diff --git a/app/controllers/status_messages_controller.rb b/app/controllers/status_messages_controller.rb
index 0f3c39e5c6f5ce25997777500bcc78256dab8874..b15a447c2412f9809f0250828198bc3cc29fcd22 100644
--- a/app/controllers/status_messages_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/status_messages_controller.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 
 class StatusMessagesController < ApplicationController
   before_filter :authenticate_user!
+  
+  before_filter :remove_getting_started, :only => [:create]
 
   respond_to :html
   respond_to :mobile
@@ -96,4 +98,11 @@ class StatusMessagesController < ApplicationController
   def comments_expanded
     true
   end
+
+  def remove_getting_started
+    if current_user.getting_started == true
+      current_user.update_attributes(:getting_started => false)
+    end
+    true
+  end
 end
diff --git a/app/helpers/interim_stream_hackiness_helper.rb b/app/helpers/interim_stream_hackiness_helper.rb
index db9eb971158bc7a92920bc9219592a10844e2513..925adefe7a2f17ad5ea291b17d94733ba938b5cf 100644
--- a/app/helpers/interim_stream_hackiness_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/interim_stream_hackiness_helper.rb
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ module InterimStreamHackinessHelper
     end
   end
 
+  ##### These methods need to go away once we pass publisher object into the partial ######
+  
   def publisher_prefill_text
     if params[:prefill].present?
       params[:prefill]
@@ -43,4 +45,20 @@ module InterimStreamHackinessHelper
       false
     end
   end
+
+  def publisher_public
+    if defined?(@stream)
+      @stream.publisher.public?
+    else
+      false
+    end
+  end
+
+  def publisher_explain
+    if defined?(@stream)
+      @stream.publisher.public?
+    else
+      false
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/app/views/shared/_publisher.html.haml b/app/views/shared/_publisher.html.haml
index 1aae76dae739cd146a2f7feda3cabd7f10709a7c..a7142e3a276bfe2c461341d572645771d69a047c 100644
--- a/app/views/shared/_publisher.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/shared/_publisher.html.haml
@@ -16,6 +16,19 @@
         Publisher.open();
         });
 
+-if publisher_explain
+  :javascript
+    $(document).ready(function() 
+      {
+        $("#publisher .dropdown").tipsy({trigger: 'manual', gravity: 'n'});
+        $("#publisher .dropdown").tipsy("show");
+        $("#publisher .dropdown").bind("click", function(){$(this).tipsy("hide")});
+
+        $("#publisher #status_message_fake_text").tipsy({trigger: 'manual', gravity: 'w', id: "first_message_explain"});
+        $("#publisher #status_message_fake_text").tipsy("show");
+        $("#publisher #status_message_fake_text").bind("click", function(){$(this).tipsy("hide")});
+        });
+
 #publisher.closed{:class => ((aspect == :profile)? 'mention_popup' : nil )}
   .content_creation
     = form_for(StatusMessage.new, :remote => remote?, :html => {"data-type" => "json"}) do |status|
@@ -25,14 +38,16 @@
           #publisher_textarea_wrapper
             = link_to( image_tag('deletelabel.png'), "#", :id => "hide_publisher", :title => t('.discard_post'))
             %ul#photodropzone
-            = status.text_area :fake_text, :rows => 2, :value => h(publisher_prefill_text), :tabindex => 1, :placeholder => t('.whats_on_your_mind')
+            = status.text_area :fake_text, :rows => 2, :value => h(publisher_prefill_text), :tabindex => 1, :placeholder => t('.whats_on_your_mind'), :title => t('shared.public_explain.new_user_welcome_message')
             = status.hidden_field :text, :value => '', :class => 'clear_on_submit'
 
             #file-upload{:title => t('.upload_photos')}
               = image_tag 'icons/camera.svg', :height => 14
 
 
-      - if all_aspects_selected?(selected_aspects)
+      - if publisher_public
+        = hidden_field_tag 'aspect_ids[]', "public"
+      - elsif all_aspects_selected?(selected_aspects)
         = hidden_field_tag 'aspect_ids[]', "all_aspects"
       - else
         - for aspect_id in aspect_ids
@@ -48,9 +63,11 @@
 
 
           // NOTE(dropdown special casing to DRY up -- taken from the aspect_dropdown partial)
-          .dropdown{:class => "hang_right"}
+          .dropdown{:class => "hang_right", :title => t('shared.public_explain.visibility_dropdown')}
             .button.toggle.publisher
-              - if selected_aspects.size == all_aspects.size
+              - if publisher_public
+                = t('public')
+              - elsif all_aspects_selected?(selected_aspects)
                 = t('all_aspects')
               - elsif selected_aspects.size == 1
                 = selected_aspects.first.name
@@ -60,11 +77,11 @@
 
             .wrapper
               %ul.dropdown_list{:unSelectable => 'on', 'data-person_id' => (person.id if defined?(person) && person), 'data-service_uid' => (service_uid if defined?(service_uid))}
-                %li.public.radio{"data-aspect_id" => "public"}
+                %li.public.radio{"data-aspect_id" => "public", :class => ("selected" if publisher_public)}
                   Public
 
-                %li.divider.all_aspects.radio{:style => "border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;", "data-aspect_id" => "all_aspects", :class => ("selected" if all_aspects_selected?(selected_aspects))}
-                  All Aspects
+                %li.divider.all_aspects.radio{:style => "border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;", "data-aspect_id" => "all_aspects", :class => ("selected" if (!publisher_public && all_aspects_selected?(selected_aspects)))}
+                  = t('all_aspects')
 
