guru's infected threads - I am voting against reputation system

Originally Posted by LinBox2013 New user joins the forum in 2015 and says hi with a single question. Why should that new user be enticed to stick around and answer questions when the new user will walk away with the perception that there are many people here that have more supposed knowledge then the new user? Even though the new builder feels as if he is qualified (maybe book smart) to answer a question, he will probably allow the one with 25 years experience to answer the question.

I pass up on answering questions because I know that someone else will answer them better all the time. I don't see the problem with this.

Originally Posted by dugan I pass up on answering questions because I know that someone else will answer them better all the time. I don't see the problem with this.

I don't either if we do not want new users to join in on the conversation.

Couple of days ago someone who has been registered in LQ for years made their first, and thus far only post.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ld-4175547578/

Originally Posted by dugan Oh yeah, that's another thing that new users (even those with around 800 posts are expected to do): take recommendations. Instead of, you now, starting two threads to object to the fact that they were made.

Do you read your own posts ? That statement of yours only assures me that starting this thread I was right. There would be no posts counts and reputation points who would know that I am new user, but you are "not new user" ? Which, it seems , in your opinion give you privileges, to teach me lesson of "good bahaviour".

Originally Posted by LinBox2013 For new users it is a form of intimidation.

I'm curious if this is the general consensus.

Originally Posted by LinBox2013 What is the real use of post counts anyway? To show you have been helping others? This is not always the case but does give the perception you might have more experience then me if you have more post counts. There are many tech sites that do not use post counts for this reason. It is nothing but a number to intimidate a new user. People are proud of them I know, but they do nothing. Just because someone has a 5000 associated with there name doesnt automatically make them some genius.

As mentioned, the use is to tally how many times you have posted at LQ. The vast majority of tech (and non-tech) fora I see use post counts. Having 5,000 posts associated with your name means you have posted 5,000 times. There is no indication given about the quality of the response in that context (which is why being able to +kernel or +squid a member could potentially have some use if implemented correctly). On the same token I have seen many cases of a member with 2 or 3 posts making a very solid answer and it immediately being recognized as a very knowledgeable post made by a knowledgeable individual that just happens to be a member new to LQ. I can't say I've seen a case where a quality response has been met with an attitude of "that is not a good response because you don't have many posts". If you see that behave, report it, because it wouldn't be acceptable here at LQ.

--jeremy

Originally Posted by igadoter There would be no posts counts and reputation points who would know that I am new user, but you are "not new user" ? Which, it seems , in your opinion give you privileges, to teach me lesson of "good bahaviour".

Everyone here has the privilege of teaching you good behavior. Yes that does include me. I suggest you start taking our recommendations more seriously, because your behavior hasn't been good.

My point (which others have raised) was actually that you are not a new user and you should know better. Starting two threads to whine, when you're told how you to get the answer you asked for, is not good behavior. Neither is pretending that the helpful advice you got was unhelpful and refusing to acknowledge it.

Originally Posted by jeremy I'm curious if this is the general consensus.

Never was for me.

In fact, I've become more comfortable with letting more knowledgeable people answer as I spend more time here.

Originally Posted by igadoter There would be no posts counts and reputation points who would know that I am new user, but you are "not new user" ? Which, it seems , in your opinion give you privileges, to teach me lesson of "good bahaviour".

I'm not sure what you mean here. Even if we removed post count and registered date and reputation, long time members would still recognize long time members. It's not about teaching "good behaviour". LQ is a community and like any community it has a culture. Part of that culture is that we want to be friendly and welcoming to both those new to the site and those new to Linux. That doesn't mean that members can demand answers or be unwilling to help the community help them.

--jeremy

I am by no means an old-timer, but I have been around for some time and there was time when I was making my first post. And then the second one, and other one, and so on. By that time, there were many people around with _HUGE_ number of posts. I have made a few hundred posts since then. Sometimes, I was wrong and I was corrected by a more knowledgable member (not to be confused with a member with a higher post count). Sometimes, I was "beaten" to the answer by somebody else (yes, I am a slow typer). Sometimes, my posts remained unread because the original poster never came back to read them. I hope that at least a few of my posts actually helped someone and I know I have definitely learned a great deal in the process. But I have never EVER felt like I was overlooked, ignored, pushed away, taken lightly or even intimidated because of my low post count or reputation. In the contrary, time and time again have I found LQ to be a most welcoming, friendly, and open-minded community.

