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

I'm just curious to know why so few new Researchers reply to their Ace Welcome.

If not, why not? Are some of the Welcomes too much like an automated message, that you thought it was automated.

Emmily

Well, I guess some don;t really know how to. And some of the messages do seem, well, more instructive than chatty. I think people probably expect it to be automated in some cases. And a list of links and so forth isn;t necessarily the best conversation started.
Butr then what would I know, I wasn't ace'd until I'd been here for a good long while!

Ictoan

Ok, we may not be online when they read it, so some links are nessecary. I used to include loads, as often the newbies like to just explore h2g2 first, but have cut them down.

We are mostly Welcoming a newbie who hasn't added an intro. so making the Welcome personal (which is ideal) is extremly difficult when the newbies hobbies, interests etc are not known.

Emmily

Aye, I replied, about a month later! For the reason Ictoan mentions - I just assumed it was an automated message.

Aye, I replied, about a month later! For the reason Ictoan mentions - I just assumed it was an automated message.

This damn stutter isn't getting any better!

I don't remember if I did or not (it was June 2001) but I probably did reply, cos I always thanks robot phone systems when they say "I will attempt" (makes me worry that, attempt) "to put you through to that extension".

I can understand that. I'd say H2G2 is very unusual in having an actual human (the ace's are all human, aren't they?) do the greeting.
Perhaps some way of making this more obvious would help?
BTW, this is not aimed at any ace, or at all ace's.

Yes, as far as I know we are all human

Not aimed at any Aces at all, but I may use the info. from replies here to 'improve' my own Welcome post.

Emmily

I think it depends on your experience and confidence with www. I jumped in and lurked around and found some pretty intimidating personal spaces so just backed out and thought weird or what. Don't forget I came in on the back of the Save the Albatross Voyage so wasn't really interested in Hootoo.

It took a while to get up to speed and there seemed to be some sort of competition going on between the ACE's which again I thought fine, crack on. I'm enjoying h2g2 far too much now but I can imagine some newbies being scared away unless the welcome is gentle, very specific about the welcome process and doesn't smack of big brother.

I replyed to mine so I could find out how to change my nickname.

I replied to mine (the first one from pedboy and then another from Terri & Yoda) - rude not to, surely? I found the links very useful, and the tone was friendly without being too hectoring.

I didn't really need any help from the Aces, as my boyfriend had been a very active member of H2G2 for a couple of years, but it was still nice to get a welcome.

Lbclaire

I went to my ACE's personal space and left a message, I was in awe of the friendliness of the welcome!!
Now I know, that I could have replied to the message she left me, on my OWN space, and she would still be able to see that I answered, on HER own site (clever that )... But she got the message, and I guess that's the most important! I think the ACE idea is fab and I atleast felt VERY welcome, right away

I also found the links very helpful!

no but I was already told off for it!!!!

Is there like an ACE place!!!!!

As soon as work is over must to shop and get for the reefer

I replied but then again I joined in 2000 and the welcome was much more personal than the welcoms I've seen of late on newbies pages(but I'd put stuff on my personal space) without the links and stuff. However it took me ages to work out how to do the HTML for my PS and things like that. Pre vs post BBC I suppose!

Zantic

I replied several weeks after Argon0 left the message - I just didn't realise it was a real person starting a conversation with me straight away. I think the ace's screen name may affect how often people reply, I was a bit initimidated by the odd name with lots of (to me at the time) unintelligible stuff in it.

Actually I think I went back and replied after I had seem my ace in a conversation elsewhere on hootoo - it clicked then that Argon0 was a person!

I was a bit new to talking to weirdos on the internet back then...

hi Emmily,

I did indeed reply to my ACE - which was you!

I just checked back and you welcomed me within a week or so of arriving. I replied two days later. And I had some questions for you which you very kindly helped me out with.

Perhaps the reason some newbies don't reply is because they're not actually newbies but extra accounts set up by already existing researchers. Or maybe some people set up a page and then just never return. I also know a couple of cases of researchers who signed up but then didn't get back for awhile and, for whatever reason, couldn't access their original page and so started a new one.

Anyhow, I don't think the ACE welcomes seem 'automated'. And I think it only polite to reply to them, if only to say thank you. My personal opinion is that the ACE's do a fabulous job here and help make h2g2 the very special site that it is.


az

I realised it was a real person, but wasn't quite sure how I was supposed to react. In retropsect I wish I'd at least said 'thanks' but I seem to remember I wasn't even quite sure how the reply button & conversations worked. It's probably important for the ACE to mention these basics, even if experienced internet users find it superfluous.

for your replies everyone, some interesting points.

I didn't tell you off Matt, simply wondered why you hadn't replied.

Zantic, was h2g2 smaller then, and easier to find your way around, without being upteem links?

Emmily

hey Emmily I was just messing.....