The Cigar Forum Newbie Guide
If every newbie who joined the boards immediately followed all of the rules and protocols, this guide wouldn't exist. Unfortunately, mistakes are made and sometimes those mistakes (and the resulting fallout) result in newcomers being banned from the board. Your reputation can take a while to build, but only a second to destroy. Many people participate in multiple forums, so egregious transgressions can follow you around. Following are some examples of behaviors to avoid for newbies:
Using the board for personal gain
If we're going to be identifying bad behaviors, let's start with the biggest. Nothing will draw the ire of the community faster than when they think someone is trying to use their forum for personal gain. There are varying degrees to this, the most egregious being a newbie coming in to take advantage of the buy/sell/trade forums. Some forums have rules prohibiting newbies from participating in such activity until they establish a certain length of membership. The purpose of this policy is not to exclude newbies, but rather to protect the community from scammers and thieves. However, there are lesser degrees of personal gain that can occur in the form of information profiteering. Established members of the forums are often annoyed when newbies join the board just to get one question answered and leave. This is because the knowledge base of the community has been developed by the contributions of the members involved. When people join with no intent to provide any contribution of their own, it is seen as rude. Think of it like taking a penny, but never leaving a penny. Besides, you can probably find the answer to your question without even making a post. Which brings us to our next point...
Ignoring the Search function
Every forum regardless of subject has a search function, and cigar forums are no different. As a parent, few things annoy me more than when I have to answer the same question over and over again. When you join a forum for the purpose of finding an answer to a question, do a quick search to find out if your question has already been answered. Chances are, it has...many times.
Reacting poorly when called out
As a newbie, it's not a big deal to have a minor breach of etiquette. If you commit one as a newbie, you'll be corrected. This is not something to be taken personally. However, there have been newcomers who have reacted extremely harshly when called out. Such a response will end your time on the forum before it really begins. If you break a rule early on and are called out on it, don't get defensive. A simple apology will turn it into water under the bridge. The established members are not out to run off newbies. They just want to make sure everyone follows the rules of the community. They are there for a reason.
Asking for cuban cigar sources
Cuban cigars are widely considered to be the finest in the world. However, they are currently illegal in the United States. Cigar forums often have international membership. Some members can simply drive to their local shop and buy any cuban cigar they want. Some people in the USA take the risk of importing cuban cigars surreptitiously. Regardless, it is a major breach of forum rules to ask for sources of cubans. Just don't do it. Instead, use the forums to gather information on the many wonderful cigars that come from countries such as Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.