[Forewarning: I'm not the best at internet rants. This could see some minor or major edits in the future.]

Normally I'm not one to drag out any argument or disagreement longer than it possibly needs to be, and I hope that this post doesn't fan the flames, so to speak. Rather, I have an opinion on recent events and a solution to the problem that was apparently brought to light.

There was a rather controversial topic that was posted a few days ago and, after a degeneration of productivity, locked by staff. No, I'm not bringing up any personal grievances that were addressed in that topic. Rather, I'm calling attention to one particular part of the subject that was given special attention: the matter of the "livelihood" of this website and, among other things, a lack of attention given to new members.

Looking back over it, I see one point being argued repeatedly: new members are not being treated with the same respect given to "senior" members. I can totally see where this argument comes from: often when I post in a Welcome Mat I am followed by Muffin-, Parasprite-, and similar-ranked forum members as opposed to older members. I just checked on my Welcome Mat topic, my first post on this forum. I didn't know anybody, and nobody knew me. (Using current ranks), an administrator, a Muffin, a Butterfly, and a Bird all commented on my post. These were high-ranking members, and they were taking an interest in me. And these weren't just "Hey, enjoy the site" comments. The majority pertained to what I had said in my initial post. I remember how nervous I was with that first post -- what if I messed up? What if I said something wrong? This place seemed really awesome, and the last thing I wanted to do was make a social pariah out of myself before I even officially conversed with anyone.

But you know what happened? Those replies made me feel welcome. They made me feel like I could be a part of a community, of something bigger than myself. I felt like I could speak my mind and I wouldn't be laughed at or insulted or flat-out ignored. In short, those first few replies were the reason I stuck around in the first place.

What would have happened if those replies were any different, or had never existed in the first place? Well, I can take an educated guess: I would have lost interest in the site within a few days due to being too nervous of making a fool of myself to post. I never would have continued writing, and I wouldn't have met some of my best friends. My life would be definitely different -- and definitely worse -- than what it is now.

Think back to your Welcome Mat topic, if you posted one. Who commented on it? Did that have any influence on you sticking around this site? But, of course, the Welcome Mat is not the only "make-or-break" point for whether or not a new member will stick around. They need to be included in all aspects of the site, and that means the discrimination of lower-ranked members needs to come to an end. And while "discrimination" may seem a strong term, but to me it seems fitting. As was brought up in the above-linked topic, a status update or an art post created by a newer and/or relatively low-ranked member is often ignored, while higher-ranked and aged members can expect many replies and views. That isn't to be unexpected; we know how to interact with these people because we've seen them around enough.

This needs to change, and for one important reason: it is the right thing to do.

I'm not saying we need to hightail it over to the Welcome Mat, and I'm not saying that we need to start ignoring the forum members we've come to know and love. All I'm asking is that, when you see a new member post a status, remember that it takes only ten seconds to make a reply. It doesn't need to be anything fancy -- just let that user know that they are recognized in the community, that they aren't just another statistic or avatar that occasionally appears on the front page.

In a similar vein, an issue involving the arts around the site was brought up. Many submissions get a quick one sentence reply similar to "Wow this is good, you're so good at drawing." That helps no one, especially the artist. Be a responsible forumgoer and formulate your true opinion. I've told users before that their art could use work (in a friendly manner, of course) and suggested points of improvement. You know what happened? The user was gracious for my true opinion and resolved to try again. Whether they used my advice or not is anyone's guess, but I made some new friends and helped a fellow member. That goes a lot farther than an empty compliment.

Oh, and don't like how people are critiquing? Then go out and critique the art yourself. And before someone calls me a hypocrite, yes, I have taken my own advice. I just don't dip into the arts section as often as I really should.

As a closing piece, I want to say this to everyone who was in the above linked thread: keep all the flaming and hating that went on there out of here. I'm posting this to restate my concerns and opinions and nothing more. Comments that do not degrade other members or their opinions are more than welcome.

Thank you for reading through this poorly formed rant.

-Kolth