Most people never forget the first time they signed up for wikiHow. Within hours, someone had welcomed them into the community and pointed them in the right direction. For users who are already established and looking for a way to reciprocate, follow these steps to welcome new users into the fold.

[edit] Steps

Understand how the naming system works at wikiHow:
- USERNAME shows up in RC next to the edit made by user. Also is only name you see in RC list when (newuser) signs up. Username appears in the URL of the userpage, or the users talkpage.
- REAL NAME is the name you see in bold on the authorpage and it also attaches to any articles the user writes or edits. It also attaches to any talk page messages left by user.
Find new users. Go to the list of new contributors, which details people who just made their first edit, or the new users log, which details people who just registered. People whose talk pages have not been edited have a red link to their talk page.
Welcome them! Just write {{welcome}} on their talk page.
Warn people only when absolutely necessary. In some, rare circumstances you may need to warn people about a bad username or real name. This should be done only if the username will create problems for wikiHow, as needless warnings will scare off good faith users. If in doubt, don't warn. Read the username policy for details.
- If you see a username violation, you should attach the username warning to the talkpage now by typing this: {{username}}
- If the real name violates policy in any way, instead, place the real name warning (same as the nickname warning) by typing this: {{nickname}}.
Reply to questions that the new users will inevitably ask you. If you can't answer their question refer them to a member of the help team or get the answer yourself on IRC. Keep in mind that you are the first wikiHowian this user has ever met, bend over backwards to help them and encourage them to stick around here.

[edit] Tips

Wait a few weeks before you begin welcoming new users. You need to know your way around the site pretty well before you start offering to help others.
Sometimes a nice approach, when you see a welcome message on the talk page already, is to just leave a nice note instead of plastering another welcome message, particularly if your message is large and will cause the new user to have to archive too soon.
Welcome users by using the standard template {{welcome}}. Don't worry if there is more than one welcome message for a new user, but by the same token, don't overdo it. A couple messages from different users will do!
You were a new user once! Think of problems you had or questions which left you confused. Address these in your welcome message, or be prepared to answer them should a new user respond to your welcome message with a question.
Include links in your welcome message to other wikiHow pages that the new user will find helpful.
Sometimes the occasional new user will post on their own talk page so that when you follow the 'red talk page link' rule the user won't get a welcome.
Also check the new contributor page occasionally since sometimes the unwelcomed user will slip by on the new users page. On the new contributor page the red talk page link will stand out more than on the new users page.

[edit] Warnings

Welcoming a bunch of users at one time can tie you up in (the most delightful) conversations for hours on end.
Anonymous users will occasionally pop up there as anonymous123756. They are still anonymous users and you do not need to welcome them.