All joking aside, its alright telling us to try to make new members welcome, maybe some of the new members need to make themselves more approachable. With the exception of a few ladies and gents on here I'm in my opinion ignored by quite a few new members. I welcome them I'm ignored, I send a comment or reaction I'm ignored. I'm not naive enough to think i have a given right to receive a response but good manners go a long way. I accept that I am most probably older than most here which will put younger members off. But they only have to say that. I can handle rejection without the need to get nasty lol. (Plenty of experience ?) If new members follow the advice given to me and join in the forums then really everyone should get on perfectly well, which does help the shy ones overcome their shyness
I see things from both sides of the coin, so the statement of when you welcome newbies and get ignored.
Someone joins a site like this, a lady for example and as soon as she walks through the door she is sent an email, then a link from a member of staff whilst trying to figure out these two simple things and work out why she has a number popping up in red which is the alerts. Now before she’s started to even think about adding an avatar, checking the link and welcome email, she is welcomed by others, messages start flying in and before you know it she’s missed a welcome that you may have done?
It’s a big step to make the decision to join in a site like this and very daunting for some and with so much going on in a short period of time then things will get over looked and some can go into panic mode.
There is also another flip of some people are just plain rude but I don’t see that very often from genuine accounts.
Then you have the comfy ness of regular members being in their own comfy shell here and don’t like outsiders coming in causing a rattle and you get that on all sites.
it’s a fickle thing and something that will always be the same where ever you go.
Patience and understanding is key and if you are one to message a newbie after them just joining asking the dreaded “fancy chatting” and “hi” then think, is that what I want to hear after receiving hundreds of the same thing else where.
Just my views.
.....really 
).I joined in straight away because that's why I'm here but there is probably alot of lurkers who aren't comfortable getting involved yet or maybe at all. I dont think the amount of interaction on the site is an issue for me at all it's perfect for me.