To help new players

[Traveler]

A thread having to deal with DM ground rules kind of sparked this, and the fact I am going to be DMing for at least two new people so far and maybe (hopefully) more this weekend.
So, what is the playground's advice for when trying to teach someone the rules of 3.5 without making their pop? Someone who has never roleplayed a table top before?
The few things I thought of are the basics of a character sheet (hp, AC, ability scores), basice combat (movment, to hit, free/move/standard actions), rought understanding of their class, and add as needed. Any other things to look out for, avoid, make sure to do?

[Lord Loss]

There's goanna be a new Player at my Table today, here's teaching him the rules:

Ask him what kind of character he wants to play. Present him with a few classes that fit his archetype (Ex. I want to play a Necromancer, wherupon you pull out Dread Necro, Necromancer (Spec'd Wizard), Cleric, for instance).

Get an experienced player to help him build his character (or do this yourself).

Compare the game to WoW or the like if he enjoys these, except that he can do anything he wants.

Tell him that, to determine if what he does succeeds, he rolls a D20 (Show him one). During the game, show him a few concepts like grappling or taking 10.

A big one here: Try to say yes as much as possible. And awnser his every question. If you have any Veteran Players, you can tell them to help him out during the game.

[The J Pizzel]

There's goanna be a new Player at my Table today, here's teaching him the rules:

Ask him what kind of character he wants to play. Present him with a few classes that fit his archetype (Ex. I want to play a Necromancer, wherupon you pull out Dread Necro, Necromancer (Spec'd Wizard), Cleric, for instance).

Get an experienced player to help him build his character (or do this yourself).

Compare the game to WoW or the like if he enjoys these, except that he can do anything he wants.

Tell him that, to determine if what he does succeeds, he rolls a D20 (Show him one). During the game, show him a few concepts like grappling or taking 10.

A big one here: Try to say yes as much as possible. And awnser his every question. If you have any Veteran Players, you can tell them to help him out during the game.

Phenomenal advice. Almost exactly what I would've said.

To reiterate a few key things that I would like to emphasize (primarily because this is how I introduce new players)

-emphasize fluff over mechanics when choosing his/her class. This, right off the bat, teaches that the game is about role-playing, the rules are there to help guide the game, not control the game. (the Lord's advice on asking him about the style he wants, then pointing him to the books is pefect). I typically ask them to specify a popular character from a movie or book that he would like to emulate. If there isn't one, then go with an achetype.

-try to say yes as much as possible. No need for further explanation. It just makes them feel happy. Always use positive reinforcement.

[Calmness]

Don't tell them what to play. Like, don't say sorcerers suck and that he/she should play a wizard because they are better. Give suggestions and options instead, but don't force your players down a certain path.

[Daitini Peck]

I would give them the pros and cons of some classes/races. Ask them if they've ever played any games close to Elder Scrolls or Baldur's Gate. And for them, I would strongly suggest to them to stick to the core books at first, that way it's not as confusing. If they have the chance, let them read over the PHB first. I guess it also depends on what version you're playing as well.

[Snake-Aes]

When the player makes first contact with a rule, like grapple, don't explain the rule straight. Just tell him "roll this dice, you need X to succeed", and explain the rule after the deal. Instant number hurling doesn't please most.