Give Newbies The Benefit of the Doubt

Copywriters are a critical group. We're harsh, to the point, and because we put up with an unusually high quantity of bull$hit on a regular basis, we spot it quickly.

This board then, comprised primarily of copywriters, understandably gets heated and critical. Tempers flare, especially when someone feels that their job's integrity is being compromised by the actions of another member of the same profession.

But remember that this board thrives on fresh members. While old members add depth, new members add activity. A board dies quickly when all that's left are old members who fundamentally agree with one another, and new members who are scared to make a post.

When a new member joins this board, and makes their first post, your responsibility as a member is to welcome them... or choose not to.

No one is forcing you to read their post. No one is forcing you to say "By golly gosh, welcome to the forum." You can choose to simply ignore the post if you feel that it is something you disagree with.

Or you can private message the member in question.

Or you can report the post to a moderator.

But never ever opt to rip apart a newcomer unless they explicitly have asked for a critique. As I said earlier, the bull$hit detector is strong in copywriters. If you see something as bull$hit, chances are that others probably do too. And if the newbie continues to post in the same way, they will eventually be seen for what they are by both members and those simply visiting the board.

ALSO... YOU HAVE KARMA POINTS

Please don't forget that you can express your dislike of a post by ranking it up or down using karma. There's a reason why that tool exists... so use it.

You have many ways of satisfying your need to express displeasure at a post, so use those up... and remember to give newbies the benefit of the doubt.

Thanks for reading,

Omar Khafagy