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Feeling Welcome On AFO

Angus

By Angus
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Angus Rookie

Angus

Posted
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G'day AFO members,

In light of a recent member claiming he felt "unwelcome" on the site, i thought id make a quick statement and ask your opinions. I personally feel the website is extremely welcoming. Every event I organise I meet new anglers who go on to attend more events as they have had such a good time.

In addition in the forum, every week i see new names contributing and getting involved with the site and its culture.

My observations while managing this site have deduced that there are several easy ways to break the ice and thus quickly loose the feeling of being a "new member".

* First of all the "Introduce Yourself" thread is there with good reason! I even make a point in my welcome message as people sign up of directing them towards this thread. Dont be shy to say hi, give us some info of what sort of fishing you like etc. This information will help older AFO members in answering you various questions in the context of how you fish and so on.

* Come along to a AFO meet. They are always enjoyed and the atmosphere is always laid back and fun. I notice a direct increase in peoples activity on the forum once they have met who they are talking to in person.

* Dont hesitate to ask even a seemingly mundane question. Sadly, (although some seem to think otherwise), no angler was born with the gift of total knowledge :P I know there are many AFO members who actively seek out beginners questions and happily give as much info as they can.

Well thats my 2 cents.

I was just wondering if anyone members had ideas as to how we could better welcome new members and thus not have anyone feeling left out.

Also I would love to hear first hand experiences of how you all felt welcomed when joining the site? Did it lack? What made you stay?

Cheers everyone.

Regards

Angus

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benno573 Rising Star

benno573

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i have been a member since november last year and have found the site to be extremelt helpful and very welcoming. for anyone who says they don't feel welcome, i question why? everyone here i have met is fishing minded, and is happy to share experiences/knowledge with other members to assist in their fishing goals. i'll say more later, i have to run to a meeting.:laugh:

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kriso Newbie

kriso

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it started for me when i was member of another site and didnt no much and i asked questions i was treated like a nob, then someone said to try here i was welcomed straight away with questions answered no mater how novice they where and people offered to meet up and teach me stuff i wanted to know cant get much more of a welcome i reckon.

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namyau Newbie

namyau

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this site is awesome, i havent met a lot of ppl from here but the ones i have, have all been very nice. Ive noticed that pretty much when ever a newie signs on and post in the "intro" thread the warm welcoming responses are instant.

the most important thing i have noticed is that there is hardly any bickering like on a lot of other forums. everyone has their own opinion and most people on here understand that and respect it.

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Ash Newbie

Ash

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Ive been here for a while now, since BRC 06 and ive never noticed anyone being made to feel unwelcome, apart from nuisance members(who were banned due to abusing, or continually harrasing other members) who continually sign up under new and false names on to create problems and abuse other members. Since joining ive had a massive amount of help from members. Especially in the fresh water side of things as i had never done so before. Guys like feral, dino, brian, ellicat and jeff and many others, are a wealth of knowledge and have never resented helping me and have often gone out of their way to give me an answer.

Like Angus has said if your feeling left out, use the "Intro" thread, or just start your own about fishing or questions about fishing. Or better yet, thread up a good joke!

And seriously consider any BFo M&G's that pop up alot. Also most guys here dont mind poeple tagging along when fishing, so if your new to the area, or the sport, keep your eye out on " Going fishing" thread, and just ask!

There should be no reason to feel alienated or left. Make the effort to get involved and you'd be surprised by how welcoming everyone is:P

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rayke1938 Experienced

rayke1938

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Well said Ash I have nothing but praise for the site and its members.

It can be a bit daunting to post for the first time but there is always someone ready to help and encourage so all the advice I can give new members is have a go and help and encouragement will follow.

What made me stay?

Friendly site

Continuous learning curve.

New techniques .

New friends.

Well run site.

Terrific events.

Cheers

Ray

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Do$tylz Newbie

Do$tylz

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Yep. I don't think this site is at all unwelcoming. I joined a while ago now, and yeah it felt a little daunting making the first few posts, but I think everyone will experience that in any new environment. There is always the settling in period for any new person to any already formed grouping of people, in any form of media (online, face to face etc)

I think if you approach this site with open eyes, and a good attitude, all you will get back is a great bunch of blokes (and ladies) who share the same passion, and are ALWAYS willing to help. As a quick example, have a look at everyone who offered help to Mackie on his speaker install. It wasn't even fishing related, and everyone who could help put out offers.

Of some other forums I am a member of, this forum definately has the best bunch of people on it, who are always helpful.

