it'll wreck The Shelter as surely as if the server running Isabel were to catch fire. These people will drive out the good newbies, the ones that are just trying to figure all this stuff out and not harm anyone.

It's a fine line...and I just hope we can continue walking it without having important people burn out on the whole thing, because what The Shelter does is important...and it's important because the "good" newbies are themselves important; given enough time to figure SL out and enough enthusiasm to stay, they'll be the builders, scripters, community members, and maybe even celebrities of tomorrow.

Yes! Glad to hear it.
Finally discovered the source of our newbie influx - a local infohub (didn't know folk got dropped at those!). I've met a few idiots, and some really nice people. And I've had a great time going exploring with them and finding places I probably wouldn't have looked at otherwise. It's reminded me what got me hooked.

But as Erbo suggests, because there are more new players, naturally the percentage of idiots has gone up. I get a lot of new visitors all the time now, and because that means there's more chance of meeting silly people. If someone's wearing a gun/acting odd and/or unverified, I will sit myself down and get their profile open just in case (last time this happened the poor guy was wearing guns on his elbows and in his chest, and then managed to orbit himself instead of typing. I TPd him back and he was a lovely guy. You remember what it was like learning the controls here?!) I won't treat them any differently if I don't have cause to, but it has made me more cautious.

I am sad that 'unverified' seems to get judged so harshly - if I started now, I wouldn't jump right in with my details, I'd check the place out first, see if it was worth handing them over. But the downside is that we are more open to troublemakers. It's sad that we have to be careful, but I think it's sadder that we've kinda had to assume non-verified accounts need to prove themselves.

Asbestos underwear is bad in any form.

I have met some great people and some not so great people in SL, of all starting dates. Luckily enough, the great people outnumber the not-greats by a huge margin. I think we sometimes focus more on the negative behaviour because is it is often more noticeable than the good behaviour.

Personally I apply the same standards as in RL - I'll treat everone as pleasant until they give me a significant reason to think otherwise, allowing plenty of room for misunderstandings and cultural differences.

I am new enough to remember the fantastic help I got from oldbies and I want to return that help if I can.

I would have to agree with that.

I liked you fine until you tried to perform that crazy acrobatic sex act on me.

That, sir, was beyond the pale.

I haven't been that agile since I was 4.

P2

Always with the age play.

Well I for one am disappointed. The title of the thread promised so much more. Instead, I find a totally reasonable statement and cohesive statement in the OP. False advertising.

Oh, just wait for a resmod to arrive, I'm sure the appropriate amount of drama will be added at that point. About when the thread is moved to the sandbox for being on topic or something.

"I know we all ought to love each other, and I know there are people in the world who do not love their fellow human beings, and I hate people like that!"

- Tom Lehrer