How To Welcome MYLOT Newbies?
By M.-L.
@MALUSE (69409)
Germany
December 19, 2017 2:19pm CST
Here is a selection of posts I found on the site today (slightly abridged):
"Just trying to figure out how this whole thing works. . . Any tips you have that aren’t in the FAQ?"
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"Am new here in mylot . . . could anybody here please put me through?"
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"Hey everyone. I am new to MyLot and I am wondering how it works ?"
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"I m new here frdss tell me about this site."
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"I'm new to this so I'm not really sure how this whole thing works. I guess I will in time but it is confusing. What are we supposed to talk about?"
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Every day we find posts like this, i.e., newbies telling the community about their arrival and asking for advice. Usually, several members welcome them. Some write short comments, some write a bit more and also include links to the FAQ site.
I belong to the latter category. I've composed a welcome text which gives the most important information in a concise way. You may have noticed it. I've saved it and use it for all new arrivals. Why compose and type a new text every time when they all have the same questions?
Why do I do it at all? The reason is that I was a 'guide', an admin's assistant, on a British site (now defunct) for many years and welcoming and helping new members has become second nature to me.
The usual reaction is gratefulness.
Yet, talk about exceptions to the rule. One newbie who hadn't explicitly asked for information sent me a message instead of a comment.
He/she, "why did you sent me link"
- I explained that I do this for all newbies.
He/she, "i know i am not a kid you better do your own work no need to learn from you
get it i dont want for the next time doing that at my discussion i have already read and agree the terms "
- I felt that a bit of sarcasm was asked for and wrote, "This is one of the strangest responses I've ever got. You're certainly a most charming person. I'm glad to have made your acquaintance and will now steer clear of you."
He/she, "Ohh just get of you are most useless lady i haven't find off" followed by the advice to suck a male body part.
The last pleasantry was, "you irritated me that why i told this".
To come to a conclusion: You can only be on a writing site and stay sane if you have a thick hide.
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Pic: pixabay
25 people like this
23 responses
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
19 Dec 17
You're right. Most people are grateful for the help. It's really just the odd one who feels offended by being told what they think they know already. Those of us who have tried to help the newcomers have mostly grown hides like a rhinoceros.
I'm sorry that you had such an interchange with this person. Such language is, of course, against the rules of the site, even in - perhaps, especially in - a private message and if anyone else had complained about such a message, I would have advised them to contact @goaskalice. As it is, I doubt that you will, however! Never mind, in my experience such 'charming' people generally trip over their own big mouths sooner or later and find themselves on the wrong side of the wall.
4 people like this
@MALUSE (69409)
• Germany
20 Dec 17
I don't understand why you think I won't turn to admin if I'm offended. I've already done so in a different matter. Yet, I didn't know what to do if the insult had come in a message. If it were deleted, the writer of the insult wouldn't even notice it.
2 people like this
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
20 Dec 17
@MALUSE Admin will look at the activity of the person and judge whether they may, otherwise, behave themselves and, in that case, would give them a severe reprimand. However, the sort of language you were subjected to would usually merit an instant ban.
Sometimes the person will return under a new ID and be contrite, at other times, they may return only to repeat the offence and be banned again (and again).
I have a suspicion that the person you are referring to may already have been banned for other offences (you could try looking at his profile). It's worth mentioning that, although banning an account removes all discussions, responses and comments made, it doesn't delete any PMs sent.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
19 Dec 17
Last sentence " writing side?"
This made me laugh! thank you I really needed to laugh.
4 people like this
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
19 Dec 17
@MALUSE LOL, I am sorry if that seemed mean but you NEVER have typos 
2 people like this
@MALUSE (69409)
• Germany
19 Dec 17
@andriaperry I do have them but I check my texts before I post them. I type with ten fingers and aren't too slow but I make a lot of typos. I have to check.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (459742)
• Switzerland
20 Dec 17
A very rude comment to a nice gesture, thanks God there are only very few like this one. In my opinion, when people sign up, they should be redirected to a myLot page that explain how the site works and list the links to the FAQ and other sections. I know this will not stop the questions, but may be we will see a little less.
3 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
13 Jan 18
@MALUSE If/When you receive a pm that is vulgar or suggestive in some way (I understand we have a newer member who is sending suggestive pm's to the ladies of myLot.) you copy/paste the pm into one you send to @GoAskAlice. Alex will take care of the problem for you.
I usually keep the pm until Alex tells me I can delete it but I do block that person to make sure I don't get any more messages like that.
