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Yep.



I do understand your thoughts to a certain extent. But I'll speak from a noob who came here much like most do, and who has gotten some flack.1). If you dish it out, you have to be able to take it.I came here relatively sure of myself, probably coming off slightly cocky, not always thinking before I typed and not fully understanding the tone of the site and/or its users sentiments on many topics, not singly related to the military.2). If you offend DS/longtime users, apologize, move on, take note of what ticked them off (tone, wording, difficult typing style, not adhering to simple requests i.e. No txt speak, arguing, etc.), don't do it again.Most of the well-known users (including/not including DS) do a ton of reading. Some do an equal amount of typing. I didn't understand at first why a simple question, even if posed exquisitely, can still grate on nerves. But it does. Compared to many, I am not on much these days, but each time I log on I know I'm going to read something that really didn't need to be asked within the first 10 minutes of someone joining up. Which leads us to...3). Read, read, read...then read some more. Not just things that you think you're interested in, but read something that might seem mundane/boring every now and then.Personally, this is vitally important to a user's success on this site. (If you just want a quick answer to a quick question, then just google it. A minute or two of that will generally give one what they need.) But with actually taking the time, one will acquire much more than just info about a topic of interest, they will learn how the site operates. They will learn the dynamics between trades, users (seniors and non) & major areas of the military. They will come across posts that evoke all sorts of emotions. They will actually get to know (on a superficial level, of course) some of the users and read their experiences that lend insight as to why they feel the way they do about certain things. Yes, you'll come across some bickering, some low-balling, maybe some comments that you don't feel are necessary. But the positives out-weigh the negatives, and in my experience, most forums with the number of users this site contains has much worse going on.Someone doesn't answer something the way a user sees fit? Yes, that will happen. But there are a ton of users here with different approaches. Some are polite and lengthy, some are snippy, some are comedic, some are blunt/direct.Me? I get sworn in at the end of the month, and the aid that I have received via this site has been immense. There are people who are more than willing to help, others are here to moderate, others are here to contribute where they can and that's it, others just like the sight of their own username.To new users, give it a chance.