What the newbie should know

CanGirl40

Even though I signed up last fall, I'm actually a newbie. Thanks for the advice! Totally agree!

coutrn

Hello Everyone,
I've been on the site for a while, and have not used it for months. Now, I'm training for a 5k....and this site is becoming more useful. Thanks for the tips.....I will abide by all rules
Shawn

opuntia

I will initially add who ever requests me. I figure if they took the step of joining MFP than they're good in my book. We're all trying to get healthy and judging people by their pictures or their profile just isn't right. I find it awkward to write something when I request a friend. Sometimes, I'm just looking for someone that's nice enough to support me on this journey and I don't really have a specific reason why I want to add you.

This is pretty much how I see it. When someone requests you, unless you already know them in real life or elsewhere, you can't really know what they're like, regardless of whether they have a profile pic or a public profile - you can only add them back and see. If someone turns out to be, say, rude and aggressive (which is highly unlikely on a site where people are adding each other for mutual support, but still possible), then you can always unfriend them.

As for etiquette rules, everyone has their own expectations and preferences, whether they are an old-timer or a newbie - and in general, etiquette for meeting new people tends to be the same wherever you are. And people's personalities will be the same wherever they are too - if someone is the type who blames others for their problems, for instance, they're not going to stop doing this just from reading some etiquette rules. And if someone is a 'creeper', that is also not going to change from reading etiquette rules!

Dauntlessness

Thanks for the replies.