As everyone has said, use the "intro" section, or open up with a fishing report. Say G'day at a meet, and willingly share some knowledge that you have. You'll fit right in :)

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adri4n Newbie

adri4n

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When I first joined the site I couldn't tell the difference between baitcasters and spinning reels... I was just starting out fishing and it was a little daunting to be posting all the silly questions, but no one made me feel like I was dumb and I always felt welcome. I always recommend people to join AFO... now I can't go a day without coming here... :P

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ellicat Grand Master

ellicat

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Like a needle, the sharper ones are easier to take than the blunt ones.:P :laugh:

It's a friendly site for sure. I tend to agree with maxi. Can't please all of the people all of the time...

Having been a member elsewhere before coming here it took me a while to "get" the atmosphere of AFO compared to the argument room.;)

Like everyone else that hangs around I really enjoy the discussions and appreciate the info and input from fellow members. I also enjoy the opportunity to help out or (especially) crack a joke.

Suggestion (if you don't already do it) is to send a welcome by pm and email.

Something along these lines perhaps (?) -

Dear new member,

Welcome to the AFO community. Please take the time to introduce yourself to the other site members by posting a thread in the forum. The forum can be accessed by selecting Forum in the Community drop down menu.

The hub of the site is the forum. This is where you get to have your say, ask questions, and help others with your experience etc. The member base varies from those completely new to fishing to old hands who have "done it all". Please remember to respect everyone's right to their opinion and never be afraid to ask the simplest of questions.

We look forward to your friendly contributions to the site.

Lotsa love

Angus:kiss:

:laugh: :laugh:

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Angus Rookie

Angus

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Ellicat: For a fair while now this has been the standard message new members recieve from me. Sometimes i change or alter it depending on the members details. For example if they put "charter operator" as profession I would be inclined to ask a few questions.

But as standard:

"G’day mate and welcome from the Brisbane Fishing Online team. Hope you find the site useful and informative. Don’t hesitate to introduce yourself in the “Introduce Yourself” section of the forum. It’s a great a way to break the ice. Good Fishing!

Angus".

I figure this is short, sweet and to the point.

Thanks everyone for your input.

I dont think, after reading all your comments, there is a lot more we can do to help make the welcome easier.

I think the experssion "give a little get a little" is all that that is needed to kick things off for people.

Cheers.

Angus

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Schultzy Newbie

Schultzy

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I’ve been reading the forums here since April 2006 and must say that the general AFO community is very friendly.

I can’t recall seeing questions go unanswered but must admit that I don’t get time to read all of the posts.

I have noticed occasionally that new members who aren’t in the “click†sometimes have posts that appear to be ignored. Not often and I’m sure not intentionally but it does happen, albeit rarely.

Overall I’d rate this forum as the most welcoming, with the best atmosphere of any I’ve encountered in Aus’. Other sites are continually prone to bickering and insults bouncing back and forth. AFO has (so far) remained largely free of that type of behaviour.

The post from that annoyed member that triggered this thread could have been handled better. Positive replies like that from Maxi, who stated his experiences had been pleasant were the right repose. Daring the fellow to leave or worse, trading insults was not going to help anyone.

That said, if someone is out to start an argument these’s nothing anyone can do to appease them. In those cases it might be best just to let them calm down for a few hours before trying to offer assistance.

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benno573 Rising Star

benno573

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i agree with maxi - you can't please everyone all the time. the majority of people on this site are a bunch of laid back friendly folk who love to wet a line. meeting people at the tilapia cull event was fantastic and proved my theory and i was accepted by all despite being a newby, something that my stepfather and neighbour who attended with me were quick to notice and comment favourably on. i have recommended this site to many people and several have since signed up as members and are all reporting having similar experiences to myself with the site.

the site is what you make it i guess, some people (ellicat) would rather post forum messages than work (ok, me as well!), others only speak up on topics they are passionate about, others never speak up which is fine. i feel there is a great mix of crazy young blokes (i wouldn't dive into the brisbane river after a lure) and crazy older blokes, as well as some not-so-crazy blokes and ladies of all ages who all just love to go fishing. different styles, different places, different states and even different countries all end up in the melting pot.

if everyone accepts that everyone is different, not everyone will agree with them all the time and most importantly, has the ability to agree to disagree and move on there won't be any problems. attacking someone's opinion with reasoned argument does not constitue a personal attack and a couple of members have been quick to anger over a difference in opinions but those instances are few and far between and usually results in a smacked bottom from our hard workin and hard looking moderators. :laugh:

gus, to sum up, it's a great site, the format i have found to be most helpful and friendly.

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Ash Newbie

Ash

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Something i forgot to mention and Shultzy touched on it before, If you do leave a thread and it gets missed, as sometimes when alot of poelpe are putting up threads at the same time it can happen, dont be afraid to bump your own thread! Ive done this on occasions and once bumped and poeple have seen the thread ive gotten replies.

