2) save the personality for later: if you're a funny guy or gal, if you have style, if you're too cool for school or whatever you think you are, when you're a newbie on a server it's too early. Try to be genuinely nice at first until people get to know you better and then once you get to know the server, the tolerance level for pranking/goofing off, then be unique within what's appropriate. Owners may be a lot more likely/willing to tolerate and even appreciate it after you have proven you can be a decent and straightforward person. Server/owners are not humorless or prudes if they don't tolerate off-color and risque things from newbies; they might simply have no tolerance for indulging clowns who might or might not be able to be serious; the time it takes for people to shake off an act can vary and it's not the server/owners fault for not indulging/tolerating you for that time period. (Example of a bad introduction: http://gyazo.com/3ebb1954b61b02ec0483923143b1c026)

3) mind your reputation: know that some things you did before might be discovered (previous bans, for example, or you might run into someone on the current server who knows you from another). Also, what you do in the first day/week matters. A new server is a new opportunity; personally I don't ban people for what they did before but for what they do on my server. Unfortunately some people don't take a server seriously right away or don't realize people remember; an example is of some players who, on the first day/week, are fine with stealing from badly placed claims or buying from one shop and selling it to another for profit, then after a time they become the sort of players who alert/help players who made a mistake covering their claim properly or priced their shop inefficiently. Try to do what you think is right from the start; even if you don't get banned from something, people remember what you're capable of, and they will take longer to trust you.

4) don't be impulsive: don't ask for staff right away, don't ask people to /trust you on the first day if you don't know each other, don't ask basic questions that are easy to find answers to by doing /motd, going to /warp help, or checking the website. Of course if you don't know about these commands or the website address, you can ask these things nice; I'm referring to people who know/can check but are too lazy. Be considerate of the fact that owners/staff get asked the same things over and over; try not to be one of those newbies who can orient yourself just fine but want spoon feeding. Get your own food, make your own tools, read the signs and take some time to get to know the server. If you are impulsive it will give people the impression that you will not take things into consideration properly before you act, and worry that when you do act it will be based on your own subjective biases that ignore evidence.

5) mind your name: when I started my server I swore to myself I would not ban anybody because of their name; a name is just a name after all and it doesn't say everything about a person. I changed my mind and realized it can say enough, however, when I had to ban traumaticrape and a few others, so even if it's not your original account still, please, know that names that elude to burning jews or something like that are not appropriate. It's not only that you picked the name yourself that matters, it's that you think representing yourself like that is acceptable. Know that if you're okay taking an account name for whatever reason, it is okay for a server to ban you for the reason they don't like it also. This is not to say some names don't have players who might have a good story/justification, etc. but first impressions also matter and some names are so downright inappropriate that it leaves little room for explaining.

6) don't spam: sometimes newbies get so excited being on a new server they just don't shut up; at least if you talk a lot in the beginning use all the lines available to you, don't send a million messages to chat with three to five words in them. It's okay to be excited just try not to be overwhelming; again mind your reputation because people remember. Chill, take a breath, read some signs, process some information, use /msg if you have to, just don't spam the chat with chatter.

7) save the criticism: don't like the spawn? think no kits is stupid? A new spawn might be in the works (like one is on my server), and kits are not allowed past the first one because you can do /worth and /sell hand, and people would exploit it. Some people find out and recognize things are in the works or understand why certain things happen; others just look around and say "this sucks" or "it's stupid." Try to learn if there are reasons for things and if you indeed have constructive feedback or recommendations, find out if it's been proposed before (there may be forum threads on the very issues!), what's been done/tried, and whether a suggestion would even fit with the server. Don't just come on and look around and vent all your frustration with life on a server/owner because one aspect of it isn't how you like; that might be being worked on, tried and failed for a reason that, if you took some time, you would agree with, or it may not be that kind of server. Accept it gracefully and if you don't want to play there, don't, but if follow the appropriate steps that servers put forth for making suggestions (like propose new plugins on the forums). Immediate criticism gives the impression that you're not only impulsive but that you can't ever be made happy; typically people who just come on the scene and complain will do so even if that particular thing is fixed/taken care of. It also gives the impression that it's about you, not the server, because the people who are already there know what is going on and why/where things are the way they are. Try first to gain some understanding so you can make informed suggestions.

