Happy Noob Year
by Olivia_Allin, HSM team writer
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free;
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless,
Tempest-tossed to me
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!
-The inscription on the Statue of Liberty
The Sony PlayStation 3 is one of the most popular gaming systems ever made. It stands to reason that it will also be a very popular Christmas present. So, to follow that train of thought to the next logical conclusion, there will soon be an influx of new Home citizens.
Young, old and everyone in between will be appearing with that new avatar smell and default clothes. You may have just rolled your eyes and shuttered with a bit of dread. But fight that knee jerk reflex. Yes, this means there will be a rise in the experimentation in non-social behavior. But not everyone does that. We were all noobs at one time. As a noob you may have been mistreated and judged unjustly. Try to keep that in mind. Don’t look at it as a chance to haze someone that asks a silly question that we take for granted. We did not appear in Home automatically knowing all there is to know. Heck, I am a grizzled vet and still learn things everyday.
There will be plenty of “troll sharks” in a frenzy at the smell of fresh noobie blood. Nay, I say – and I never say that in real life.
Open your arms and minds to the newcomers. If you greet them harshly, then how do you expect they will perceive how things are done in our virtual life? As a kid, did you ever have to move in the middle of a school year? It is not easy entering into a new environment. And the ease in which you gain comfort depends greatly on the grace in which you are received. Be graceful – our actions influence how these Home freshmen acclimate and interact in the future.
Be helpful. Answer a question with respect and you more than likely will get respect in return. And don’t make a snap judgment. The people that you call friends or respect on Home once wore a blue t-shirt with the Home logo on it, some still may.
Make them feel welcome. A little effort now can go along way and save you from future stress.
I was bullied by a person when I first started on Home. I didn’t know how to react. Should I fight back, should I run? Neither are what I was hoping to have to do when I started my adventure. Years later, I ran into the same person that bullied me. I approached him with the confidence I had gained over time and from the people that were my friends – or just treated me with respect. I mentioned that I was once a victim of his bullying. Before I could ask why he treated me that way, he volunteered an explanation. He first apologized several times and I could tell he meant it. He went on to say that he had also been bullied and was still new to Home. He felt that it was excepted behavior and vented on whoever put up the least resistance. He spoke to me with respect, and in doing so I quickly forgot how he was and accepted him for who he is now.
This is our chance to give our new neighbors a chance. Help mold them into the model Home citizens we would want to cohabitate with virtually. There is nothing to be gained from shunning them or giving them a baptism by fire. This might make them tougher in the long run, but is that what we hope them to evolve in to? Tougher and tougher until there is no room for gentle or soft or smooth.
None of us are pro troll, at least I hope not. So, we should never plant the troll seed by punishing someone for getting here late, yet as fast as they could.
I know I sound like a verse out of “We are the World” or “Up with People” and I am okay with that. Denise Miller once said, “If we only help one person… just one person…well that really isn’t enough is it.”
As Steve Carell misquoted John Lennon in Dinner for Schmucks – “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not…”
The year 2012 is upon us and if the Mayans are right, it could be our last. Why take a chance? Live like you will not get another chance. That goes for real life and virtual. Keep your eye out for newcomers. Don’t avoid them or point and screech like a body snatcher. Help them, get to know them. If that’s too much, at the very least just don’t neglect or abuse them. Give them the chance to make the right decisions and grow and enjoy their Home experience.
I realize I am preaching to the choir here. I doubt that the HomeStation Magazine core readership caters much to the troll demographic. But even so, just a simple, “Welcome to Home, hope you have fun” can go a long way.
Help make the learning curve banked and less of a steep climb. And there is no good reason to make it so. There will be a lot of wide eyed avatars just wanting to enjoy what we already do. Helping them do so will also help us in the long run, in my opinion.
December 21st, 2011 by Olivia_Allin | 8 comments
Olivia_Allin is a team writer, photographer, model, curator, graphic artist, researcher and comic relief for HomeStation Magazine; she lives in Texas with her boyfriend, and Home is more than just a game to her. Years ago she discovered the meaning of life but forgot to write it down. On weekends, to let off steam, she participate in full-contact origami. She saw a Bigfoot once, made a sound you never want to hear twice, and was so proud of her Special Olympics gold medal that she had it bronzed. She is, in her own words, adorkable.
i agree completely. the only people i am disrespectful to are to the ones who disrespect me first. i try to give them a chance, but then it just gets annoying. i recently started an Organization on Home called R3$P3CT. my goal is to help user meet new people and have a good time. i do this by hosting events in public spaces so everyone is welcome. we are hosting our first event Jan 7, 2012 at 8pm eastern in the Sing Star Lounge. if your not doing anything come on out and meet some new people ^_^
I agree totally Olivia, I always treat everyone I meet with respect and I ask them if they are new then tell them how to find free stuff and clothes and whatever else they need to know. I firmly believe that if we all treat them with the same kind of patience we would extend to a new person met in real life, Home would change a lot in a very short time. There will always be the idiots who come into Home just to be abusive, that can’t be avoided, but we can all extend helping hands to those who aren’t.
BTW Olivia, im in TX too ^_^
If only there were a way to tell the noobs (innocents) from the trolls dressed in default. They should have to wear signs!
That is the problem Kassadee,there is no way to tell for sure what a persons intent is when 1st meeting them.They could be honestly trying to find out useful things about Home or they could have other intentions.This inability to differentiate does make some ppl less tolerant of “noob-ish” behavior.Where I usually draw the line between helping a new person and letting them sink or swim on their own is here.If they seem to be continually absorbing the info. I give them then I’ll continue to help them out.If I have to repeat the same stuff over and over and over again I’ll move on.If it looks like they are trying to troll me then I give them a different type of education.Teaching ppl is a two-way street so both sides need to be interested for it to work best.
Great article Olivia! I’ve noticed several times in the past few days that the Christmas flood of new users is upon us. We were totally surrounded by defaults the couple of times I was in the Mall 1st floor where everyone enters Home at the moment.
You advice is very good regarding how to deal with the new people and I agree that it is best to be polite where possible and answer questions about Home when you can.
For new people first experiencing Home meeting some nice people can make all the difference between a horrible first impression and a good one.
Very nice article and I agree entirely. First impressions are lasting impressions. We are all ambassadors of Home.
“Wow”.. this article would/could clearly nominate you for a Public Interest Reward.. for journalism that illuminate issues of importance for PSHome and/or Everyday Living. You should forward this article to The National Magazine Awards Committee because it’s so “UNSELFISH”. Take a bow Olivia_Allin.. “You Nailed It”..!!