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kriso Newbie

kriso

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yeah some great opinions there, my last 2 cents on the matter is, if someone joins and doesnt introduce themselves or asked a question and only gets one or 2 replies and thinks that the site isnt friendly enough they need to have a spoon of concrete and harden up as it just shows an ignorant/selfish attitude. like ash said bump your thread and dont expect someone to have an answer straight away.

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Cowfish13 Newbie

Cowfish13

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I think that what Dan said was true. When there were alot of hoax accounts, the other members were a bit wary of newer ones who seemed like they were the same people who got banned. But since then, I think the site as be getting better and better:)

When I first joined, the first thing I posted was a question on the eating qualities of Tilapia. It got answered nearly staright away. I've never felt inclined to join another forum

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chubbstar Newbie

chubbstar

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rayke1938 wrote:

I got suckered in by a banned member who rejoined who as a result of my answering a post,jumped down my throat via PM. I queried one of the mods and he subsequently was banned again.

I now look a bit harder at new members questions.

Cheers

Ray

Something like this has happend to me also.

I recently answerd a post in a manner that I wouldn't normaly use. If I could take that post back then I would!!! Looking at it now, I cant see how the answer would help anyone including the site. Sorry for that. But I normaly try to help where I can with new members.I love this site and have always felt welcome, The day I win Lotto the donation Button will get a nice Smack.

Keep up the great work John, Angus and all the mods. It's a great site that is growing at an exceptional rate.

Jayson

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faulked Newbie

faulked

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i have been a member for almost a year now and have nothing but admiration for the site the members the cast the crew and the scriptwriters id like to thank my parents teachers and the funny old geezer at the end of the streeet i cant tell you how much this awards means to the little children now they can all buy shoes this winter thank you all for voting for me and helping me win bug brother :laugh:

jason

ps afo rocks

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Zim man Newbie

Zim man

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hi all

as can be seen from the number of my postings, i am not a frequent contributor. As an importer of fishing tackle, i belong to over 15 fishing forums. I avoid doing many posts as i do not want to be seen as being a member soley to plug my products. Instead i usually just read what is going on around the country.

In all the forums that have been on and gone through the posts etc, i can say without any doubt that AFO has the largest number of regular contributors to posts. The atmosphere is also friendly, the dealings that i have had with angus and other members has been friendly, open minded and enthusiastic. The website has a great vibe to it and i think that if you want to be apart of anything, the first step rests with the that person. All you have to do is ask.

i applaud the work and dedication shown to the website, not just from the mods but by everyone who is a member of it as they make it what it is.

AFO is now the only site that i visit on a daily basis if not hourly basis. thats my sixpence.

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EMP Newbie

EMP

Posted
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Angus wrote:

G'day AFO members,

I was just wondering if anyone members had ideas as to how we could better welcome new members and thus not have anyone feeling left out.

Cheers everyone.

Regards

Angus

Offer free full body massage to newbies or maybe free bouquets of red roses? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Seriously, let me tell this to all: this site is the friendliest site I've ever been to. People are so friendly. Everyone is so helpful (maybe to a fault- wait till I outfish everyone:P :laugh: ). I've just learned about this site a couple of months ago; I love the culture here and I feel I belong (or do I?). :laugh:

And if at all something is to be improved if at all there is, maybe the newbies should be encouraged to meet up in a casual sort of fishing with the vets? While the Going Fishing section serves for this purpose, newbies just don't join up for a fish with some guy not as good-looking as Rocket for one reason or another. They might be shy for some reason. So maybe we can sort of post things or even send PM's saying: "hey, we're going to fish the neighbour's pond. Wanna come along?".

But then, if the above would rock the boat, so to speak, I'd rather have this site as it is- be there free massage or none. ;)

EMP

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Angus Rookie

Angus

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EMP you crack me up hahaha.

I guess while not everyone might sign up to the Going Fishing events to often, the official orgnanised events should really be ok for all. As stated earlier, evertime we have one we get new members along. So the proof is in the pudding :)

Angus

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Terry H Newbie

Terry H

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How was I welcomed by AFO? Well I'll tell you.

So I go fishing down at cameron rocks I believe it was, to meet this "Angus" guy along with a few others like Troy. This is way back in the day when it was a handful of users. I meet Angus, this guy, who has a freaking huge knife on his belt....

A friendly welcoming, with a big hunting knife on his belt.

That's the welcome I got to AFO. How about everyone else?

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fishyman Newbie

fishyman

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I know when i came year late last year i felt very welcome, i went to my first AFO event at the classic last year, met some people which made me feel even more welcome and now i attend nearly every event i can get too.

This would easily be the best online Forum i have ever been a part of and my hat goes off to everyone on here becasue i have truly learnt so much and had some awesome times out on the water with you guys.

ive only been here since september and i alrady have over 1000 posts :blush: yes i am a AFO addict

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