New in poker world

[linaker]

1 - the sig is against terms and conditions of the site

So are unhelpful, condescending remarks like "tits or gtfo", but the mods very rarely criticise or delete them. Some mods make such remarks. What is worse for the site? The mention of a poker site in a tiny font in someone's sig, which I did not notice. Or rude, mocking comments, which many people find offensive?

3 - read the first 4 posts in this thread. all welcoming and assuming the best (despite 99% of these posters just being spammers) of this person/trying to help

The first post is welcoming and then they become progressively less so. If you really think that this is the way to welcome a first timer, then I hope you never have your own hotel.

There are signs from first time posters that can tell you how serious they are about learning. One of those signs (for me) is whether or not they can find the "introduce yourself here" thread.

Making your first post on FTR is a minefield, isn't it? Post the wrong signature, post in the wrong place or post the wrong question and you will be instantly judged "not serious". I cannot understand why seemingly intelligent people cannot see how damaging this judgemental culture is to FTR.

Of course, complete idiots do occasionally join and irritate everyone. But even they deserve to be told they are complete idiots politely. How can anyone know that the noob, who just found FTR and impulsively posts without carefully looking round the whole site, is not the next Phil Ivey?

We need some other views from lurkers. Come out & be counted guys 'n gals.

Anyone with an IQ in treble figures who wants poker advice is hardly going to bite the hand that feeds it. If I hadn't given up on this site long ago, I would not be posting in these terms.

There are great poker players on this site - some are world class. They are generally not the ones making fun of the noobs. No-one is objecting to constructive criticism - presumably that's what people want. The problem is the people who think they are "funny" or make instant judgements based on one post.

I only bothered posting because Bikes asked and FTR could be so much better. These issues have surfaced time and again, so it is entirely predictable that this thread will be full of posts saying count yourself lucky to be allowed onto this site to be ridiculed. The problem is that this is not the only poker forum on the internet. In the time since I joined, I think the number of active participants has declined. The reason is obvious.

[rpm]

The problem is that this is not the only poker forum on the internet. In the time since I joined, I think the number of active participants has declined. The reason is obvious.

take that one up with the DOJ!

on a more serious note

I see your point. and i agree with your sentiment. i'm sure most people here would like to see the community we have come to know and love flourish in every positive way possible. i just don't think the level of animosity (undesirable as it is) here is remotely close to the level at which you seem to be perceiving it. and regardless, it's not like the so-called "outside world" is some utopian society where everybody manages to get along without a problem and never mistreats another being in any way (however that is obviously a far broader consideration than is probably worth delving into for the issue of the treatment of new posters on some internet strategy forum for some virtual card game).

i'm not looking to provoke an argument at all, and i hope my posts aren't read like that. i just personally think you are over-reacting. i for one try my best to give any advice i think i can offer a poster in the most clear and non-confrontational way i can (and i couldn't begin to count the amount of apologetic prefaces i've made in posts along the lines of "i'm not saying i necessarily believe that i am right here" or "my intention here is not to criticise you, and i hope this post isn't read that way"). i like to think of it as reciprocality. when i started, people who did not know me at all, and who stood to make a some non-zero amount less playing poker than they would if they decided not to help me, still decided to go ahead and give me their honest advice on how i could improve at poker. so for that reason, i enjoy trying to do the same for (the very few) people here who are of lesser poker knowledge/development than i am. least i could (try to) do, really.

the above was written while pretty damn sleep-deprived. i thus realise it may not make sense.