for the spunky new user

Welcome to Everything. There are many nodes that will tell you about the working of the system: start with the Everything FAQ, progress to the Everything University and be happy.

Nonetheless, there are certain other things that you should know:

1. You will not shock us. There already are nodes that will make your darkest fantasies look tame by comparison.
2. Be polite, it overcomes other faults.
3. If you want to know what Everything likes, read the Page of Cool.
4. You will not change the XP/level system by the simple act of saying "duh ... this sucks". Change takes time. No social construct has ever changed because a spunky newbie on its first/second/third visit to the system made a negative comment.
5. toughen up and node and XP stoicism are still the best answers to heavy downvoting of your favorite node. So the community did not like your writeup; it happens to all of us.
6. Provocation and acts of defiance are met by showers of downvotes: more importantly, who the hell are you defying ? Do you think someone cares ? It is just a waste of energy.
7. Did someone tell you that this is a democracy ? He was joking.
8. Did someone tell you that you have a right to write here ? Joking again ...
9. At the beginning read more than you write.
10. When in doubt, don't.
11. your logic is another person's bullshit. I say this in the sense that what seems to you perfectly good reasoning, starting from fine axioms and building polished syllogisms to entirely satisfactory conclusions, may, for other equally brilliant and well intentioned noders, be equivalent to hogwash. It is your job to convince them.
12. Devote your spunkiness to writing good writeups. Read the FAQs. Ask for advice in the chatterbox. Earn your bullshit.
13. Don't try to turn vegetarians into meat-eaters and viceversa.

Will you be shocked ?

Yes, probably.

It is meet that I provide here an anecdote. An Italian writer, Aldo Busi, wrote a novel whose title translates to "Sodomy in size 11 type". The Catholic establishment read it, and "shook violently". Accusations of immorality and corruption of youth were made.
The writer answered that the criticism would have been appropriate if the title had been "The Memories of Saint Bashful"; under the current title, though, it should not have been surprising to find a text that prominently featured gay male sex.

What now ?

You could read Words of advice for young noders, The Newbie's Guide to Persuasive Noding, Everything2 as a 300 pound kitten. Also, at one point you will ask Why was my writeup nuked?.

This node incorporates material from a defunct node called "why i stopped posting on e2". Thanks to General Wesc and VT_hawkeye.