Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Nathan F · Posted: Fri 08 Jul 2005, 21:03 Post subject: Forum ettiquette

I'm posting here for several reasons. Most importantly to keep people thinking about how best to help each other and how best to ask for help in return.

I'm going to spell out a few guidelines that I personally feel are worth following on any forum, especially where you have people with such varied interests and talents as we have here.

1: If you are new and are having problems, please at least read the documentation before you post demanding answers to your questions. Puppy has the best documentation of any of the small distros, which is one of the greatest things about it. If you rtfm you may well be able to fix it yourself.

2: If you are an experienced user, realize that rule 1 is often ignored. Please steer people GENTLY towards finding an appropriate answer.

3: If you have been helped by someone on the forum, help someone else in return. Many people on this forum have helped me a great deal-thanks guys.

4: If you need X application to run in Puppy and it isn't available yet, ask nicely and offer to help in any way you can. Everyone should pitch in, especially if you are asking someone to make something work because YOU need it.

5: Puppy is meant to b friendly to newbies. Be friendly to them on the forum by stearing them in the right direction and not posting answers that are over their heads. They will appreciate it, some will stick around, and eventually they will be experienced users. We need as many people to adopt this puppy as possible, so don't drive someone back to the evil empire that is MS.

There is a lot more that could be added but this is a good start. Everyone will probably break some of these guidelines at some time. I've been guilty of a few infractions myself. Just remember to try and keep this community open and helpful, as this forum is a major tool in developing the future of Puppy Linux. We need each other to make it a community.

Nathan Very Happy

Lobster · Posted: Fri 08 Jul 2005, 21:37 Post subject: Re: Forum ettiquette

Guest · Guest

To add

Please just don't say "it don't work"

Explain what you have done, the commands, the errors that are being psat at you and what you would like to achieve.

You may have just a tiny syntax error, what you are trying to do may not be possible or there just well be a better way to do it.

Please don't start multiple threads and PLEASE BE PATIENT.

Nathan F · Posted: Sat 09 Jul 2005, 09:12 Post subject:

Bladehunter, I couldn't agree more. Thanks.

Rich · Joined: 04 May 2005 Posts: 278 Location: Middlesbrough - UK

I agree with Bladehunter too, about being patient.

This forum isn't a call centre with all the answers and a 24/7 tech support staff.
It's just puppy users helping out others as and when they can and have the free time. a Please and Thankyou goes a long way too .

Ian · Posted: Sat 09 Jul 2005, 09:59 Post subject:

All of the above is right on the mark.
I would like to add just one thing, if people could post a message when they find a solution to their problem it would help the guys who are trying to sort and catalogue the problems to make it easier for people trying to find a solution to their problem.

Sometimes the problem is not described plainly as people might not understand what the problem is but after enough questions have been asked and answers put forward the problem is usually revealed and a solution found eventually.

To sum things up, as stated above, Patience is the key.

It is of no use people trying to force an answer from anyone as it only causes friction and bad feeling and as Barry has said Puppy is about having fun and enjoying yourself doing something that gives you a feeling of satisfaction in achieving something, be it large or small.

Nathan F · Posted: Sat 09 Jul 2005, 11:42 Post subject:

Guest · Guest

Another thing...even tho there are many knowledgable people on the forum you may have a problem with some hardware\software that the forum regs may have no knowledge of. Don't be affraid to use external resources and if you do find a solution or some piece of information that you may think might work and you are not too sure just post a link and up and ask "Would this be of use ?".

Guest · Guest

Flash · Posted: Mon 25 Jul 2005, 17:42 Post subject: Big pictures bad forum form

Allow me to add one more item of forum etiquette: when posting a picture or screen shot, please be thoughtful enough to crop it to only the area of interest, and reduce its resolution to the minimum that will get your point across.

Not every screen shot is a masterpiece requiring museum-quality detail. Shocked

Most shots of a full-screen seem to be meant to indicate the broad idea of a concept, as of a window theme, and might better serve that purpose if they were, say, 640x480, or even smaller.

Please, consider those less fortunate puppies with dial-up connections; how long they must wait when they inadvertently click on a forum post that includes a large image that is mostly blue sky. Sad

Not to mention the room those large images take up on JohnM's server.....

Thanks. Smile

Guest · Guest

Once again...

PLEASE BE MORE DESCRIPTIVE, DO ONT JUST SAY IT DON'T WORK.IF YOU ARE NOT PREPARED TO SPEND THE TIME DESCRIBING A PROBLEM HOW IN THE (insert cuss words here) WORLD DO YOU EXPECT ANYONE ELSE TO TRY AND DIAGNOSE YOUR PROBLEM, OR EVEN WANT TO!!!!!

Lobster · Posted: Tue 26 Jul 2005, 03:11 Post subject:

Telepath?
Empathy?
GuessworK?
Intuition?

Embarassed

oh . . . you were not actually asking . . .

Check out my Salavador Dali question under Beginners - I even include a visit to an art gallery just in case it is relevant . . .

Isis · Joined: 17 May 2008 Posts: 16

Nathan F · Posted: Sun 18 May 2008, 06:51 Post subject:

It's a rather nasty comment often used by Linux and Unix geeks who have little patience for newbies. The actual meaning is "Read the F*ing Manual", and while I do not believe in being that rude myself, the concept of reading the documentation yourself before asking for help is not a bad one.

Certain groups have been criticized in the past because when a newbie posted a question the only response given was "RTFM", or often as not other derogatory remarks about the person's fitness to be operating a computer at all. This has at times given Linux a bad name, but it is also a part of it's history and culture, which is why I included it in my post more as an inside joke than any actual feeling or opinion on my part.

Hope that answers your question.

Nathan

Everitt · Posted: Sun 18 May 2008, 11:46 Post subject:

The funny thing is that as soon as people start to read the manual they see that often it's far quicker and easier than asking anyway, so fall into the RTFM mindset themselves.
Of course, Puppy doesn't have a proper man system, so you don't tend to get as much of that on this forum.

Oh, and on the question of the unsavoury language, I agree, but unfortunately 'RTM' already has a meaning.