On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 11:12 AM, Emily Monroebluecaliocean@me.com wrote:
I agree. Maybe have a Signpost-like note to everyone subscribed to Signpost? Maybe have that actually in the Signpost? Something like "Editors note: There's an influx of newbies, so please be patient". How will that work?
Nah. We need permanent solutions. Wikipedia is a terrible place for a newcomer. Fortunately the Usability project amongst others is doing something about this.
It would be interesting if someone did a study on initial interactions between newcomers and oldbies to see if anything can be improved. But IMHO the best way to avoid newbies getting "bitten" is to help them avoiding newbie mistakes in the first place - a good interface, the right help and a few safety checks would go a long way. ("Whoa there newbie, you just wiped the whole page. Here's how not to do that...")
Steve