diff --git a/app/helpers/users_helper.rb b/app/helpers/users_helper.rb
index 003b89a37..e4c5c8229 100644
--- a/app/helpers/users_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/users_helper.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 #   the COPYRIGHT file.
 
 module UsersHelper
-  
   # @return [Boolean] The user has filled out all profile fields
   def has_completed_profile?
     profile = current_user.person.profile
@@ -39,4 +38,13 @@ module UsersHelper
   def has_completed_getting_started?
     current_user.getting_started == false
   end
+
+  # @return [String] Welcome text with or without the current_user's first_name
+  def welcome_text
+    if current_user.person.profile.first_name.present?
+      t('users.getting_started.welcome_with_name', :name => current_user.first_name)
+    else 
+      t('users.getting_started.welcome')
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/app/views/users/getting_started.html.haml b/app/views/users/getting_started.html.haml
index 1339841d3..511260e84 100644
--- a/app/views/users/getting_started.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/users/getting_started.html.haml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 .span-13.append-1
   .stream_container
     %h2
-      = "Welcome, #{current_user.first_name}!"
+      = welcome_text
 
     %ul#getting_started
       %li.profile{:class => ("completed" if has_completed_profile?)}
@@ -64,10 +64,10 @@
             = @step += 1
         .content
           %h3
-            = t(".connect_with_people")
+            = t('.connect_with_people')
 
           %p
-            Connect with people by placing them into one or more of your aspects.  Aspects are an intuative way to group new and familar faces, allowing you to filter down or share with subsets of your contacts easily.
+            = t('.connect_with_people_explanation')
 
           #diaspora_hq_pane
             - person = Person.find_by_diaspora_handle("diasporahq@joindiaspora.com")
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@
 
           #featured_users_pane 
             %h4
-              Featured users
+              = t('.featured_users')
 
             %div
               - Person.featured_users[0..5].each do |person|
@@ -97,12 +97,12 @@
                   - person.profile.tags[0..2].each do |tg|
                     = "##{tg}"
 
-            = link_to "See all featured users ->", "#"
+            = link_to "#{t('.see_all_featured_users')} ->", featured_users_path
 
           %br
           #find_friends_pane
             %h4
-              Find friends
+              = t('.find_friends')
             .span-5.append-1
               #global_search
                 = form_tag(people_path, :method => 'get', :id => "global_search_form") do
@@ -119,10 +119,10 @@
             = @step += 1
         .content
           %h3
-            = t(".follow_your_interests")
+            = t('.follow_your_interests')
 
           %p
-            Hashtags allow you to talk about and follow your interests.  They're also a great way to find new people on Diaspora.
+            = t('.hashtag_explanation')
 
           .span-5.append-1
             #global_search
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@
                 = text_field_tag 'q', nil, :placeholder => "Search for #hashtags", :type => 'search', :results => 5
           .span-5.last
             %h4
-              Featured tags
+              = t('.featured_tags')
             %p
               = link_to "#diaspora", tag_path('diaspora')
               %br
@@ -158,6 +158,6 @@
             = image_tag '/images/cubbies_collage.png', :width => 422, :height => 159, :class => "cubbies_collage_small"
             = image_tag '/images/cubbies_screenshot2.png', :height => 151, :width => 200, :class => "cubbies_user_page_small"
 
-.span-5.rightBar.last
-  /= render 'selected_contacts', :people => @selected_people.sample(20), :count => @contact_count
-  /= render 'shared/right_sections'
+/.span-5.rightBar.last
+/  = render 'selected_contacts', :people => @selected_people.sample(20), :count => @contact_count
+/  = render 'shared/right_sections'
diff --git a/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml b/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml
index 6dfcd8963..e7cfb17bd 100644
--- a/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml
@@ -777,25 +777,13 @@ en:
       email_awaiting_confirmation: "We have sent you an activation link to %{unconfirmed_email}. Until you follow this link and activate the new address, we will continue to use your original address %{email}."
     destroy: "Your account has been locked.  It may take 20 minutes for us to finish closing your account.  Thank you for trying Diaspora."
     getting_started:
-      welcome: "Welcome to Diaspora!"
-      signup_steps: "Finish your sign up by completing these three steps:"
-      edit_profile: "Edit your profile"
-      connect_on_diaspora: "Connect on Diaspora"
-      connect_services: "Connect your other services"
-      finished: "Finished!"
+      welcome: "Welcome!"
+      welcome_with_name: "Welcome, %{name}!"
+
       skip: "skip getting started"
-      save_and_continue: "Save and continue"
-      could_not_find_anyone: "Could not find any friends on Diaspora*. Use the friend finder to invite them."
 
       fill_out_your_profile: "Fill out your profile"
       profile_description: "Description of why you'd want to do this"
-      connect_to_your_other_social_networks: "Connect to your other social networks"
-      connect_with_people: "Connect with cool people"
-      follow_your_interests: "Follow your interests"
-      connect_to: "Connect to"
-
-      find_friends_from_facebook: "find friends from Facebook"
-
       profile_fields:
         name: "Name"
         birthday: "Birthday"
@@ -805,12 +793,21 @@ en:
         gender: "Gender"
         location: "Location"
 
-      step_3:
-        finish: "Finish"
-        people_already_on_diaspora: "People already on Diaspora"
-      step_2:
-        find_your_friends_on_diaspora: "Would you like to find your Facebook friends on Diaspora?"
-        skip: "Skip"
+      connect_to_your_other_social_networks: "Connect to your other social networks"
+      connect_with_people: "Connect with cool people"
+      connect_with_people_explanation: "Connect with people by placing them into one or more of your aspects.  Aspects are an intuative way to group new and familar faces, allowing you to filter down or share with subsets of your contacts easily."
+      featured_users: "Featured users"
+
+      follow_your_interests: "Follow your interests"
+      connect_to: "Connect to"
+
+      find_friends_from_facebook: "find friends from Facebook"
+      featured_tags: "Featured tags"
+      find_friends: "Find friends"
+      see_all_featured_users: "See all featured users"
+
+      hashtag_explanation: "Hashtags allow you to talk about and follow your interests.  They're also a great way to find new people on Diaspora."
+
     update:
       password_changed: "Password changed.  You can now log in with your new password."
       password_not_changed: "Password change failed"
diff --git a/spec/helpers/users_helper_spec.rb b/spec/helpers/users_helper_spec.rb
index 83f9a5abf..94498cefa 100644
--- a/spec/helpers/users_helper_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/helpers/users_helper_spec.rb
@@ -105,4 +105,19 @@ describe UsersHelper do
       has_completed_getting_started?.should be_false
     end
   end
+
+  describe "#welcome_text" do
+    it 'returns "Welcome" without a name if first_name is not set' do
+      profile = @current_user.person.profile
+      profile.first_name = ""
+      profile.save
+      @current_user.person.instance_variable_set(:@first_name, nil)
+      
+      welcome_text.should == "Welcome!"
+    end
+
+    it 'returns "Welcome, {first_name}" if first_name is set' do
+      welcome_text.should == "Welcome, #{current_user.first_name}!"
+    end
+  end
 end