Everyone's been a Newbie at some point. Maybe a friend told you about Whyville and you thought it sounded like fun, so you made an account. Whatever way you found out about Whyville, everyone has been there.
Despite this fact, many Whyvillians still tease Newbies. Imagine it's your first day on Whyville. You pick out a face with black hair and a red sweatshirt, which to you looks really good. You're ready to explore Whyville! As soon as you float into a chat room you see someone who is talking to a huge group of people. They seem to know everyone, and you think, 'Hey, that person could show me around Whyville!' You go up to them and say, "Hello, I'm new to Whyville. Can you help me find some friends?" You were just asking for some help, but you look like a Newbie. They say, "Get away, you ugly Newbie!"
Many people have seen this happen. I wanted to interview a few of Whyville's citizens and hear their opinions about the treatment of Newbies. Today I have lillolo10, dizzy57, and xion2.
Tanibanan: Welcome! Have you noticed the bad treatment of Newbies?
Lillolo10: Yes I have. I don't have anything against Newbies, because believe it or not, I was one once. I don't really treat them badly, but some do get on my nerves. I never know, soon we might be good friends.
Dizzy57: Yes. I think that we shouldn't treat Newbies badly because we were Newbies once, too.
Xion2: Yes, I have noticed it a lot in chat.
Tanibanan: What do you think of the tour system? In your opinion, does it help Newbies become acquainted with Whyville and make friends?
Lillolo10: Well, I never really took the tour. I personally think it's more fun to just explore and discover things on your own, but I also think that the tour system is good for when people want to know things like where the Disco is and how to teleport places.
Dizzy57: I think it helps Newbs figure out where everyone is and how to get to places.
Xion2: It tells them where things are, but it doesn't necessarily help them with how Oldbies treat them.
Tanibanan: I see. One last question: Would you like to share your own personal experience from when you were a Newbie?
Lillolo10: Well, my cousins told me to join this site because they were already on it. So when I joined, my cousins kind of helped me out and let me be friends with their friends. They also lent me money until I started making it out on my own; without them I'd be completely alone and I don't know where I would be on Whyville.
Dizzy57: Well, I didn't really have any personal experiences, but I see how other people treat them.
Xion2: Yes. When I was a Newbie, times were different. There was some discrimination but not nearly as much as now. And I always respected Oldbies.
Well, there you have it. In summary, it seems that the bad treatment is apparent and commonly seen. The tour system helps you know where things are, but it may or may not help you meet people. And having a friend or a family member already on Whyville to get you on your feet helps too.
Sometimes, how Newbies are treated has to do with the Golden Rule: "Treat others the way you would like to be treated." When Newbies annoy people on purpose, there is some reason to be mean to them, but you still shouldn't do it. This could begin a cycle of Newbie/Oldbie fighting that starts a war throughout Whyville! I'll admit, that is highly unlikely, but it's still possible!
So next time you want to tell an annoying Newbie to leave you alone, don't do it. And who knows, someday you guys might be best friends on the top of Whyville together!
Think about it,
Tanibanan