                 - for aspect in all_aspects
                   = aspect_dropdown_list_item(aspect, !all_aspects_selected?(selected_aspects) && selected_aspects.include?(aspect) )
diff --git a/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml b/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml
index 527f7b0c88a812514ff8486a68a4f7af0002231d..0847eae083e1007d4a461f443a9c7d119fd8c076 100644
--- a/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml
@@ -731,6 +731,9 @@ en:
       whats_on_your_mind: "What's on your mind?"
       publishing_to: "publishing to: "
       discard_post: "Discard post"
+      new_user_prefill:
+        hello: "Hey everyone, I'm #%{new_user_tag}. "
+        i_like: "I like %{tags}."
     add_contact:
       enter_a_diaspora_username: "Enter a Diaspora username:"
       your_diaspora_username_is: "Your Diaspora username is: %{diaspora_handle}"
@@ -750,6 +753,8 @@ en:
     reshare:
       reshare: "Reshare"
     public_explain:
+      new_user_welcome_message: "Welcome aboard! If you want, this can be your first message."
+      visibility_dropdown: "Use this dropdown to change visibility of your post"
       title: "Set up connected services"
       outside: "Public messages will be available for others outside of Diaspora to see."
       logged_in: "logged in to %{service}"
diff --git a/lib/publisher.rb b/lib/publisher.rb
index c098a93321da65d91498434242943cc48676deee..68ba13a61a74cd0804eb26363241d3d6b93adaeb 100644
--- a/lib/publisher.rb
+++ b/lib/publisher.rb
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 class Publisher
-  attr_accessor :user, :open, :prefill, :public
+  attr_accessor :user, :open, :prefill, :public, :explain
 
   def initialize(user, opts={})
     self.user = user
     self.open = (opts[:open] == true)? true : false
     self.prefill = opts[:prefill]
     self.public = (opts[:public] == true)? true : false
+    self.explain = (opts[:explain] == true)? true : false
   end
 
   def open?
@@ -15,4 +16,8 @@ class Publisher
   def public?
     self.public
   end
+
+  def explain?
+    self.explain
+  end
 end
diff --git a/lib/stream/aspect.rb b/lib/stream/aspect.rb
index 41a1af47b09c91332f39aadae893deeda2717fe6..20632100fad2cc2a5a6bab84fbc240d1ab645a55 100644
--- a/lib/stream/aspect.rb
+++ b/lib/stream/aspect.rb
@@ -141,11 +141,10 @@ class Stream::Aspect < Stream::Base
   #
   # @return [String]
   def publisher_prefill
-    prefill = "Hi, I'm #newhere."
-
+    prefill = I18n.t("shared.publisher.new_user_prefill.hello", :new_user_tag => "newHere")
     if self.user.followed_tags.size > 0
-      tag_string = self.user.followed_tags.map{|t| "##{t.name}"}.join(", ")
-      prefill << "I like #{tag_string}."
+      tag_string = self.user.followed_tags.map{|t| "##{t.name}"}.to_sentence
+      prefill << I18n.t("shared.publisher.new_user_prefill.i_like", :tags => tag_string)
     end
 
     prefill
diff --git a/spec/controllers/status_messages_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/status_messages_controller_spec.rb
index 1528768e6aa8d3c7a1daafced834927185f1f432..8f426cdc51e3ef85ed87d1f5bf5e8d6d8acd59c8 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/status_messages_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/status_messages_controller_spec.rb
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ describe StatusMessagesController do
         },
       :aspect_ids => [@aspect1.id.to_s] }
     }
+    
+    it 'removes getting started from new users' do
+      @controller.should_receive(:remove_getting_started)
+      post :create, status_message_hash
+    end
 
     context 'js requests' do
       it 'responds' do
@@ -155,4 +160,24 @@ describe StatusMessagesController do
       end
     end
   end
+
+  describe '#remove_getting_started' do
+    it 'removes the getting started flag from new users' do
+      alice.getting_started = true
+      alice.save
+      expect{
+        @controller.remove_getting_started 
+      }.should change{
+        alice.reload.getting_started
+      }.from(true).to(false)
+    end
+
+    it 'does nothing for returning users' do
+      expect{
+        @controller.remove_getting_started 
+      }.should_not change{
+        alice.reload.getting_started
+      }
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/lib/publisher_spec.rb b/spec/lib/publisher_spec.rb
index 4be5485cef03aaa607e4b972e9b46bf58d6e7672..049c4fea90e0ae2ba37fa2abc382022fb53450cd 100644
--- a/spec/lib/publisher_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/publisher_spec.rb
@@ -9,15 +9,7 @@ describe Publisher do
     @publisher = Publisher.new(alice)
   end
 
-  describe '#open?' do
-    it 'defaults to closed' do
-      @publisher.open?.should be_false
-    end
 
-    it 'listens to the opts' do
-      Publisher.new(alice, :open => true).open?.should be_true
-    end
-  end
 
   describe "#prefill" do
     it 'defaults to nothing' do
@@ -29,13 +21,17 @@ describe Publisher do
     end
   end
 
-  describe "#public?" do
-    it 'defaults to false' do
-      @publisher.public?.should be_false
-    end
 
-    it 'listens to the opts' do
-      Publisher.new(alice, :public => true).public?.should be_true
+  ["open", "public", "explain"].each do |property|
+    describe "##{property}?" do
+      it 'defaults to closed' do
+        @publisher.send("#{property}?".to_sym).should be_false
+      end
+
+      it 'listens to the opts' do
+        Publisher.new(alice, {property.to_sym => true}).send("#{property}?".to_sym).should be_true
+      end
     end
   end
+
 end