7

I started creating a comment "Welcome to Webmasters!" to new users. I did not realize how many new users I would find. I began being consistent with the comment hoping they can easily be found and removed later.

My goal is simple and self-evident.

I do know that removing comments is a real chore for the mods. For that I apologize for the turdlings left on the site.

Is there a better way of welcoming new users that is less work for the mods?

Should I keep going or stop?

5
  • 2
    Although I admire the concern for making new users feel welcome, comments solely for that purpose don't really help to improve questions and are likely considered noisy by the community. As Stephen relayed, unwelcoming behavior is conversely a much bigger problem, so don't sweat it. It's probably OK to append a greeting to a comment that seeks to help the OP in some way. In any case, thanks for having the gall to ask about your own (well-intentioned) behavior here - apologies aren't necessary.
    – dan Mod
    Oct 3, 2019 at 7:22
  • 2
    you have high reputation, which means you should be experience with the site. Can I ask why you don't know this?
    – Ooker
    Oct 4, 2019 at 7:57
  • 1
    @Ooker I was primarily looking for an alternative that I might not have been aware of. (I had been gone for quite a while and my head is full of property and utility law.) I knew I could simply search and delete the comments myself which I have already done. I was also wondering if the mods would not mind the comments despite the extra work given our goal of becoming a welcoming site. Cheers!!
    – closetnoc
    Oct 4, 2019 at 15:35
  • 2
    It's always OK to seek clarity here. In order to maintain standards, there's lots of guidelines for SE sites, and gray areas too, which are difficult for anyone to keep sorted. Meta provides an opportunity to discuss those as a community. Sometimes those discussions lead to changes too based on how the community responds. We welcome all discussions that seek to gain clarify or potentially improve the site.
    – dan Mod
    Oct 5, 2019 at 0:03
  • BTW- I appreciate @Ooker ('s) comment. It is a perfectly valid question and I did want to reflect on it to answer it as respectfully as the question deserved. My Thanks to Ooker! I hope my reply was satisfactory. Cheers!!
    – closetnoc
    Oct 5, 2019 at 0:26

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
10

Please stop leaving "welcome to the site" comments.

The best way to be welcoming to new users is to assist them:

  • Answer their questions
  • Vote up good posts
  • Edit for grammar and clarity
  • Ask for clarifications
  • Provide actionable feedback if their question is closed

You can also call out bad behavior from others. It is far more important to not have unwelcoming behavior than the greet each new user.

3
  • 2
    I was sure "stop" was the answer. I just was not sure if there was an equivalent other than the obvious. Please accept my apologies. Cheers!!
    – closetnoc
    Oct 2, 2019 at 17:40
  • 3
    Just don't let me catch you being so welcoming again! ;-)
    – Stephen Ostermiller on Strike Mod
    Oct 2, 2019 at 17:43
  • My moto? Drive people crazy one at a time! Why should I be the only crazy one?
    – closetnoc
    Oct 2, 2019 at 17:51

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .