This is going to be a long one…
Each night I work on my build. I check on this thread and I've been throwing my opinions around and making a lot of suggestions. Pretty nervy for a guy whose been a member for a whopping 2 weeks! As always, thanks for letting me participate.
You might be surprised to learn that I DID NOT join the forums to learn how to make armor! I found the site because I wanted to learn how to make make armor. After reading stickies and looking at some WIP projects, I was sure I learned what I needed to get going on building armor. Now please don't take that as being arrogant, it's a testament to how much information is here. I'll have problems and I figured I could work them out, if I couldn't, maybe someone at the 405th already had the problem and I could read about it or maybe I'd ask someone for help.
I joined the 405th so I could be part of a community of crazy, awesome Halo armor and prop builders. I can relate to these guys and gals.
After I joined, I watched Adam's new recruit video. He made it crystal clear,
"We are a community that is set up not to teach you how to make armor. …we are a community put together to become friends, to make community, and to learn together about how to make props and costumes, not to teach you how to do it."
That's what I call a mission statement. Mission statements don't usually have anything negative in them – the marketing department frowns on such things, but maybe for the 405th it would help to clarify.
405th Mission:
The mission of the 405th is to provide a community where members can learn together to make props and costumes.
Additionally, there are tutorials, instructional help files, and members who will help, but the 405th was not created to help new members make costumes and props.
Now this is WAY above my pay grade, buy it's the idea that matters. Obviously Adam et al have the final say on this or even if they are interested in the idea at all. I know that.
So I revise the new member email as follows:
Dear Username,
Thanks for registering at 405th Infantry Division! New recruits have a few responsibilities to take care of!
1. Understand our mission.
The mission of the 405th is to provide a community where members can learn together to make props and costumes.
Additionally, there are tutorials, instructional help files, and members who will help, but the 405th was not created to help new members make costumes and props.
2. Watch the orientation video. This will give you some idea of what is going on around here.
http://www.405th.com/showthread.php/...entation-Video
3. As Adam pointed out in the video, introduce yourself
http://www.405th.com/showthread.php/...oduce-Yourself
4. Again as Adam suggested, go to your profile and update it
(insert a screenshot of the main screen where it says “profile”.)
5. Most everything you need to know to get started (and to finish) can be found in the stickies. Read the stickies in the forums that pertain to the kind of project you want to complete. There is a wealth of information here based on years of experience from our veteran builders. Take advantage of it!
http://www.405th.com/forumdisplay.php/21-Noob-Forum
6. For even more help directly from a veteran builder, feel free to join the mentoring program. It is not a requirement and you are certainly welcome to go it alone. The stickies have a wealth of acquired knowledge. If you don’t team up with a mentor and get stuck later, feel free to come back to the mentor thread and sign up. There are veterans here waiting to help.
http://www.405th.com/showthread.php/...-Programme-2.0
We are glad you have chosen to be a part of our community and we hope you enjoy your stay.
All the best,
405th Infantry Division