Sort of I guess, but it's specifically geared toward noobs. I'd think as a noob I'd see a forum called like, "Noob Congregation and Discussion!" and I'd think, "Hey, I could talk to some of my brethren in there," and it would sort of draw them in. As a four year vet I'd see that same forum, and much like the Graphics section and the 19 LRs I'm not truly part of, I'd mostly ignore it other than the occasional pop in.
Not saying that's the most effective method of solving the issue in OP, I'm just saying it might be better than a private LR. I personally like the idea of there just being a "Making Friends" thread/section in the New Member Guide area that points people to either the draft discussion thread or their LRs or the public rookie LR that doesn't exist yet.
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