Perhaps we should have a members screening process.

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Jero

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey

Originally posted by: Jero

In that case, it might be because the person who is asking that question, well, the information in that post just doesn't give them enough information or they don't know enough and just can't decide.

I don't know, I'm playing devil advocate. I remember when I first started using Linux I must of drove a few people mad with all my questions. Then I either found out or was told (I can't remember) about the greatest place to ask questions: mailing lists, newsgroups and RTFM.

Rememeber, we all started somewhere. Linux is becoming a lot more mainstream now so people of a less technical nature are trying it out. Since they are less technical in nature, some of their questions might sound unreal, but if they are trying to make an effort to learn....there is nothing more awesome then that 🙂

I'm not being my usual elitist self here. I admit newbies have issues, and the documentation cannot solve them all. But these questions: "What distro should I use?" or "What distro is the best for a newbie?" are not good questions. Especially when there is a thread for this. If they read some of the things and do not understand them, then they should know enough to ask a better question.

And obviously, if I answer these questions day in and day out (sometimes easily, sometimes in a way that makes the user go 😕 for a bit) I want to help people learn. The fact I write some documentation down and provide it regularly for people is another proof of that. But damnit, it gets tiring. It gets boring. It makes me want to bang my head against something really really hard occassionally.

Luckily, there are some people that step up and do quite well without me. I think I could leave right now and no one would miss a beat, but it's still frustrating to see someone come in for help but never offer any.

This got off of my original point about the lifecycle of a help forum. 😛

I do admit a lot of people don't do the proper research before starting to ask questions. Sadly, I used to be the same way. I figured that it would be quicker just to ask the question then take time to figure it out on my own. However, that only went so far to the point where I was trying stuff out which the linux folks I knew had no idea how to help out so I ended up researching on my own.

Yes, I agree, someone who comes in for help but never offers any are the worst kinds of selfish people. They take and never give back any knowledge that they have acquired. Knowledge should be offered freely to whoever is asking for it (although that's kind of a grey area, since people do charge for technical support for a bunch of things)

One day, I'm sure that folks will become much more aware of things such as linux where it will become second nature to them. Right now it's like a turning point. Mainstream folks are getting involved in technology, it's no longer only geeks =) People who don't know how to ask the proper questions, they just ask the questions like it formulates in their minds.

I've gotta go though. Time for shower and then gonna go build my new computer. I'll talk to you later and I hope i was able to relieve at least some of your fustrations.

If ATOT didn't relieve some frustrations, I wouldn't post here. 🙂

Maybe this will help motivate me to put my :evil: plan in motion... Maybe I'll just wait for my powerbook and drool over it for a few days. 😛

 

[ShotgunSteven]

Originally posted by: Jero

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
The lifecycle help forums, newsgroups, and mailing lists are supposed to go through goes something like this: newbie appears, asks for help, gets help from guru or other newbie +1, starts to help newbies and becomes newbie +1, newbie +1s become gurus, gurus go do something else. Then the process starts over.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to happen like that around here. I go into technical forums and see the same nicks, answering the same questions over and over. Some newbies come in and work their way up the ladder, but others just disappear. Some of them come here to nef, and only reappear in the technical forums to play the role of newbie again. Some just leave the forum. It's a damn shame, IMO.

Don't get me wrong, ATOT is great sometimes. It just seems to be a blackhole that newbies can't escape from.

Thank you for the explanation. I'm starting to understand.

However, please remember that this is ATOT.

Which means Anandtech Off Topic.

The least technical of all the forums here.

Or do you see this behavior in other Anandtech forums?

Actually, P&N holds that dubious honor. 😛

 

[NesuD]

Originally posted by: Mith
Perhaps there should be a membership application and a committee to decide on member entry. Preexisting members would stay, except of course for nvfx and those who want to join must apply and then their application goes before the committee. How's that soudn to y'all?

Perhaps that is just an ignorant idea.

 

[imported_Phil]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey

I'm not being my usual elitist self here. I admit newbies have issues, and the documentation cannot solve them all. But these questions: "What distro should I use?" or "What distro is the best for a newbie?" are not good questions. Especially when there is a thread for this. If they read some of the things and do not understand them, then they should know enough to ask a better question.

And obviously, if I answer these questions day in and day out (sometimes easily, sometimes in a way that makes the user go 😕 for a bit) I want to help people learn. The fact I write some documentation down and provide it regularly for people is another proof of that. But damnit, it gets tiring. It gets boring. It makes me want to bang my head against something really really hard occassionally.

Luckily, there are some people that step up and do quite well without me. I think I could leave right now and no one would miss a beat, but it's still frustrating to see someone come in for help but never offer any.

This got off of my original point about the lifecycle of a help forum. 😛

I think I speak for most of the longer-standing members here when I say that you would be sorely missed if you left the forums, n0c.
However, why don't you, drag and BingBongWongFooey "get together" and write all the info down that you're so sick of providing, then ask a Mod to sticky it in the OS Forum, or have it in your sig? That way, you may find yourself answering complex questions that do more than make you want to bang your head on the table 😉