New members are automatically directed to this page upon registering, which links to the Introduce Yourself thread. They also automatically receive a pm linking to the Introduce Yourself thread and inviting them to participate in it. Every effort is made to ensure they are aware of the thread, but it's their choice whether or not they participate in it.

As for stickies, we have literally a dozen threads that, at various points, folks have asked us to sticky. If we sticky too many threads, it really clutters up the board. New members are definitely made aware of the thread, so there's no reason to sticky it for everyone.

Of course, if you see a new member posting and want to know more about them, you can always personally invite them to introduce themselves in that thread. I suspect a personal invite carries a lot more weight than the automated invitation they receive.