Prowler's Quickstart Newb Guide for First Time Posters

Prowler · 12-10-2011, 07:48 AM

As I'm writing this there are 142 people online but only 14 members. 128 guests? I highly doubt 128 people have been banned and are now trying to view the forum.

So, what's the deal newbs? Don't have time to register for a username? Don't want to be smacked down with the backhand of truth by more veteran posters? Do you not know where to go or how best to interact with people on this site? Don't worry, I'm here to help.

1. Team Boards

The first thing people should do after registering is to visit the team boards. Chances are your newb minds will be able to interact with these people better than other posters. From here you can learn basic interaction skills and forum etiquette from people who may or may not bond with you after sharing your favorite team's success and defeats. On the plus side, you can post draft, NFL, college thoughts in a smaller setting. This way you don't have to actually know the Jaguar's draft needs or its GM tendencies. You can be content just posting hypothetical 7 name "mock drafts" with little research. Either way, this is the safest place to start spewing your random newbness.

2. Off-Topic Board

This is where you should be contained, but frankly you won't go here until after you make a million pro football focus or stupid poll questions that clutter up the actual football and draft boards. Anyway, here you can up your rep by posting half naked chicks and stupid pictures. That way when you do venture into the the Draft forum, people will think you know what you are talking about even though all you did was post pictures of ladies' body parts jiggling.

3. NFL Draft, Pro and College Football Forum Etiquette

Nobody wants to read 5 pages of personal insults or your resume in a Tim Tebow or Green Bay Packers vs Steelers thread. Its hard not to get sucked into these arguments, but please try and stay on point. Also, if a story is only team relevant then keep it in the Team boards. "OMG, practice squad long snapper for the Cowboys was arrested for a DUI!" Nobody else cares, so if you have to post it, then put it in the Cowboys Team Board. Other guidelines can be simplified down to this: Try and at least be aware of your own biases when posting about your favorite team/player and be aware that others might not share those biases. So if you are asking for an opinion that doesn't match your own, then they are only giving you exactly what you wanted. I will continue with this in the next point.

4. How to deal with "being wronged" in an argument

Yes, some people are mean and will take delight in exposing your terrible lack of knowledge. You can: A. Take the beating like a man, B. Cry about it and throw a lame comeback, C. Trade insults with them in a 5 page mess that completely diverges off topic.

A is always the best option when you clearly didn't think something through before posting. It happens to everybody. You spend 2 hours making a mock draft but didn't spend a second looking at the Bills to realize that they don't need X player because they spent the past couple drafts on Y and picked up free agent Z. Bills fan then lets you know about his frustration with stupid mocks. Just take the beating and change your pick in the next mock draft because frankly he was right that you need to change your pick.

If you ever resort to option C...at least make it entertaining. Throw in some funny pictures or maybe music or a youtube video. If you have me held hostage in your hijacked thread, then at least keep me entertained.

That's all I really care to say. After you understand that then your opinion is frankly just as good as anyone else's and you can make your own rules.

Oh and one more thing. Please learn some of the vb code. That way you can actually post pictures, youtube videos, change fonts to make your mock drafts easily readable.

http://draftcountdown.com/forum/misc.php?do=bbcode

Ngatachance92 · 12-10-2011, 08:08 AM

So this place operates by prison mentality? Go to consult with your team board( Gang that most closely represents your beliefs before interacting with gen pop) then get your rep up so the others fear you. Except with less ass rape... Or more ass rape, I'm not sure yet.

Prowler · 12-10-2011, 08:37 AM

I don't speak for the place, its just my guide to clueless people who don't know what to do. Why would a person with no knowledge subject himself to the main boards when he can actually develop in the teams and know what he's talking about first?

I was also upset and relatively lonely at 5 am and wondering why the hundred people couldn't just jump online and give me topics to ruin.

*You can also consider this a general guide to the Internet

Ngatachance92 · 12-10-2011, 08:45 AM

Yeah, I got assaulted by njx awhile back for posting in the Rams suck for Luck thread and I've learned my lesson. Pretty good write up, should be sent to each new user by PM when they join or at least stickied on the main board.