TL;DR version? Kumbayah, bitches.

Seriously, though. I think that fandom is like anything else on the 'net (or life, actually) inasmuch as it pays to hang back a little bit at first and see what the other kids on the playground are doing. I do believe that noobs owe it to themselves and everyone else to use a smidge of common sense and figure out the lay of the land before going all crazy and shit. If they handed out copies of this post at the door, people could save some major time.

On the other hand, your post made me realize that I've been slugging around fandom for half my life at this point - yes, I was that kid who learned all about kinky sex from fanfic. YAY! - and I may have become too jaded and crusty. The noobs deserve love and respect, because they will be the ones carrying the torch of lulz, smut, and being BFFs with people you've never met into the next generation. Well... the ones who don't flounce, anyway.

I like that your guide balanced the respective responsibilities of both old and new fandom participants. Nicely done, B.