8) respect the owner and the structure: if the server doesn't have skyblock, if there is no mob arena, if it's a server with a niche or meant for building only, etc. then realize it's that kind of server. Don't come on the scene and try to change major, fundamental things about the server; if you are not interested don't play there. Big plugins, new maps, different play modes, etc. are major undertakings that some server owners have reasons to pursue or not, and their desire to run a type of server or comfort level with some implementations should be respected. They are the ones who have to pay for it, mind it, fix it, etc. and every server can't be everything for everybody. Know there are going to be variations between servers and feel free to make suggestions, but if it's not that kind of server it just isn't. I wrote another blog about players who we don't ban but test our patience; this one aligns with the newbies who turn into the kind of regular players that "love to hate us" every day. They don't go away but they don't like the way things are either; please, things might not be just as you like or go at your pace in development, but respect what is for what it is and don't forget to also let the owner know what you do like about the server.

9) don't bring baggage: I am sorry your favorite server got shut down, I am sorry if your experiences on other servers (or in life in general) were traumatic. This does not mean you need to start out with a chip on your shoulder, hate on everyone, or be super paranoid about things. I have players who are certain the same thing will happen here as elsewhere and if they are convinced enough some things will be recreated, not because I don't provide ways for them to play with more safety/dignity, but because they can't let go or haven't recovered from previous trauma. I take seriously what happened to you elsewhere, folks, I don't support/allow harassment, abuse, and I have no plans to shut down the server. But if you don't trust a bit in the new owner/community, you might recreate the kind of experience you're most afraid of. I have a whole map that costs $5k to get in each time (not hard to raise that amount) that is less populated and more secure as newbie griefers can't enter, but do you think the paranoid actually go there? No. They do at first but before long they feel lonely and jump into the thick of things on the busy map, only to "prove" people can't be trusted. Remember, it's multiplayer, and if you can't play well with others then go to single player. Don't go to a server only to demonstrate how somehow you are being discriminated against on every server. Maybe it's not the server but the way you enage with folks that is the problem. Be nice, kind, and considerate and check your hostile attribution before you log into a new server.

10) don't do anything in game you would not do in real life: this one is actually inspired by one of my wise players (I have a lot of those :). This new player came on and asked me a few questions about the server and the last question they asked was "what is one thing you would never do in mc?" After thinking about it for a while I realized that there wasn't anything I would never do in mc that I would do in rl, at least not in the way I treat folks. The approach I take and the approach I would appreciate others to take is to be genuine, transparent, and nice with other players regardless of the venue. It is okay to roleplay if it's the thing there, or if people know and it's not obnoxious, but it's also good to demonstrate you can be a real person with consideration. Some people hide behind the anonymity or distance provided by the intraweb to be insensitive or downright hurtful and say "get over it, it's not real life," or something. Well the money I pay to run the server is real life money, the time I put into troubleshooting and promoting and minding the server is real life time, and the emotions all people have are real life emotions. So do not curse me out, offer me children and Muslims, log in with five different accounts just to spew hate and get banned each time anyway, or put ban appeals on the forum that do not help any. If you did something stupid, if you were hurtful, if you understand it was unkind, then at least in your ban appeal acknowledge it and show you know how to actually be respectful: respectful of the owner's time and real effort to keep the server running, and of the fact that anything you expose others to, whether through a computer screen on in person, is real. If you don't know this then how would you like to play on a server where nobody ever means what they say or you can't ever know when they mean it. Would you play there if the owner wasn't straightforward with you or responsive to what really happens? If there is no owner or core of people who take it seriously and do the real things it takes to make a server available and nice for you to play there then you wouldn't be able to log on, so please, especially when you're a newbie, show that you get this.

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