New Members... FYI (please read)

[Blaylock]

Welcome new members!

This is a consolidation of some new information as well as some of the old posts which were stickied in the New Gorilla Forum. All of the original threads are still intact, please direct your questions to the specific thread. This will help clean up some of the clutter around here. Hope you enjoy all that Club Stogie has to offer.

Are there other forums that I cannot see?

As you spend more time here, there may be other forums that open up to you. Good things will come to those who have established themselves in the forum.


Trading of Cigars for our New Members

We ask new members to refrain from posting threads involving trades with others, in any forum, except for the established threads that are already in place. The “Newbie Trade Sampler” and the “Newbie PIF“ are examples.

Request to New Members

This is a request that will facilitate other interaction between new members and established members of this board. Please fill out your profile and at the very least, please put the country of residence in your profile. It does matter in the future when you interact with older members. "I took a noobie trade the other day not knowing where the new member was from. He turned out to be from Canada and I am from the USA. I would have passed the trade to an experienced member from Canada instead of having both of us having to deal with customs. Just a suggestion but please think about it. In the future I will not deal in a trade or bomb with a member whose country of origin is not in his profile. Thank you." -taltos

Some useful links for cigar shipping supplies

Free USPS Boxes

Bubble Wrap

Single Stick Bags…2x8 or 2x10 recommended

Tips For New Members

-Read the information you were provided when you registered.
-Read the Stickies. Pay particular attention to the Sources For Cuban Cigars, the Don't ask don't tell policy thread, and the Three Simple Rules plus 1 thread.
-Start your stay at Puff by posting an introduction of yourself in the New Puffer Fish Forum. This is the first step in letting people get to know you.
-Don't ask about where to get Cuban cigars or discuss vendor practices in the forums.
-There is so much info here. Take the time to read old threads. When reading older threads, try and get a feel for the personalities of the members.
-Take the time to get together with fellow members whenever you have the opportunity. Online is cool. Face to face rocks. If you have a camera, bring it along.
-Pay It Forward is a lifestyle not just a term.
-Don't be afraid of posting a review on whatever you are smoking. You might be surprised at the reaction.
-Do not let other's reviews and opinions influence your opinion of what you smoke.
-Some helpful things to know: How to: Report a Post, Give Trader Feedback, and Give Reputation Points (RG).
-Visit Cigar Information, Cigar Reviews, Cigar Articles for Beginners and Experts for some great unbiased reviews
-It is OK to simply read a thread that appears to be heading south, and have the willpower NOT to post to that thread. Posting to such a thread when you don't know the members or the personalities involved can turn a debate between willing parties into a flame war.
-If you're not sure whether it's appropriate to post something ...wait...you can PM a moderator or a person you feel comfortable with first. Someone should be willing to help.
-If you have an issue with someone, take it up with them the PM route.
-Try not to be a post whore right off the bat.
-Buy your humidor 4 times bigger than you think you will need and buy some beads.
-Take the time to learn and understand the nuances of the advanced search option in this forum.
-If you want to get in on the fun of bombs and trades, send a private message to Ms. Floydp with your name and mailing address.
-If you receive a package (trade, bomb, sale, PIF), send a “thank you” private message (PM) to the sender.
-Hit the Reply w/Quote button only when quoting the message is pertinent to what you are posting. Otherwise just hit Post Reply. When quoting another Puffer, it's not always necessary to quote their entire post--especially if it's particularly long, or it contains numerous photos. When appropriate, chop the quote down to isolate the part that's relevant to what you intend to say.
-If you post a link to something that may be inappropriate for people to see at work...use NSFW in the thread title or post.
-When posting an email address, use the format "myname AT hotmail DOT com" (If you use myname@hotmail.com, the spam bots will find your addy and you will get more spam)
-Respect is something you earn. If you take your time and get involved, you'll find that CS is a wonderful thing.
-To make friends, be a friend.
-Feel free to ask questions.
-Be patient.
-Be humble.
-Enjoy yourself.