New members & thread necromancy

**TexHill** · 02-04-20, 16:32

Attention new members!

Please look at the date of the previous posts before replying. Resurrecting a ten year old thread just to say, "I'll check it out!", is totally unnecessary. We are grateful for your enthusiasm, but we appreciate quality over quantity.

**SteyrAUG** · 02-04-20, 17:23

In fairness we probably have more than a dozen ROE post that all say "use the search feature, don't start a new post" so new people probably do just that and then tag the thread so they can find it later.

**titsonritz** · 02-04-20, 17:50

I have no problem with bumping old threads as long as there is relevant and/or updated information, but the farsebook type derp like, "I just gots me one" does get old.

**hotrodder636** · 02-04-20, 19:17

What is ROE?

Originally Posted by SteyrAUG

In fairness we probably have more than a dozen ROE post that all say "use the search feature, don't start a new post" so new people probably do just that and then tag the thread so they can find it later.

**TexHill** · 02-04-20, 20:26

Originally Posted by hotrodder636

What is ROE?

Rules of Engagement

**SteyrAUG** · 02-04-20, 22:16

Originally Posted by titsonritz

I have no problem with bumping old threads as long as there is relevant and/or updated information, but the farsebook type derp like, "I just gots me one" does get old.

Think of this forum as an outreach program. We get a derp, we help a derp and he is less of a derp. Small price to pay to help people stop being "that guy."

**Mozart** · 02-04-20, 23:49

Originally Posted by SteyrAUG

In fairness we probably have more than a dozen ROE post that all say "use the search feature, don't start a new post" so new people probably do just that and then tag the thread so they can find it later.

Yup.

But also, over-telling people to use search is a good way to kill a forum. Member posting and engagement is what you want. Otherwise you’ve just got a searchable wiki, not a forum. You want people talking to each other.

**SteyrAUG** · 02-05-20, 00:29

Originally Posted by Mozart

Yup.

But also, over-telling people to use search is a good way to kill a forum. Member posting and engagement is what you want. Otherwise you’ve just got a searchable wiki, not a forum. You want people talking to each other.

Yep, so long as it's not "Ak vs Ar" or "9mm vs. .45" I'm willing to have any "new guy" discussion with just about anyone. Answering "use the search feature you stupid noob" just turns people away from a very good resource.

I grew up with guns and knew quite a bit about a LOT of firearms before I ever had an internet connection. But I have learned a lot of stuff I didn't know or didn't fully understand since finding this forum and that even AFTER 15 years of instruction on TOS.

The only thing that hurts a forum more than "stupid noob" posts is gun snobbery. I'm not saying we shouldn't tell people Anderson ARs are dogshit rifles, but we are capable of doing it in a way that is factually supported.

We also need to remember that there is a post count minimum for access to GD so we should expect some "I just got one too" posts from the new guys.