No responses on the main list (Was: Wizarding Education )

[Steve]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Sandra"
<lysandrabellargus at y...> wrote:
> Lanthiriel wrote:
> >  I think the idea of having two lists is a great one.
> > One list for newer members who might be interested in
> > rehashing the old theories that - even though they're
> > adult fans - may be completely new to them. 
> 

> Sandra:
> 
> This thread made me feel kind of sad really, because I already felt 
> ashamed that I am a newbie even before reading this.
> 
> But I assure you, I really tried not to be such a burden! 
> I made the effort to read the posts and FAQ etc. carefully, write my 
> reply (if any!) off-line in word, check it again and again, to 
> finally post it.
> And now after the first enthusiasm I get more and more insecure if I 
> should post at all. I even thought about consulting my house-elf 
> about this!
> 
> Hence I agree that a list for newbies would be very good, although 
> oldies should definitely be allowed to share their insight ; )
> and I would appreciate if a read-only access to the 'experienced' 
> list would be possible. 
> 
> Please accept my sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused
> and  I hope that you do not feel that 'the newbies are now even 
> crowding the OT list'  ; )
> 
> Why not have a poll about a newbie list, and other suggestions to 
> make people (oldies and newbies alike) enjoy the list again?
> 
> Sandra

Asian_lovr2:

Oddly enough you are the very person who should not feel shy about
posting. You obviously take is seriously, and want to do it right. We
were all Newbies at one time, and I remember making my share of not so
insightful posts. The Mods were on my case all the time about bad
spelling and bad formating, etc..., but I felt I had some good ideas.
Plus, it was fun. So, I hung in there, and eventually became and oldie.

We really do welcome new people. And if you are worrying that maybe
your idea has already been discussed, I can assure you with 99.9%
certainty that it has, but we don't let that stop us. We rehash old
topics all the time. 

What really hurts a Newbie's credibility is when they originate a new
post that asks a question that was just discussed 1 or 2 days ago.
That indicates they really aren't reading the posts. Another is to
post an idea with no foundation; I call this impulse vs idea.

Here is an example from a recent post-

An IMPULSE-
Ginny is really Crookshanks because Ginny and Hermione are such close
friends that Ginny wouldn't want to leave Hermione during the Summer
Holiday. And besides, Ginny is sooooooooooooo cute, and I think she is
secretly in love with Hermione.

An IDEA-
I think Ginny is really Crookshanks, and here is the evidence to back
it up, and here is how I explain the inconsistencies that this idea
appears to create.

So the point is, you should have something to base an idea on; you
should have a WHY to your opinion as well as a WHAT. Although, if
someone states one opinion and you have another, that frequently is
enough, as long as your opinion is based on something.

I frequently engage in what I call 'logical extention of the wizard
world' which is comprised mostly of speculation about how the parts of
the wizard world we can't see work. Example; how do business and
commerce work in the wizard world, or where does Mr. Fortescue get all
the ingredients for his ice cream? Do wizards trade goods with
muggles?  While I admit it is mostly speculation, I try to base in on
a reasonable assessment of how the wizard world is likely to work. 

And if you do manage to get a Howler or two from the List-Elves don't
let that discourage you. Even the best of us still get Howlers on
occassion. Just heed the advise, and try to do better.

Things I've done that warranted Howlers (which I claim with no sense
of pride)-

Poor spelling and formating - Been there, done that; receive many many
List-Elf email warnings.

Impulsive unsubstantiated posts - guilty as charged.

Annoying people with my overbearing unyielding opinion - Yep, did it.

Post so poorly written that they started a firestorm of
misunderstanding - Ooooo.... have I even done that. Yikes.

Fired back impulsive overstated overbearing highy critical and
opinionated post that showed quite clearly that I hadn't understood
what I read, or that I hadn't read it at all. - boy is my face red.

So, we've all made the classic mistakes, that's how those things got
on the 'do not do' list, but on the average I've tried to have
something to say, I've tried to be insightful, I've tried to
communicate clearly, I've tried and hopefully succeeded at improving
my spelling (still not perfect) and formatting. 

So don't be discouraged. And don't let the recent complaining here get
you down. Like everyone, sometimes we just need to vent.

Steve/asian_lovr2 - soon to be b_boymn