Hi all, Joined a couple of weeks ago, still finding my feet a bit. Really like the in-depth site. A small suggestion if I may... https://www.writingforums.org/new-member-introductions/ Have this on the Forums Top-Line with its own tag before “Articles” or after “What’s New?”. I’m an old stubborn Yorkshireman who only stumbled across this by accident. Brilliant post but has more stealth than a F-117A Nighthawk or teenage daughter breaking curfew. Brand new idiots like me need this post first and easy to find in my opinion. I like the idea of 2x Constructive Critiques before allowing a story POST. It’s a tough challenge to start with though as I’m trying to learn from you my peers. Kind regards, Norfolk nChance
Totally agree with your idea of putting a heading "For New Members" at the top line of the forum menu. That is exactly the menu item a new member will click on first thing. And they will definitely be looking for it. Within that heading could be very basic information : Introduce yourself to the forum (tell us something about yourself, what you hope to achieve with your writing, etc) What you can do (things you are allowed to do right away as a new member) What you can't do (things you are not allowed to do until you have met certain membership requirements) How to post a sample of your writing (for feedback and critique) Suggest that for a more in-depth study of how the forum works, what kind of overall behaviour is acceptable, what is encouraged, what gets squashed, etc, the new member should check out the Information section of the menu and read through all the submenus there—especially Rules. I also agree with @Komposten's suggestions on another thread about making the path to contributions, donations, etc, a lot clearer, via a menu heading. I also think all of the titles that appear underneath people's avatars should also be easy to find, listed and explained. Supporter. Contributor. WF Guardian. etc. I don't know where I'd go to find this information at the moment, and it's something a new member will be wondering about. (How did these older members get these designations?) The issue I'm addressing here is not 'is this information available?' but rather 'is this information user-friendly and easy to locate?' You might well keep a stash of batteries in a tin at the back of your underwear drawer, but that's not a place most newcomers to your home will think to look for them.
