It seems to me that in internet forums, people with thousands of posts seem to be able to get away with anything, yet a newbie who brings up even an innocent topic could get flamed to bits.
It never fails to urk me when I see a new person joined up only to be bullied by so called "highly respected long time regulars / members".
Sometimes, a newbie can't ask a simple question without being severely flamed for not using the search function or being told, "I'm sick of all you newbies posting about this topic."
Is that necessary?
If you are sick of topic, there are two things you can do:
1) Don't click on the topic.
2) Go out and get some sun.
Newbies are also vulnerable to being attacked for posting something against the views of the regular majority. It doesn't matter if his/her views are well thought out and reasonable. Arrogant forum veterans couldn't be bothered to read what is being said. They just quickly jump in and beat up the new guy.
What is much worse, is that sometimes forum moderators and administrators who are suppose to be fair and impartial, take the side of these arrogant bullies just because they are friends or "they've been around".
I remember clearly, a few months after 9/11, a certain member of a game forum posted that Afganistan and all the countries suspected of housing terrorists should be nuked. He was pretty damn serious about it. He didn't care if innocent women and children perish in such attacks. He felt that his country had every right to retaliate in this manner. He didn't even care if the radioactive cloud blows into the surrounding area killing more people and sterilising the next generation. He didn't think much about innocent neighbouring countries that could be affected.
'Unfortunate casualties of war', he posts as he casually shoves the issue aside.
The guy went on to flame me for disagreeing with his extremist views. I was being as civil as I am being now.
It is quite amazing what happened next. I was warned by the moderator not to "toe the line". Yeah, well I didn't know I wasn't supposed to disagree with a "respected member" of the forum. He has, like, thousands more posts than me (I had about 100 posts) or something.
To which I replied, if he wasn't prepared to take on opposing views, he should keep his views to himself instead of posting on a public forum. Needless to say, he managed to gather most people to his side, even the administrator.
I never posted in that forum again. I do not care for communities that hold one sided views of things.
Internet communities need new members to keep them fresh and lively. New members means new views and new ideas. What's the use of scaring away newbies with the above demostrated behavior? Forums have died because newbies could not be retained. Just before it dies it becomes a place where everyone makes "I agree" posts and nothing more because everyone thinks alike.
And then they begin to ask, "Why is this place so quiet nowadays?"