I don't like the idea of sending e-mail to new members. There's so much Spam that I think new members might get spooked by getting e-mail. I think it would be better to have a newly-submitted membership lead to a welcome page that gives succinct guidlines for finding your way around. Somebody has suggested a PermaThread for new members that allows them to introduce themselves and receive welcomes - maybe the new member welcome could give a link to that PermaThread and suggest members might like to introduce themselves.
I think it's easy to overwhelm new members by being too welcoming. I don't know how people are from other parts of the world, but we U.S. Midwesterners like to test the water a bit before people smother us with hugs and kisses.
-Joe Offer (Midwesterner in exile in huggy-kissy California)-