on this one i will have to beg to differ with nomas... point being not everyone is mean to the newcommers. i for one am one of those dicks that are mean to the newbies. why?? i'm gettting old and this is my grandfather ba humbug side. if you don't like it now, wait till christmas...(there's a really big word for you). hahahaha. but as i browsed through some of the newbies posts, there are actually some warm welcomes. one from me will pop up once in a great while, but overall, if the newbie will come off as a dick, they should be prepared to expect the same in return.
aside from that, as innova said, usually we don't start out as being mean. before when the forum was young, i did my part to keep it alive, but now it keeps itself alive, thriving for that matter.
when it comes to picking on the new members, i know that a lot of people love to be in the "in click". c'mon now, who doesn't like to be in on the fun and watch others suffer? we all have been on both sides of the fence and we know which side we would prefer. mainly being when you are a new person, you are trying hard to fit in, and i think an open mind to anything new is always a good thing. on a personal levl i'm really different in person, but don't let that get out or you won't ever leave vegas. hahaha...
raverboy
...this is just my perspective on the situation...