I entered the hallowed halls of PPRuNe in 2008 ... and was subsequently banned [for Civ aviation postings, I should add] under a different callsign..
My early tentative attempts to post in the Mil Forum were, shall I say, unsuccessful ... I rapidly gained the impression that if you didn't have 5,000 hours FJ or 10,000 Truckie you weren't really welcome. And you had to know the 'mates'. So 30 years as a commissioned RAF ATCO and interesting out-of-Branch MoD posts meant nothing.
Things HAVE changed since then. This Forum has immense value to both the past and the present, and has become significantly more open and welcoming. Various ideas are bounced around, News is announced from surprising corners of the Interweb, and we now seem to all bimble along quite nicely. The Historic aspects are enlightening and enthralling [another nod to Danny42C and significant others].
I do, however, believe that there has to be some restraint on the enthusiasm of those who may seek a career in the RAF, or have an intense interest in Military matters, from the outside.
I think I should stop there before I cause offence.