[HPFGU-OTChatter] Disheartened Newbie; read-only status?

[Carolina]

Judy:
> > Think back to when you first joined
> > HPfGU.  Would you have been upset if we had had this policy?  Would
> > you have left, or would you have stayed and waited to be able to
> > post?

Morgan D:
<<After all, it is one of the classical rules of Netiquette for groups:
lurk for a month, learning how the group works, before posting for the
first time. Just because very few people remember that one (or know
about it), it doesn't mean it's not a good advice.>>

ESL warning

I didn't even knew what nettiquette was when I joined this list, in 
April. I saw PS, then read it and decided to roleplay in Howgarts, so I 
searched for canon resources. After finishing the Lexicon, I craved for 
essays and follow the links to the faqs. I even read HPfGU Wildest 
Speculations, but I waited months to join, and I did it just to be able 
to read those fantastic posts.

I wouldn't have had a problem with a read only period, if just politely 
explained that the huge amount of information that this list deals with 
requires a learning period, just not to ask a question that was 
answered yesterday. 

I had seen groups (my friends were in then) that run wild, so I expected 
strong rules about posting if this group maintained a good level. It 
was my first group, so I loved all the help I received from the 
moderators, including the humongous file.

Everytime I wrote I though I was going to receive a Howler for bad 
grammar. I was offered grammar check, but the fact is I didn't wan't to 
put more work on the mods so I tried to make posts as short as 
possible. After OoP, I knew the level was so down that even my poor 
level was unnoticed. I wouldn't mind a link to nettiquete rules, it is 
hard to adapt to a group like this. 

As an example, reading all the threads debating the problem with the 
list, I've realised that when I've not posted a response because it 
would be just a sorry (with no more info), I should have done it 
off-list.  

So a read only period is ok, but I'd like to find a way not to lose 
those newbies that have read a lot before joining, do their homework in 
faqs and the like, read and lurk for a few or ten days and then answer 
if they don't find anything and after waiting to see if someone 
responses. They exist, I know they do.  

silmariel