NEWBIE, or NOT NEWBIE?

Have you been made fun of for being “new” to World of Warcraft? Or for being oblivious to something that, according to others making fun of you, you’re an idiot for not knowing? Have you been called a “noobie” or “n00b” and wondered why the idiots making fun of you cannot spell?

Relax! It is going to be okay. You can quickly find out, here, if you are a newbie/newb, or a “noobie”/”n00b.”

A “newbie” and a “noobie” (or “newb” and “n00b”) are NOT the same thing, contrary to popular belief.

As you can tell, our site spells it “NEWS 4 NEWBIES,” because this version of the word proclaims you as someone who is new to a task, or a beginner, but are willing to learn and fix your mistakes to progress. The latter spelling is of course, an insult, and labels you as someone who knows very little and has little desire to learn or progress. Basically, you’re happy being a schmuck if you’re a n00b.

So, how can you tell which category you fall in?

I feel it is relatively simple.

NEWBIES ARE GAMERS WHO MAY NOT HAVE EXPERIENCED A PARTICULAR AREA OF THE GAME…

Newbies are those gamers who may not have experienced a particular area of the game, yet, whether it’s as simple as a starting zone or as difficult as tanking your first heroic dungeon. They are eager to learn from those gamers around them, or that are grouped with them.

For instance, when I began running dungeons, I would indicate to the other members of the group (at the beginning) that it was my first time running that dungeon, and that I may need boss info. Trust me; group members will be much happier to HEAR you don’t know a boss fight than to SEE you don’t know a boss fight (when your entire group gets killed). Some groups may even opt to use CC (crowd control) tags above NPCs to indicate who you should attack and in what order.

NEWBIES ARE POLITE, RESPECTFUL “HUMBLE SPONGES!”

An easy “obvious” is to always be polite and respectful of other gamers and group members. If someone just can’t be killed with kindness, go ahead and /ignore them (or report abuse if it begins to disrupt your gameplay experience).

When I say you should be a “humble sponge,” what I mean is to not be overconfident (cocky/arrogant) in an area of the game you know nothing about; especially when you are trying to get others to help you or play in a group with you. You should be humble (admitting your newness to the area) and be a sponge by being ready to soak up any information—advice, instructions and criticism.

In the end, it is relatively simple to avoid being called a “n00b,” by being open to the teachings of other, more experienced gamers, and by being polite and respectful to those willing to take the time away from their own gaming experience to assist you with yours.