[MLD-Grounds-Keeper-Willie]

The problem is that the newcomers are somewhat scared and intimidated. The water analogy is perfect for this. They're scared to go in the water for the first time. If you do it the gradual way, it is very tense and takes a while. If you have to start at the shallow end and walk yourself to the deep end, it can be slow and strange, but eventually you'll get there. I find it much easier to just dive right in. It's quick, simple, and exhilarating. If they had some encouragement, it might not be so hard for them. We can't force them in, but we can give them a little tug, or nudge. What if some of us were to hang around the newcomer's thread and just get to know them a little. We could just let them talk about their interests, and then we could offer them help, and give some suggestions as to threads they might be interested in posting at.

Not only that, as many people have been reiterating, it would help if those people were non-moderators/admins. It may seem weird, but people do associate easier with those of the same status. Mods and admins seem of higher status because they have power. In that case, they are looked upon as special, and everyone else is just ordinary, plain, and common. Common people have something in common (of course), but already, there's a start. And those who seek a relationship usually (if not always) start with those who have something in common, and they build off that. I wouldn't mind helping out some newcomers, especially after realizing I was once in their shoes, and in some ways still am. We should also stress the importance of reading the forum policies and of course, obeying them.

Sorry if this thread was kind of sloppy, but I think it gets the point across.