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
13 Jan 18
@Kandae11 But, you know, nothing stops the person from returning to myLot at any time and making a new account under a different name. You might get lucky and run into them yet, Kandase! (grinning and giggling at you!)
@JamesHxstatic (29328)
• Eugene, Oregon
20 Dec 17
Your patience and good will far exceeds my own.
2 people like this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
20 Dec 17
Sometimes being helpful just doesn't work @MALUSE .
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69409)
• Germany
20 Dec 17
@nanette64 It's a line from the Bible. "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.", a quotation from Matthew 7:6 in Jesus's Sermon on the Mount.
Bible quotations have become part of our language. Many aren't even recognised anymore as coming from the Bible. But I always hesitate to quote verses from the Bible lest some of the über-religious members on the site think I'm one of them. I'm not.
2 people like this
Oh that's a good one.
@Morleyhunt (21746)
• Canada
19 Dec 17
Yup...I see them...some even stick around for a while...write a post or two...might read one post that they comment on...follow a dozen people, without reading a word they have written. Comment back on one or two of the responses they recieve and quickly post three more new discussions.
Shrug my shoulders....and move on.
2 people like this
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
19 Dec 17
@MALUSE I don't know how many there are in the 'morgue' but it must be in the tens of thousands, I should think. @myLotBugs would doubtless be able to say (with a little delving into the works) how many users had registered and have no activity at all but I believe that he's taking a break at the moment (and deservedly so).
4 people like this
@myLotBugs (211)
• Kansas City, Missouri
20 Dec 17
@owlwings Here you go... Since the earnings program was reinstated on 8/1/2015, there are 39,357 users who have signed up but have a userRating of 0. Keep in mind, a portion of these are spam signups.
There have been 8,063 new users who have a userRating 0.
None of this accounts for the old members who were around before 8/1/2015.
4 people like this
@lovebuglena (43109)
• Staten Island, New York
19 Dec 17
I've seen your reply with the same comment on a number of posts. Nice to have it saved so you don't have to retype it all the time. But I didn't know we can respond with the same exact comment (word-for-word) on different discussions.
3 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
19 Dec 17
There was a newbie this morning that left weird comments and responses to me and notice they aren't around now. I think some newbies are not exactly genuine.
2 people like this
@MALUSE (69409)
• Germany
19 Dec 17
@JohnRoberts Oh yes. Of this type, there are several here on the site.
2 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
19 Dec 17
@MALUSE Someone who just wants to be malicious and spew nonsense.
1 person likes this
@khagendra1994 (1226)
• Kathmandu, Nepal
27 Dec 17
After reading this, I think it's not bad idea to welcome newbies mylot. Thank you for information.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
13 Jan 18
Hmmm... Hello Khagendra,
Welcome to myLot. I am one of the people who offer advice/suggestions to people who are fairly new to this site.
If you'd like, I can/will pm (private message) you a tutorial that explains how to turn your profile photo upright and will help you when/if you post other photos to myLot.
I hope you are enjoying your time spent on this site and are making friends while earning your pennies.
If you have other questions or need help of a technical nature, you are welcome to pm me and explain what you need. I will help you if I am able.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
13 Jan 18
@khagendra1994 I am sorry, but since I had not greeted you and welcomed you to myLot yet, you were still a newbie to me. (smiling at you!)
Don't worry, this is the one and only time I will call you a newbie. (Others who have not yet made your acquaintance may also call you a newbie... 
)
Does this mean you aren't interested in the tutorial I offer?
)
Does this mean you aren't interested in the tutorial I offer?1 person likes this
@khagendra1994 (1226)
• Kathmandu, Nepal
13 Jan 18
@DaddyEvil thanks Iam enjoying here. But iam not no more newbie here lol.
1 person likes this
@shaqziad1610 (506)
• Malaysia
20 Dec 17
Sorry to hear that. Some people just don't deserve courtesy.
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (26236)
• Singapore
26 Dec 17
I have been on few writing sites for eight years. I read how others go about and then adapt my style to suit the site. When I read one liners asking for help, I recall a newsitem about how most - 90% - cannot be employed due to their attitude and application. We have to work on life ourselves and reality bites often.
I have written about 1000 posts on various sites and have had no issues. I find own niche like most others. However, some think others owe them a living. You have gone out of the way but some react in a way "casting pearls before swine" going by some responses - siva
1 person likes this
@YrNemo (20261)
•
26 Dec 17
@MALUSE You are famous here for your famous remarks, very cutting at times, funny to the extreme at others. I can't help reading your discussions and comments every now and then for that. I think I laughed lots from just reading your comments and posts.
1 person likes this
