Raid Leading!

So, I have never been a raid leader.  There seemed to be a lot that they needed to do, and I had no flippin' clue when it came to little things (like how to place the world markers).  xD  But yesterday, I had finally had enough of looking in trade chat for a Baradin Hold raid for myself and 2 other guildies, so I figured, "fuck it, I'ma try to raid lead.  Can't be that bad..."

Lessons Learned:

1. Do not be so soft-hearted as to allow just anyone in.  Ask if they know the fight, and at the very least, look over the tanks to make sure they aren't geared in greens.  As a person, I like a challenge and I usually have the time to explain everything, but you must keep in mind the raid as a whole may not have the time or energy to deal with people who are not prepared.  If a person is not pulling their weight, explain to them that they need to be better prepared, and that you will be replacing them.
2. Organize your raid beforehand.  Depending on the fight, I am a fan of having one tank and one healer in each group or all my healers in one group.
3. State loot rules at the beginning, and that way if anyone has issues with the rules you have set forth, then they can leave.  Make sure to set your loot to whatever you see fit; a general rule of thumb is that main spec (the spec you are in at present) > off spec.
4. Explain the fight basics for each role.  If people shouldn't stand next to things/people, tell them beforehand.  I neglected to tell people that standing near the tanks was probably not a good idea, and lost a few due to that.  Tell the raid what you expect of them.
5. ALWAYS do a ready check before pulling the boss.  Hell, check twice if more than a few minutes has passed.  I told my one tank to pull when the other tank was AFK.  That was an unnecessary wipe!
6. DON'T get caught up in typing during the fight!  This goes for anytime and anyone, really.  Always be aware of what is happening around you and keep Raid Warnings short and to the point.

Fortunately, we did just fine after a couple rough starts, and defeated both bosses in Baradin Hold.  I do want to raid lead again, as it was pretty fun!

Me on my Hog with the tiny Noggenfogger buff, bringing a normal-sized Tauren guildie to Zul'Farak.  xD