ATTN First Timers: Lots and lots of your posts will go unanswered...

[oshunluvr]

I'm on this forum almost everyday.

[rant]
Lately - the last few months - I see more and more totally useless posts; no real subject line (Need Help! is NOT a subject), no computer information, (I have a laptop is NOT computer information), no information on what version(s) of software is installed (yes, we assume you're using Kubuntu - but kernel version can be critical), no information on what you've done to solve your own problem (it is, after all your problem. Shouldn't you at least search the forum and the web before you post here?), insufficient descriptions of the issue at hand, and often - real requests for help are replaced by complaints. i.e. "This should just work..."

You can click on the "See unanswered posts" button to see 200+ pages of examples.

I invite all of you who find yourselves in the above list to consider the following:

Kubuntu did not cost you anything but a bit of time and bandwidth.
The developers of Kubuntu do not get paid.
The host of this forum does it at his own expense.
Those of us who answer posts do not get paid.

And finally, an opinion:

You will get out of linux exactly what you put into it.

In other words, if you have an attitude of entitlement you are in the wrong place. We are all here for different reasons, but no one here owes anyone anything.

I hope I don't sound like too big of an a-hole, but many of us enjoy helping solve others issues and it is frustrating so see so many wasted posts. I suspect if I was a moderator, I might create a dumping ground for these posts or spend a lot of time pointing people to the first three posts in this section of this board...

[/rant]

(edited for grammer and speling)

[Linkmaster]

Re: ATTN First Timers: Lots and lots of your posts will go unanswered...

Nicely said, since my creation of this account, I HAVE seen many posts that have no information at all. I applaud your rant.

[This is me clapping]

[ardvark71]

Re: ATTN First Timers: Lots and lots of your posts will go unanswered...

"This should just work..."

It should....but that's a whole different story.

I understand to a degree what you are saying but at the same time, I can understand their frustration. I was there at one time myself and I said exactly the same thing: "This should just work, it did in Windows."

Not everyone wants to put time into in an OS to get it functioning correctly, that's what hobbyists tend to do. Nor should they be expected to. Just because Ubuntu/Kubuntu (and Linux as a whole) consists of a community rather than a corporation per se, and that much of the work and support is done for free doesn't mean that there isn't always room for improvement and that feelings of frustration aren't valid.

That said, I do agree that there could be improvements in etiquette and "preliminary information" provided to help us help others with more efficiency and accuracy.

Just my two cents, I certainly don't expect everyone to agree with me.

Regards...

[Detonate]

Re: ATTN First Timers: Lots and lots of your posts will go unanswered...

Under "Help the New Guy" is this.
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3111093.0
I think this should include a statement about searching the forum first for an answer before posting. Also a statement to read dibl's excellent guide at http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3099811.0 before posting. I see lot's of posts that the answer is only a mouse click away if they would read that. Also many posts that the poster has obviously not done a forum search on or they would have found the answer.

[oshunluvr]

Re: ATTN First Timers: Lots and lots of your posts will go unanswered...

It should....but that's a whole different story.

It's not the sentiment I disagree with, it's the attitude. Although I don't object to the feeling and I can think of many example areas where it's certainly true, I object when it's put before even basic research or Q & A. Too many people these days (seems to me) have been brought up thinking they were born with the world owing them something.

I think it was Albert Einstein (I can't verify it) who said "You are born with but one right - The right to work hard."

All I really ask is that a poster put at least as much into their initial post as all of us do into our replies.

[ScottyK]

Re: ATTN First Timers: Lots and lots of your posts will go unanswered...

I think a lot of people don't understand basic troubleshooting procedures.

1. Have you been able to isolate the problem?
2. Have you been able to repeat the problem?
3. What steps have you taken to fix it yourself?

And I agree, the standard subject line of "Help, it's broken" doesn't go anywhere.

Also, if you fix your problem yourself, post how you did it, along with adding "<solved>" in the subject line. Then future forum readers will be able to benefit.

[ardvark71]

Re: ATTN First Timers: Lots and lots of your posts will go unanswered...

Too many people these days (seems to me) have been brought up thinking they were born with the world owing them something.

I would agree that many people have this problem but I don't feel it's restricted to a certain age group. I've seen senior citizens who feel this way. Before I came to the Lord, I too had this problem. It was essentially, "I'm poor, I'm disabled...gimme! I didn't ask to have these problems." In the six years since I've come to Him, He's changed and is continuing to change a lot in me.

All I really ask is that a poster put at least as much into their initial post as all of us do into our replies.

Perhaps more obvious notices to this affect can be put in place on the site? Something that will get one's attention but not impede any work. I don't think anyone really reads the stickies.

Regards...

[oshunluvr]

Re: ATTN First Timers: Lots and lots of your posts will go unanswered...

Ah well, I guess I'll go back to forum lurking...

[woodsmoke]

Re: ATTN First Timers: Lots and lots of your posts will go unanswered...

Hey Oshunluvr.

Say hi to Gertie if you get down around level five. She'd been lonely and every time I go by, she burns my broom! How am I gonna sweep the place out with no broom!?

woodsmoke