When making contributions, most newcomers do not follow any external structure and they adopt their own techniques that stick overtime 

Newcomers Follow their Own Rules when Making Contributions

1. Recruitment
2. Selection
3. Retention
4. Socialization
5. Protection

Basic Newcomer Problems in Online Communities

A user who has recently joined an online community

The recognition of user contributions (especially early success) is associated with higher levels of participation

Kraut, Robert E., and Paul Resnick. Building successful online communities: Evidence-based social design. MIT Press, 2012.