h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Traveller in Time definitely NOT an ACE
"True, except for one thing, only the ACEs are allowed to post multiple messages with the same content. As long as they are posting them to newbees.

I do not disagree with the concept of just using one good message. I have objection if (part of) this message is completely wrong.

A small completely outdated fact creates an atmosphere of an automated message no matter how well chosen the other words.

Oh yes, a self directed message, posted within minutes of creating the account, ending in ... could give a hint such researcher is not entirely new. "

Ti Dager

exibit A

There was a question I raised in the Aceforum which was never answered, and it was that do non-ACEs really need access to the New User list? if it was for ACEs' eyes only it would solve problems such as people coming along and impersonating ACEs (and I don't mean you here, Intern), such as the recent case with Whowasi?.

One Ace there said to me the newbie list was for Aces eyes only

exibit B
Intern, I know you mean well, and Thank You for that but you really are making more work for us by welcoming newbies.

As far as I know, I'm the only ACE that checks 2** (sorry to anyone else who does)which is how I found the ones you'd Welcomed, if you hadn't done them:

1. They would've got an ACE Welcome sooner.

2. They would have probably been shared out with other ACEs instead of me doing them all.

3. I didn't do them all, It was 2am, I was too tired to finish them. So somewhere over the last few days are newbies who've not had an ACE Welcome.

I think this Ace has made it clear that they think its easyer for a Ace to do it

so i dont think you can call it rubbish realy its there in black and white some of the Acews would rather Aces do the welcomengso i think the Aces should disscuss where they all stand stand becouse it dose not look like you are on the same page here

Intern.

What you're saying is right....keeping the newbies list for ACE's eyes only WOULD help solve the ** problem.

But what I would suggest is this....ex ACE's or older researchers could bring to the attention of ACE's someone they're talking to who hasn't been ACEd. I already do this, but if it were widely acknowledged by other researchers that it would be wise if they did this, might bring better results......


Just my

When someone is the first to make a posting on a new researcher's page (giving it two asterisks) it's not sure that the person in question found his/her name on the New Users' list.

The most common kind of posting I've come across is from one newbie to another, in which case my guess is that they've used the Who's Online list, where it says 'new this week' after the user name.

In some cases they've come across each other in some other conversation (yes, some newcomers are very quick to make their first posting if they find something that interests them) and then the other researcher decides to 'drop in for a chat'.

Making the New Users' page only accessible to ACEs would not stop people other than ACEs from starting the first conversation on a newcomer's page, as simple as that.

As long as we can't see if the second asterisk is an ACE welcome or not, the ACEs will just have to continue to check *every* new researcher's page, not just those with one asterisk.

Remember Abi, the italic? I remember her posting to another user (happend he was looking to become an ACE) that a friendly welcome to a newbie is fine, even from non-ACEs. I took this to be a 'front end welcome' ie. One user goes to another and uses the link in message centre. - If the got there from clicking the nickname in a thread, or from the WO list did not really come into it..


Though with the WO showing who was new, I'd agree that it was the most likley route to the newbie.


A part of my thinking was who can remove from the <./>NewUsers</.> list. This relating to a wish to self-welcome on 'projects' save an ACE visiting AND security aginst those that pretend to be an ACE ie. "Lee" with the 'Rangers' or and such made-up group. They would welcom a newbie, then leave them high and dry, very "sticky!"


If an <./>ACE</.> sign-in had a back-end flag AND if the <./>NewUser</.> had a *** indicatior that a ACE had used it to go to a newbie and welcome that would *kill two birds with one stone*.


Just to be awkward I would want to be able to self-welcome ie become *** in the newbie list, avoid a welcome from an ACE... But it would ONLY be for the person that created the account to do, if an ACE ha not beat them to it anyway...


The 'old hand' creating the accounts could prefix the nickname as the set prefrences for the 'project' with ** or *** - This 'skip me' would have to become a 'custom and practice' over time that all users would need to become aware of.

At last, loads of good ideas being thrown into the pot!

Of course you can't stop 'normal' researchers from posting to a newbie's space before an ACE, so if the New Users page showed that extra star or whatever to indicate that an ACE had visited the page, it really would make life a lot easier

Do the Italics know about all this? Do you think they're quietly lurking?

Can we hope for an appearance? Given that this seems to be spontaneous constructive debate on a topic that has so far failed to go away?

I believe at least one of them is lurking, yes.

The link to this thread was posted on the Aceforum the other day by Kristina/Titania

Oh yes, silly me for forgetting .

In post 155 SEF gave us a pointer to a previous thread <./>T246820</.> - I'll give it a *bump* to point to this thread too.


I don't see anybody saying anything against the idea of making it simpler to know who to welcome. I don't even see the 'GA' asking to be included...


Maybe this is a subject for the dna/hub to help all 'sites' that gives a 'personal welcome' to newbies. Then from the /hub pass it back down to the sites; letting the italics decide if they want it, ask if it could happen, decide how many groups to authorise for giving a welcome etc. etc.


*Now left to wait for a link to an old thread on the /hub already about this.*

vicky.....

yes that is a good idea if you spot a newbie that hasnt got a welcome then *nudge*a Ace in there direction but the problems are

If a you happen to tell a Ace that dosen't do any "welcomes" and wonder off and dont give them another thought are they actually going to get a welcome are they going to do one or think its not the part of Aceing i do and leave them high and dry untill another Ace gets to them

And if more Aces kept up to the list wouldnt you agree that the list would be down more or less the majority of the time and we mear mortalls wouldnt need to *nudge* them towards a newbie

Confession - I've read most, but not all backlog...

