CZ Talk:Quick Start

I would appreciate it muchly if anyone would (1) improve this (just don't make it very much longer...it's advertised as being brief...maybe make it shorter!), and (2) say whether you think it should be linked prominently from CZ:Getting Started, CZ:Home, {{awelcome}}, {{ewelcome}}, and (this will have to be a constable) the e-mails we send to new authors and editors. Also, add a link from the main page...

Is it that useful? Basically, I've thought that we badly need this sort of introduction for a long time. I don't know if this does the trick, but the hope is that the informality and encouraging tone will be attractive... --Larry Sanger 19:36, 20 March 2008 (CDT)

'Did you just join?' is American English and this needs to be neutral. Just arrived? - or is that too Brit? Newcomer? I don't know... That's me finished for now anyway, g'night, all... Ro Thorpe 20:24, 20 March 2008 (CDT)

to me, some of the informality comes across as a little condescending, in the way that faculty often get the tone a little wrong when they try to talk like students. "Wrongo, boyo. " Consider the imperfect but straightforward wikipedia page on, "Contributing to Wikipedia", and what I think is the really excellent wikipedia page on writing Your first article. DavidGoodman 21:27, 20 March 2008 (CDT)

I took a first pass through. I agree with David about the tone being wrong. I also think we need to focus more on the new users experience and less on our own. Chris Day (talk) 22:19, 20 March 2008 (CDT)

Yes, we don't want to strike a subtly wrong tone. I had no idea that it came across that way. I've got no problem with Chris' recent edits. On the other hand, we've already got pages like the prosaic pages linked to on Wikipedia, and they clearly aren't doing the trick for us. I.e., there are people still saying, "It's too hard. It's not user-friendly. I don't know what to do. You've got too many instructions." The hope is that directing people immediately to this page will help put them into the right (emboldened and not-too-serious) frame of mind. --Larry Sanger 23:26, 20 March 2008 (CDT)

Is there a convenient, easy to get to place where newcomers can ask basic questions? I know from my experience greeting I've been asked quite a few questions, but it is easy to let some new users slip through the cracks due to time constraints, time spent editing articles, etc. Perhaps even a link on the welcome menu that links to a handful of veteran citizens to answer questions and sort of mentor new users along. --Todd Coles 00:19, 21 March 2008 (CDT)