Why Is It ....?

Why is it that recent posts welcoming new authors to the site, only get an average of two responses? Given that we have a membership of almost 15,500 people, don't you think we could do just a little better in welcoming new talent?
Or should we abandon the new author posts altogether?

well that told every one off good and proper!!!

I am off to be nice!!

I do welcome new authors, but i do it in a comment to their story.

Please do not abandon the practice, I appreciate knowing who is new so I can read the story and see how or if I can improve my own writing. I also say hi to the new ones most of the time and my apologies to those I may have missed. Oh, by the way I am missing our njrick who was great at telling us all how goals achieved by everyone on site. So, njrick, if you are reading this please come back.

CS

Please keep this feature! It has a double effect; even when I do not take the time to greet new authors directly, I make a point of reading their stories and comment. Without this column, I would be unable to know which authors are new.

Please keep the feature. We existing members can be more dutiful in responding. And, as Alef points, out, it's helpful in directing readers to the new authors' stories, which many generate story comments as well as "reads."


I know I've been a bit negligent. I see that there have been several milestones reached in the past few months since I most recently did a "recognition" post. I'll remedy that in coming days. No one needs to wait for me, though - any other member who recognizes a milestone is free to make note of it. It IS a job that used to be shared among several people.

I don't know if this has anything to do with it, maybe other readers can tell me if they have the same problem, but when I try to read anything on the activity heading, it never let's me read the article all the way through it cuts me off about half to threequarters way through and then throws me out and won't let me back in again, maybe it's been affecting others as well I don't know.

I don't always welcome new authors but do try to check new story postings and comment.
Uh-oh, is flopsybunny going to give me a smackbottom? ;)

For me, it's because I am terrible at participating in online communities. I wouldn't know what to say. I'd probably come off like a jerk. I feel like I do a better job with commenting on stories than I do welcoming someone to a community I'm not very good at being a part of.

That said, the announcement and welcoming of new authors is one of the nicest parts of this community, which is one of the nicest communities on the 'net.

Ahhhh, I'd venture that's as good a way as any to welcome a new author, by commenting on an early story of his/hers, plus perhaps including a "Welcome to the Library" remark within the commentary.

Of course, I suppose we should all commit to doing that before our negligence is reported to Miss Thrashbottom--who gives out much more convincing 'encouragement' than a mere "smackbottom," it's been rumored... --C.K.