Many forums have a space reserved for newcomers to the forum to ask questions and generally learn what makes the community tick. While it's true that each sub-forum has a "Simple Question, Simple Answer" sticky to serve this function, this approach is counter-intuitive and has the effect of making newcomers feel less comfortable as they stumble to find the information they want or need.
A forum centered around making newcomers feel more at home would also include such things as a FAQ thread to answer things such as where to get PO, how to make a team, what various abbreviations mean, a more in-depth explanation of what goes on in each sub-forum (ASB is particularly impenetrable in this regard, I find) and so forth. Users may also post introduction threads in this forum--who they are, where they live, how they got into Pokemon, other interests--in order to facilitate the existing users being able to find common ground with the newbie, thus strengthening the sense of community.
All in all, I wish you guys had had something like this when I came here.
A forum centered around making newcomers feel more at home would also include such things as a FAQ thread to answer things such as where to get PO, how to make a team, what various abbreviations mean, a more in-depth explanation of what goes on in each sub-forum (ASB is particularly impenetrable in this regard, I find) and so forth. Users may also post introduction threads in this forum--who they are, where they live, how they got into Pokemon, other interests--in order to facilitate the existing users being able to find common ground with the newbie, thus strengthening the sense of community.
All in all, I wish you guys had had something like this when I came here.
