Newbies. Who needs them?

[Bones]

I am a Newbie.
What is Newbie?

Newbie is the dude who on his first post asks a question like,

[Gunstar Hero]

Yes you are.

And so am I.

Really, aren't we all?

Deep thoughts. 

[DrewKaree]

Honestly.  I didn't say nothin' to him!   

Yer honah, I present as Exhibit A, my halo

Carry on now 

ps FWIW, I've got a few posts, and I don't know jack, either 

[DrewKaree]

I understand your point, and think you put it quite eloquently.

That being said, I came across this link, and thought I'd share it

!-----!-----Careful, humor dead ahead-----!-----!

http://tinyurl.com/4t35l

Wait about fifteen seconds as well, this joke is a multi-level one 

[Harry Potter]

We need them.

Eg. I want to play MAME on an arcade cab. Tell me how.

Newbies have an unparalleled entertainment value.

Right after Floyd10. 

[Dexter]

We are ALL newbies at some stage man, and in the area of emulation and its related subjects there is a hell of a lot to learn. Enjoy the forums and don't forget to contribute back if you can help anybody out with something in particular......

Welcome aboard

Dexter

[Sephroth57]

yeah see drew karee actually knows nothing about MAME or arcade controls. he just comes here for political debates =P

[JackTucky]

I added the O and K buttons to my cab.  Is this the right way?

[NIVO]

no jack im sorry. You'll also need the 2 "." buttons, 1 after the O and 1 after the K. Hope you have room on the panel.     

[GGKoul]

Welcome!

Congrads for reading up on the hobby before registering.  As there is a wealth of information on this site.  And 90% of the questions have been asked over the forums existence.  But you are probably 5% of the newbies that register on this board that reads the FAQs and searches for answers before registering.

I wouldn't say people on this board dislike newbies.  They welcome them and usually are there to answer there questions.  Heck, this is one of the most newbie friendly boards out there.   

But what annoys most people on this board is the newbie that hasn't read anything on the board and hasn't even the sticky threads set aside for the newbies to read.  And then they post the same generic questions over and over again.  Just look at the Main Board, 30% of the posts are about Control Panel layouts and/or game button configurations.  And if someone did a basic search, you'll find enough answers help you ask a more advanced questions. 

Also, if some says "look at this post for answers."  You get the odd newbie being an a$$hole about being told to read X posts. 

Another thing.  Rarely does a newbie come on the site and post some earth shattering ideas.  They usually post the same basic questions over and over again.  Yes, I did this too.  But when I joined the board, there wasn't as much information on this forum as there is now.  And there wasn't all the options to to learn about the hobby.  I mean there is various newbie stickys on the main page and an BYOAC book one can purchase to learn about the hobby.  None of this was there 3+ years ago when I joined. 

All us "experienced" members ask is for a Newbie to spend 30 mins reading about the hobby and searching around for the basic questions.  As this will give you some knowledge to post some intelligent questions about the hobby.  Cause once we know you spent the time to learn about the hobby, more people will be happier to help you out.

[Reaper]

Well as a newbie myself I am guilty of several of the above points already, I have over the last few weeks read some of this site/forum & still my first 2/3 posts could probably have been answered by searching (although in my defence I usually frequent a forum where the search is disabled) but I must admit the amount of info I hope I have taken in will be usefull it seems I didnt manage to take in the basics (which jukebox software/my trackball wont work/will this token fit that mechanism) I am always happy to have constructive criticism directed towards me & even to look at posts people suggest might help with my query, but I also feel that in my own little way I have been able to suggest things to other members already (all this in 8 posts!!)

Anyway, great community & sorry for any stupid questions/lazyness that has happened

[DrewKaree]

(although in my defence I usually frequent a forum where the search is disabled)

I'm not picking ON you here, merely on your answer.  I'm pointing it out, because I think others might do so in a different way.

What you call a defense isn't.  It is an excuse.  The reason it's not a defense, is that the search works here.  Had you tried it, and it didn't work, like on your other forum, then you would have a defense.

Not coming down on you, simply pointing out the difference.


For what it's worth, there are (at least were, last I checked) zipped archives of the forum, which I downloaded about 5 of them, pored through, and read countless pages of threads in this newest "future archive" before I posted stuff.

The reason there are so many questions repeated that are simple and answered in the stickies is the same reason you all know people in real life that do the same thing - excitement at getting started so as to finish quickly. 

If there was a way to make the sticky list a mandatory read that'd be dynamite, but it's not, so we should give them a break here.  Unless the help you give is ignored or dismissed by a "newbie", we should have patience with them all - I think we'd find it enlightening to go back in the forums and read our own first few posts, yer eyes might be opened to how you were treated by others, as well as how you sounded to everyone else too.

[Bones]

For me it was/is more of a case of having to contain the excitement of this whole concept. I am thinking about this damn cabinet non stop, it has become an unhealthy late night addiction. My situation I suppose is a little unique, having a big hand injury I am unable to actually start on the fun stuff yet. I suppose for this reason I have had a longer time to entrench myself into the theory side.

But having said this, when I first started making initial enquiries with a local distributor of Ultimarc parts, I asked the most stupid stuff, stuff that if I had asked here I would have re-registered under a different name from sheer embarrassment once the answers became obvious after more research.

Personally I think the help here is phenomenal, but every now and then I think the long time poster or builder should try and remember what it was initially like. This is a very exciting hobby with a broad range of theory and skills to learn; I can understand why newbie

[Reaper]

OK, I suppose excuse is a better work

I just never think about the search function as I am used to not having it.

As for the obsession thing, I know what you mean, I have managed to build a temporary cp & find that most planning gets done here (in work) & the time at home is spent "testing" the system to "make sure it is all stable" but I do also find myself laying in bed when I cant sleep thinking about the best plans for my cab design!

[Sephroth57]

i hate noobs, get off the site!!! 

[Bones]

i hate noobs, get off the site!!!

[DrewKaree]

i hate noobs, get off the site!!! 

Be nice Sephroth or you won't be allowed to play with the other kids. 

He's already not allowed to play with the other kids.  Something to do with what went on at his ranch, I heard. 

[Pacific Ripper]

Newbies in Neverland... hmmmm.. bad imagery - I feel violated.