Steady Hand
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 p.1 #1 · Newbies or New to FM? | |
Hello and Welcome!
FOR THE NEWBIES:
This is written for NEWBIES and also to people who are just NEW to this forum. It is written to help you and everything is written in friendly tone of voice and with the sole intent to help you have a better experience here as part of this forum. 
First, I want to share with you some EMPATHY and a little background on why I am writing this thread for YOU (Newbies). I also want you to understand that I completely understand what it is like to be a NEWBIE too. I was a Newbie here too.
Read the following carefully (and the linked Tips), and it is GUARANTEED to help you become a happier, more fulfilled, member of this community.
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FOR THE OLDIES TOO!
Yes, this is a shout out to you too.
I think these same TIPS on this People Forum WILL help YOU too.
So, even if you are not a "Newbie" anymore here, I think the tips will help you get more from your time spent here. You can title your PM to me "OLDIE" instead of "Newbie" if that matters. No one will know! Just between us. No public embarrassment. 
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What is a "Newbie" to me (How to define it?):
1. Someone NEW to this forum.
2. Someone NEW to digital photography (though your photos don't have to be made with a digital camera to participate here).
3. Someone NEW to using a DSLR.
4. Someone NEW to FM.
IF you fit into any of those categories, this is intended to help you.
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Why do I think this topic is needed here?
Over the last two years I have been on this forum, I have seen lots of people come and go.
There may be many reasons.
In fact, I joined in December 2007 and almost left (forever) in the first 30 days or so.
I had my reasons. I saw some things that really turned me off. And I did not see some things I was hoping to find here.
But, I stuck it out and have come to enjoy viewing the photos here, participating as much as I can, helping when I can, and engaging in some fun or challenging discussions with others here.
I have also met some very nice folks here too.
But, I have been aware that some others visit, join, perhaps post a photo or a few photos, and then their experience here is not...(how to say this)...what they expected. Many apparently never come back again (like the time I almost left for good).
Also, I have received a number of Private Messages (PMs) and Emails (off forum) from folks that expressed their frustration with the forum and THEY DID decide to leave. I tried to talk them into staying, as other's had convinced me to stay on, but some "had enough" and were too frustrated or hurt to stay.
Some of those folks were very popular here, some were notorious, and some were just Newbies too. Some of the "regulars" around here might be surprised to learn who has left too. 
In the spirit of helping more people better enjoy their experience here (including me, because I like to see more new photographers join and post), and to help some others avoid some truly avoidable "first false steps," I have put together a document or list of a bunch of TIPS for NEWBIES that will introduce you to some things I think will make your time here more fun and helpful to you.
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But, I am not going to post it here in this thread.
Why?
Because this forum does not use "stickies" (even though I asked for them before) and it moves so fast that it would be gone in a day and perhaps never seen again.
I have posted some Topics intended to help before, and they were gone into the archives very quickly, and they took HOURS to write. So I am going to post my list of TIPS on my own site. You can view it there anytime and it will become a "sticky" of sorts that way.
Just so you won't be disappointed, it is not "rocket science" and you may know some of the points already. But, there may be a few that will make a big difference in how much value or fun or good communication you get here at THIS forum or perhaps even on other forums too. As anyone here can tell you, each forum has a different crowd of people and a different "culture." Even within the various forums here on the FM site, there are significant differences in attitude and friendliness and "atmosphere."
So, I encourage you to take a few minutes to read the tips. They are written solely to help you.
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IN SHORT: you will need to send me a PM in order for me to send you the link.
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IF you want me to send you the link, you simply need to send me a PM saying NEWBIE in the PM title. I will then reply back to you with the link to the page and you can see if it helps you.
Why do it via a PM and a link?
I am going to do this via a PM, simply because I think some lurkers and people who visit and view a topic like this may be reluctant to proclaim themselves a NEWBIE in public on the forum. So, this is a matter of helping you learn in private, if you will or want to. And, some people are reluctant to send or receive emails. I understand.
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WHY am I doing this?
First, I hope to help others. That is my primary goal.
Secondly, I have to help myself too. Being on this forum for hours and helping others over the years has taken a lot of my time. Countless hours. I enjoyed it. Truly.
Over the months, I have noticed I spend a LOT of time answering a LOT of PMs and questions to me here on this forum that no one ever sees (behind the scenes). I need to reduce the amount of time I spend answering the same questions (again and again) and so I have decided to consolidate my TIPS into a Page for each common issue (or FAQ) and that way, IF you send me a PM requesting this, I will answer you quickly via a PM with the appropriate link to help you. I can then reduce my time and typing. That helps you, and helps me (save time and effort).
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So here is one tip that may be obvious to some and not so obvious to others:
IF you are not sure how to send a PM here on this forum, simply look at the bottom of my post (or those of anyone) and you will see a bar separating my post from those that follow. Look for the PM button. Click it and then type your message to me.
One last thing. I am building these "Help Pages" right now and it may be a couple or few days before I send you the link as I have some pages to update etc.. So, hang tight, stay with us here on the forum, and be patient.
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Finally, just click that PM button (third button from left side below) an inch below here and send me a PM titled "Newbie" and if you want, say hello too.
You can help me help others by also telling me a little bit more too. I am trying to encourage other "Lurkers" to join in the community and to have some fun and communicate. I think it just takes a first step.
Tell me a little bit about yourself if you want to. What do you hope to learn. What kind of people do you want to photograph (infants, kids, old folks, seniors, models, etc.).
Or tell me what you want to learn on a forum.
Or if you are a lurker, tell me why you lurk and don't post or comment. I will keep it a secret, but it will help me understand how to address issues that may keep folks like you from feeling welcome or comfortable here. .
I might share (anonymously of course) a word or two from you that may help other Newbies or Lurkers take the first step too. So if it is OK to quote you in an anonymous way (just with a first name, instead of your full name or full screen name) then let me know that too. It would help.
In return, I will send you a PM reply with the link to the Tips Page as soon as I can.
As I always say: I hope these comments and suggestions will help you and others.
IF you think this is a helpful or good thing, simply post a short comment below that you think it is a good idea or it helped you. That will make this effort (and time) worthwhile to me.
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You may notice this post showing up on the first page of the forum often.
That is the nature of a "Sticky" as it is meant to be seen to help others who are new to the forum. So it "sticks" to the first page where a new visitor will see it easily.
So, pardon the occasional "bumps" to the first page, I know it may annoy some "old timers" here on the forum. It is just so other Newbies and Lurkers and Visitors will see it and then possibly join the community in posting and sharing here. In my opinion, that would help us ALL see more photos and have a better time here.
Edited on Nov 04, 2009 at 02:14 AM · View previous versions
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