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Welcoming 101-The Welcome Lounge Mini Manual (current for 2024)


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Hello, and welcome to AVEN! :cake: Thank you, for deciding to join us!

 

 

A quick guide to the forums

 

The forums of AVEN (the Asexual Visibility and Education Network) are an excellent place to ask questions and discuss asexuality - whether it's basic questions and answers, queries about asexual relationships, or any general "musings and rantings".

 

In addition, we also have specific forums for older asexuals, for discussions relating to the gray spectrum, for "sexual" partners, friends and allies, and for the discussion of gender.

 

We also have plenty of places to talk with other community members about other topics - such as philosophy, politics, and science. The Intersectionality forum and its sub-forums are great for members who want to discuss how their other identities (e.g. race, religion, disability, etc.) intersect with their asexuality.

 

There is also the general Off-A subforum for discussions not quite so related to (a)sexuality. There's even a completely silly subforum called Just for Fun where you can play games with other members and have fun.

 

If you're interested in meeting other asexuals, try the Meetup Mart, where meetups are organized by general location. You can also use the search feature to look for mentions of meetups in your area.

 

AVEN is here for you to celebrate any good things in your life in Celebration Time!, and can also be here during the hard times with some Tea and Sympathy.

 

Also, don't forget to say, "Hi," in the Welcome Lounge, and give a chance to other members to welcome you. :)

 

 

Other ways to interact with members

 

The forums aren't the only way to interact with members. For those who might prefer real-time interaction, there's also an active chat room (currently unavailable, while the tech Administrator finds a new, suitable chat for AVEN). If the crowd seems overwhelming at first, it's also possible to chat privately one-on-one with anyone who is logged into the chat room at the time. Everyone’s friendly, so don’t hesitate to say hi!

 

Also, if you see a member who seems like someone interesting to talk to, don't be afraid to send them a private message (PM) by clicking the little envelope under their avatar. Or, if you're looking for a snail mail penpal, there's a thread for that, as well.

 

 

Resources

 

AVEN also has a few helpful resource pages. A good place to start is the FAQ pages. There is one for general frequently asked questions, one specifically written for friends and family of asexuals, and one specifically about relationships. AVEN also has the AVEN wiki, where one can find lots of information, definitions, and explanations about asexuality and related concepts.

 

For more about AVEN in general, head on over to the Site Info Center to read the Terms of Service, learn about AVEN's moderators, find Vis/Ed resources, and browse other useful information about using the website.

 

If you ever have any questions or concerns, don't be scared to find an Admin, Moderator, or Project Team member, and send them a private message. We're all really friendly and here to help.

 

Again, welcome! We hope you find the answers, support, and community here that you want.

- The AVEN Project Team

:cake:  :cake:  :cake:

This thread is a revision of a thread originally posted on October 23, 2011.

 

Edited by LeChat
changed title and spaced; added link to Intersectionality forum; removed broken link; and added note about chat being unavailable
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Hi, everyone. Welcome to AVEN!

 

In general, the Welcome Lounge is where members introduce themselves, their hobbies (e.g. similar to a social media profile), post about how they discovered asexuality or the site, and receive welcome messages (along with cake/desserts or other things/food like garlic bread, if a member prefers being welcomed with the latter, instead).

 

Specific questions or discussions about certain topics for members that have forums/threads (e.g. graysexuality, asexuality, questioning orientation, relationships, disabilities, mental health) can go in other forums/threads, as it helps keeps things in order for all members, in order to find topics in certain forums more easily.

 

    e.g.

 

         • questions about asexuality or your sexual orientation can go in the "Members Questioning" sub-forum of the "Questions About Asexuality" forum

 

         • if you're gray-sexual or demisexual about have questions for members related to those topics, you can post in the "Gray Area" forum

 

         • if you're an asexual in a relationship with an asexual or sexual, your relationship questions can go in the "Asexual Relationships" forum

 

         • if you're a sexual in a relationship with an asexual, your relationship questions can go in the "For Sexual Partners, Friends, and Allies" forum

 

         • if you have a disability and want to have a discussion or ask questions with others who have that disability, you can post or find some existing topics for some disabilities in the "Intersectionality forum

 

AVEN has members of various ages (i.e. 13+) from around the world, including members whose first language isn't English. Some members might be neurodivergent or have a disability.

 

Communication can be a challenge for everyone. Options can include asking others how best to help communicate with them, and there are helpful internet resources on how to help communicate/offer support to members who might be neurodivergent or have a disability.

 

I hope this information helps and that everyone enjoys the site.

 

LeChat,

Welcome Lounge, Announcements, and Alternate Language moderator

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