Newbies to oldies

Radek, I'm a new kid on the block. I failed all those tests. Too much pain sensation and real senses of urgency.

Originally Posted by BigGoronSword

Who calls them "oldies"? I prefer to call them "Veterans".



I agree. It's the same as calling a person a "Kid" a "Man" or a "Woman". In the real world, I believe the line is crossed when the person has gained independence from the rest of the family. For independence, it doesn't matter how old you are, it matters on how much you've matured and learned about your surroundings.

For example, I once had an adoptee who was around 26 years old (married) but didn't know diddly squat about the internet (I had to walk her through on how to register for a photobucket account, upload her pictures, and teach her how to place them on ZU). Though she had the maturity of an adult when she spoke to me, the knowledge of the forums was close to dwindling.

Time isn't the factor, it's knowledge and maturity. She clearly had one, but not the other.

Now when it comes to a "Veteran", time is a factor (along with knowledge and maturity). It's when regular members and mods easily recognize you from your personality (even if you've become inactive for months/years). Veterans usually have been active for years (three years to say the least...that's my opinion).

Really, there are three stages: Newb==>Regular Member==>Veteran (my adoptee evolved into a Veteran!!![/bad pokemon joke])

-BGS

Yeah, thats what i mean, i don't really mean "oldies" i just couldn't think of the word to use, by your adoptee do you mean josh.

would you consider me to be a newb or a regular member?

Originally Posted by Radek

Actually, every post so far has been wrong. All of you are wrong.

This is how it actually goes down:

The ZU staff members submit a list of potential oldies, based on their judgement, to me every month or so. I then go over the list and pick out a select few to interview. After each interview, I decide wether they are worthy of the title "oldie" or not.

Most don't pass.

Have I passed, o Mystical Radek?

I say you're no longer a "n00b" the moment you read the rules and start following them.

I'm sure it's been said. But it is when you stop acting like one.

I genrally consider veterans to be people who have been here about the same time or longer than I have. Even still, there are so many exceptions to that. There are plenty of members that joined in '04 and even in '05 that I would consider vets simply because of their actions. As for being a newb, that ends when you learn the ways of the forum. Like countless others have said, you grow into it. Some are newbs for a day, and for some it takes months.

Originally Posted by musical zombie.

Have I passed, o Mystical Radek?

You're under consideration right now. Only time will tell.

I see a "newbie" as someone who doesn't have knowledge of ZU and doesn't know what to do. To me, i don't class someone as a "newbie" anymore once they have reached about 250 posts and have joined a clan and maybe enlisted help from an adopter.

When i first adopted, i picked up a new member and helped them grow in the community and helped them in getting into a clan with who to PM for the quiz. I also helped them not sound like a "newbie" online. I also helped them with acquiring a sig and avatar from one of the many shops available.

I don't know - I presume some people still see me as annoying as a few members did a couple of years ago.
I'm not really that involved too much with other big oldies members. I just like to post here make my opinion heard. It's just a basic integrated social ground for me, considering that a large majority of people I speak to seem to have the intellectual capacity of a puddle.

But if years having anything to do with you being regarded as an oldie or a newbie - then I'd say I'm a oldie. But - alot of people still don't know me. Only a select few people I can recall could probably name me on this forum, Yami, BBD, DomDom, Foamy, etc. No more than 10 people I can recall who'd know me immediately. :|

Originally Posted by Panique

What the hell? No.

I dunno.

Am I a newbie? I've only been here since last October.

Seeing that you have posted more than I have and me being at ZU for about 2 years, you would be a veteran.

A newb is somone who just joined ZU and has been here for at most 3 months. A veteran would be someone who has sticked with ZU for at least a year. A "noob", however...that is someone who posts like they are in special Ed. or something. "OMFG LMFAO UR A IDIOT LOLZ!!!"

That madness will never cease.

Some peeps I look at (like Holic) and I think of them as cool members. They're not "olbies", but I would treat them as such, because we started off well for one reason or another.

To be an oldbie, for me, you have to have been here in my "old days". For instance, if you remember The Merchant's panty raids or the founding of the Clans by Dark Tachyon, I would consider you an oldbie (or Veteran, for you, BGS).

Some people change a lot over time, too. Consequently, my opinions of them change.

For instance, LOZ Historian. He never posts, and I like him more now than I ever did (which wasn't much). Some people actually IMPROVE by not being around, in my mind (that is, by committing ZU Suicide, haha...*cough*).

Newbies are peeps who don't know who I am.. And n00bs are peeps who don't care. Just so you n00bs know, I .. I.. *breaks down in tears* It hurts me more than it hurts you *bans all the n00bs*

OMNIPWNTENT

Well, crap. If Radek is judging, I'll never be a veteran.

I forever long for the day when people learn the difference between a noob and a newb. Anyway, I believe that you're no longer a newb when you have learned how to act and what to do on a specific board.

Personally, I don't think there's really a specific time when someone stops being a noob - some people never stop being annoying and idiodic on the forums, and some people are real mature from the get-go. I think age has a lot to do with it. I joined when I was 13, and acted really stupid on the forums 'till I had about two or three hundred posts. Now that I'm a bit older, I'd like to think I'm more mature then I was two years ago. It just took me a little longer than most people.

Originally Posted by Big Bro Davidia

Some peeps I look at (like Holic) and I think of them as cool members. They're not "olbies", but I would treat them as such, because we started off well for one reason or another.

To be an oldbie, for me, you have to have been here in my "old days". For instance, if you remember The Merchant's panty raids or the founding of the Clans by Dark Tachyon, I would consider you an oldbie (or Veteran, for you, BGS).

Some people change a lot over time, too. Consequently, my opinions of them change.