Intern
The reason you were asked (by me, I believe) to not Welcome newbies was because you were ending your message saying an ACE would visit...at that time..as far as I was aware...I was the only ACE checking 2*'s and you were Welcoming so many newbies that I was finding it hard to find them...and follow through with what you said I apologise, anyone can Welcome a newbie, not just the ACE's, and Intern, your Welcome is just as good as any of the rest of us I just ask that if you do Welcome newbies, you say your an ex-ACE and can offer help that may be needed, and remove the sentence that says an ACE will visit

Broelan
I've been going through all, like you..I like some of your replies...they made me smile...i.e the one where the newbie posted and you posted " Oooops not that one, can't remember what it was )Sorry, only thing I could find with a bow" It took a few seconds for me 'get it'...I hope the newbies get a out of your replies too.

I'm not gonna bother to whinge, it doesn't do any good. Let's just hope that now the 'spring cleaning' has been done, we can get some 'new blood' into the sceme.

Emmily

Emmily....

Forget about me welcomeing.We seem to drifting off topic its about the Aces that dont welcome any new users not about the right or wrongs of a non Ace doing a welcome that still seems very much down the middle some Aces do some Aces dont the whole point of the thread is its unfair to the Aces who are left to do the welcomes all the time and the fact that in some cases newbies are left for sill ammounts of time with out a welcome becouse some Aces dont think that is there portion of the job.and its not makeing the site sticky.

Ah, but...those that don't do the Welcoming...(I know there's a few on 'sick leave' at the moment...I don't mean them)...are very likely not subscribed to this page...and won't read any of this...

I'm not sure it's a good idea for non Welcoming ACEs to post Welcomes under duress, what will that achieve?

There are approx 20 ACEs that do most of the welcoming...all we can do...is the best we can...until that situation changes...by recruitment of ex and new ACEs...

Emmily

Traveller in Time on his head
"Why do you not perform a roll call .

Some one will have a list of all these ACEs why not inform them personally?
'Hi there you are ACEd for a Rollcall'

< U901034 >

"

*waves at all concerned, ACE or not*

I don't ACE very often, being one of the ones who has a "sick leave" problem from time to time. But when i do, i try & pick people who i think i have something in common with & always write a genuine message NOT a copy & paste thing.

Of the newbies i have ACED, i would estimate about 70% are now very fully contributing members of h2g2.

We probably all have different methods, little & often or less often but intensive follow up both have merits, it depends on the individual.

& to all.

Terri

good point id love to know how many are subscribed to the im new help page that dont do any welcomes

yeh there are 20 out of how many Aces say some of the welcomeing Aces go on holliday some get sick of beeing the ones who day have to day wade through waiste high newbies and think from now on whats good for the goose is good for the gander and dont do any more so that could be a dint in the number of welcomeing Aces pesonal real life day to day problems crop up they dont say there comeing so you cant plan around them -how many welcomeing Aces untill it will get to the point the ones that are left just cant get in front with the welcomeing spend so much time doing welcomes they dont get h2g2 time chating to there freinds something so Aces who dont do the welcomes get to do in vast ammounts

1)Its unfair for the newbies who might not even get a welcome in days
and its not makeing the site "sticky"

2)Will that be the point there is another change of plan and non Aces or told yeh welcome newbies for the sole reason just to clear the newbie list and never mind any kind of system Aces have/are setting up

3)would it be then some old Aces are asked to leave the Aces so they can get some new/semi skilled/old Aces in that could adress the ever growing problem regarding welcomeing newbies

4)would there be another shift in the welcomeing where the new Aces and old if its sorted say hag on we need to get this system back all the Aces are doing there share and non Aces who have done the welcomes before to make it stay sticky in the patch thats happerning now are surpless to requerments and cant do it again for x-y-z reasons

get rid of dead wood get new Aces either ammend the what Aces do with some new rules/or some system that works and imploment that into the changed what Aces do
There are good ideas kicking around but they hardly ever get to the Ace forum if it dose it gets over looked becouse of a problem here or problem there its never voted on and nothings ever changed its the same old same old i dont have time to do this i dont have time to do that its a good idea ill put it on the back burner for now and it stays there till its burned or a few weeks later it becomes un practicall to do it at this time then never gets done and people forget about it then

What they need is one day for surgestions posted say wed there voted on by the Aces in the next forum(just voteing no other buisness) and a day when its possible there implomented obvously any big changes re vamps of any of the groups done at the time its possible to start and finish in the shortest ammount of time but anything small could be done 2/3hours max

I mean this was posted in the forum and yet no new faces here to add there opnion how long was it posted a week thats why realy i dont think the forum as it is now works you post a message you waite for it to go in you then see it with the other posts you wait another day/forum or the day after that another forum a secure h2g2 board like the folders you type and send its there some one els logs in sees it anwsers right away you log in see the answer two/three hours later insted of days its a case of locking it and Aces only haveing the password thats changed x=days y=weeks dont ask how i aint that cleaver loup manda or sef would be able to give that tec options might stop things beeing over looked etc etc

Wrong Intern

I didn't join the 'convo' til yesterday...I'd been having a 'megga sulk' over this situation, of being part of a minority that does most of the 'work' I know that doesn't help anyone...when I sulk for a couple of weeks......but it helps me...

I do get pretty p!££3d off at the situation, but these type of conversations just go round in circles...no-one listens...nothing gets done...nothing changes...there's no real point in them...this one will 'die'...then in a few weeks..they'll be another..with the same ACEs/Researchers...with the same views...and the same result...a bit fat zilch!...

Emmily

Traveller in Time standing behind the line writing in his 'NoTiTbot'
"We have got a team of 'Roadrunners' Pasting highspeed welcome notices to online newbees.

Then we have the, content sensitive, 'sag wagon riders' wiping the missed newbees from the list.
"