I try to answer questions when I can. I (and, as far as I can tell, pretty much everybody around) come here to contribute, not to compete. I don't desire to win a "post count contest" or to become the Ultimate LQ Hero. The fact somebody has more posts associated with their profile does not mean your knowledge is a subset of theirs and I have never seen anybody at LQ behave as if they believed otherwise.
In my humble opinion, the post counts can only harm you if you care about them too much.

It is little arrogance to actually think that you are able to teach other person.

It is arrogant to think one cannot be taught by others. If I thought I knew more than everyone else, I would not ask them questions.

It is as possibe that you will mislead it.

I have no idea what idea you are trying to get across.

But it is in OP interest to keep thread focused on question. Let OP decide not moderator. If OP feels that a post is useless, out of subject, let them decide to remove that post.

Ridiculous idea.
First; You like neither bad nor good answers, so you would delete all answers.
Second; It is not your board, mine or any other member's. We post here, but do not control it.

Honestly, your attitude is crap. People try to help you ask better questions to facilitate getting answers, then you complain because those people are not helping. Do you think there may be a slight chance the reason people want you to improve your questions is because your questions need improving?

Originally Posted by LinBox2013 Another thing that bugs me is when you answer a post and give the right information, a guru has to come along and answer with the same answer but with a book on the explanation. I come from a age and ideology that research is king and I get punished for that thinking.

I don't understand what you're describing here, but I'd like to. Could you link to an example thread please?

igadoter, you can always politely send a PM to the person you feel offended you. Wouldn't that lead to a better result than this thread? If you are mad at someone, why not fix that issue?

Did we get a link to this thread that started all this?

It is quite difficult to try to help people 1000 miles away and from only written words. The people here are the most polite folks that I've seen in forums for the most part.

As for technical replies I'd think it helps a post. Many people come here for an answer.

I will have to admit that I am skerd sometimes to offer a second opinion when I see some of the higher rated people provide a solution. I tend to let it play out and see if they are on the money. The rating is based on good answers.

I guess one could make a rating of percentage of helpful to not helpful posts. It would still in my opinion help someone make a choice based on a metric of some kind.

In the grand scheme of things I feel some rating is still more helpful than not.

My proposition is that OP should have at least ability to close thread, in way that afterthat no one could post. To be kind and asking others posters to stay focus on subject, often is completely ignored, and thread is starting to live its on life. Becaming more and more garbage. I think this is proposition to consider, and imlementing this can create defense against "guru's good advices". Once OP would realize that thread is going nowhere it could close it, marking as [CLOSED] (not [SOLVED]).

Probably the good experiment is to search all threads for word 'google'. Let see how many posters gave this advice, and who are they. Simiarly we may have a look for any given common "good advices".

Also I think that, well, not very clear idea "to teach", is wrong. Someone thinks it has knowledge, skills, I would suggest to create blog entry, manual, howto's. At least this can be validated by others.

Originally Posted by jeremy Disabling the reputation system opts you out of the entire system in its entirety, which is what most members who disable it seem to want. Are you saying you'd like to be able to disable receiving but still be able to give?

Precisely - I am not averse to rewarding someone for a useful contribution. Only reason I turned it back on was I discovered this side effect when I tried to assign a "rep".

Better solution IMHO is to get rid of it completely, but that doesn't look like a goer.

Originally Posted by jefro igadoter, you can always politely send a PM to the person you feel offended you. Wouldn't that lead to a better result than this thread? If you are mad at someone, why not fix that issue?

I think that this thread has some value, the problem raised at this moment is not quite clear, it may looks simply as only
a flood of my complains. But this can be clarified, after this thread be carefully rethinked.

Originally Posted by jefro Did we get a link to this thread that started all this?

well, this post http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...lp-4175547989/
was trigger, but only trigger. It is not all about that post. I can also point other threads.