For instance, LOZ Historian. He never posts, and I like him more now than I ever did (which wasn't much). Some people actually IMPROVE by not being around, in my mind (that is, by committing ZU Suicide, haha...*cough*).

Newbies are peeps who don't know who I am.. And n00bs are peeps who don't care. Just so you n00bs know, I .. I.. *breaks down in tears* It hurts me more than it hurts you *bans all the n00bs*

OMNIPWNTENT

Wha' 'bout me, BBD?

Originally Posted by OKO

But if years having anything to do with you being regarded as an oldie or a newbie - then I'd say I'm a oldie. But - alot of people still don't know me. Only a select few people I can recall could probably name me on this forum, Yami, BBD, DomDom, Foamy, etc. No more than 10 people I can recall who'd know me immediately. :|

Hehe, you under-estimate yourself. A lot more than 10 know you immediately xD
*has done from the very beginning*!
:3

I think we're all getting our terms mixed up.
What is an "oldie" and what is a "Veteran"?

If we say that an Oldie is someone who's been around for a long time, was here through all sorts of ZU drama and events and is respected and remembered/known by quite a good number of people and have made an impact somehow on the forums and/or members before..

And if we say that a Veteran is a respected and cool savvy forum member, who is almost instantly known everywhere through virtue of their fame and have made some sort of impact on the forums- then both differ =)

If you're an oldie, you're both that and a vet, but the reverse is not true :p

In that case, I'd say that cool phenomenons such as Panique ARE vets, but not oldies. No, not an oldie.
musical- you're still working your way and carving a personality in our minds. But not yet. You're getting there, though ^___^

It all depends on how much we see you around, and the quality of your posts.
Like Vega, some people who HAVE registered a long time ago but I only just start to see them around - are newbies to me. It's not all to do with the join date.

Also, being a member of the chatroom greatly increases and speeds up the veteraning process xD

Originally Posted by musical zombie.

Wha' 'bout me, BBD?

Eh.... <_< you have your days...

And Asia, about the chatroom: that's a dangerous saying :0P It either makes you or breaks you, would be a better way of putting it, haha.

I consider myself a newbie. I think you stop being one when enough people listen you that you never make a post that is overlooked, and nobody responds to. The same applies in the workplace and in politics, you stop being new and start being... important? Probably not the right word -- when your opinion holds some weight and people feel they should respond somehow.

...Or whatever.

A "Newb" is a person who is new. A n00b is a completely different category. Someone is not a "newb" any longer after perhaps 6 months to a year, where they are familiar with the site and the people around them, when they interact and are somewhat active. A n00b, who is completely illiterate and hasn't got a clue what they're talking about when they post in a topic, stays a n00b. People who don't read anything other than the first post in a topic, I consider a n00b.
Those who use better grammar and don't just quote people for their say are not considered a n00b or newb. You may say that n00b's and newb's aren't informed, and once you are, you're no longer categorised as a "noob" or "newb." When you actually begin to earn your own "ZU characteristic" as I would call it, you aren't a newb anymore. When you become more than just another ZU'er.

Also, for those of you that may not have noticed, "newb" is just new with a "b" added on the end. Stated at the beginning of my post.

That is my say.

Originally Posted by The Great Panda

I forever long for the day when people learn the difference between a noob and a newb. Anyway, I believe that you're no longer a newb when you have learned how to act and what to do on a specific board.

Quoted in agreement.

Originally Posted by Dakota

I consider myself a newbie. I think you stop being one when enough people listen you that you never make a post that is overlooked, and nobody responds to. The same applies in the workplace and in politics, you stop being new and start being... important? Probably not the right word -- when your opinion holds some weight and people feel they should respond somehow.

...Or whatever.

I'm in agreement. I do believe that many of my posts are overlooked, but people who are no longer considered "newbies" ARE those people who say, "whoa, it's so-and-so, let's see what they have to say."

Originally Posted by jimbob2720

I see a "newbie" as someone who doesn't have knowledge of ZU and doesn't know what to do. To me, i don't class someone as a "newbie" anymore once they have reached about 250 posts and have joined a clan and maybe enlisted help from an adopter.

Quoted in agreement, although I disagree with the post count. A newbie could still be unfamiliar with the site and the people around them even after 1000 posts. Radek has less posts than I do, and he has been around here for five years more than I.

It's far too complicated for me to divide members into two or three categories (newbie, oldbie, and vet). There's just too many members who establish themselves either very quickly or very slowly as an integral part of the community. I'll try to outline how I view members.

If I look at your join date, and it happen to be the same year it presently is, you're a new member, or newbie, in my eyes. Doesn't have anything to do with how I view you as a person or how I'd respond to a post or anything (status as outlined in this thread doesn't really change how I react to anyone, other than maybe if I've had a "conversation" with some one I might tailor my responses to be more...friendly-ish?). I'd just see that you just happened to be here for a year or less, and are thus a new member...because you are. Simple as that.

Then there's those that have either the same or earlier join year as myself, as well as a couple 2004s, because that's really when I became more active around here. They are what I would call veterans or oldbies, unless they haven't been particularly active and have just come back from several years away. It's a case-by-case basis when it comes to that. I view it this way because I use myself as the relative point to determine how long some one has been here. It should be quite obvious that in a few years (if myself and/or the forums are still around), it won't really make sense for it to be that exclusive. In fact, the 2004s have been here for three years, mostly, which should by all means qualify them for veteran status. So already my views are flawed.

BUT they will likely stay that way because I generally treat everyone the same way. I'll respond to say, musical zombie or Panique or Holic the same way I'd respond to AQ or BBD or Vega. When you joined has little impact on how I view anyone, but rather just the way I see them "act" around the boards. Classifying members is actually something I have to sit and think about almost on a member-by-member basis, and really that just takes too much effort.