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

LinBox, I'd like to propose a test for your theory, actually.

Start separate thread with a poll.

"As a new user, did/do the high post counts of the regular users make you feel intimidated"? The options are yes and no. Anonymize the responses (you'll be given that option).

EDIT: And a third option, of course: "I was not a new user when that metadata was available."

Originally Posted by dugan LinBox, I'd like to propose a test for your theory, actually. Start separate thread with a poll. "As a new user, did/do the high post counts of the regular users make you feel intimidated"? The options are yes and no. Anonymize the responses (you'll be given that option).

That would be interesting.

Originally Posted by LinBox2013 There are plenty of books that support my theory and are simply just an internet search away.

Are you by any chance suggesting that someone "google it"?

My point again is that it doesn't matter how old or new someone is. Jeremy is right about the posts per day by the way. I feel that active members will still be active even if they create a new account per day. Therefore you're going to see those users' thoughts no matter if they have 50 accounts or 1 account.

Here would be some interesting things Jeremy could look into.

How many lurkers are people who have had a account for years with a low /null post count?

Random thought:

A forum dedicated to new users.

What I mean is, a place in the forum where only users below a certain post threshold can post? New people would feel as if they are among their equals posting in this forum?

Originally Posted by LinBox2013 The local BBS was a good example. People on the local BBS were known to be very elitist in general (not all, but the people who were ruined it for the masses). You had to make sure that any question you would have posted was well thought out. There was a good chance you would be flamed for posting anyhow. Most did not post because they knew this. I am not saying that LQ works in this way.

BBS', Usenet, image boards and other communities that you might bring up for comparison tend to be much less heavily moderated than LQ. I think it's that factor, and not the fact that the only metadata you're supposed to have there are the usernames, post subjects and posting dates, that makes them what they are. Do let me point out that those communities tend to be less friendly to new users, not more.

Originally Posted by LinBox2013 What I mean is, a place in the forum where only users below a certain post threshold can post? New people would feel as if they are among their equals posting in this forum?

Just so that I get it: Your plan to be more attractive to new users is to create a subforum, where a member that has a too high post count is not allowed to actually give a correct answer to a problem, possibly leaving the posted problem without a solution at all? Also, how would you handle members that are just below the threshold, but by posting an answer disqualify themselves from answering follow-up questions because they just slipped above the threshold? And where would you set the threshold, 10, 50, 100, 1000?
I don't think that this is a good idea.

Yeah, people don't come here to be "amongst equals" (and if they do they shouldn't). They come here to benefit from being around people who have knowledge that they don't.

Originally Posted by TobiSGD Just so that I get it: Your plan to be more attractive to new users is to create a subforum, where a member that has a too high post count is not allowed to actually give a correct answer to a problem, possibly leaving the posted problem without a solution at all? Also, how would you handle members that are just below the threshold, but by posting an answer disqualify themselves from answering follow-up questions because they just slipped above the threshold? And where would you set the threshold, 10, 50, 100, 1000? I don't think that this is a good idea.

Bad idea.

Was just a thought.

Originally Posted by igadoter My proposition is that OP should have at least ability to close thread, in way that afterthat no one could post. Once OP would realize that thread is going nowhere it could close it.

LQ provides you with a blog. Correct me if I'm wrong (I haven't used my LQ blog), but I thought that you can indeed do this with your blog posts?

(Yes, my point is: if you want to control the responses you get then post on your blog, not on the forum).

There was time when @jeremy, @dugan, @cynwulf were 'unexperienced'. It seems by the state of LQ that it didn't harm them. But now when they reached point of 'experienced', 'guru', 'LQ veteran', they decided that newcomers require baby-sitter, 'good advices' of 'experience', all this to assure 'quality'. For me it is like closing doors in fear of fresh air. You may catch a cold.

For unclear reason people prefer to learn by paying price for their own mistakes. So let them to pay that price. Is LQ for @jeremy, or @dugan or @cynwulf ? Does "Hey how to turn on power on my brand new laptop, I forgot to ask seller?" is silly question ? It doesn't really matter, maybe there would be person willing to help "open the lid, do you see that rectangular silver switch? press it". Is there in this fictuous thread room for wisdom, which is saying that it is silly, stupid, that poster instead of posting should go and ask the seller for help ? Maybe. But why this "wisdom" bothers at all? Thread seems to be solved, OP is satisfied, because is able to turn on its laptop. What can be a feedback? Say OP of this fictuous thread, would go back after month and would post "great thanks, once I learned how to turn on my laptop, I built my first app, which is doing everything what I want, even is turning on my laptop".

We are unpredictable, in any possible meanning of this word, and trying to disallow this ability of ours, which is uncontrollable, which also causes fear, trying to disallow is act of to survive rather, than to take risk for promise of discovery.

Experience is coming also for price. Experience is unwilling to go hazardous, risky way. Unwilling to go uncertain path where it is unknown what the end can be.

Originally Posted by igadoter There was time when @jeremy, @dugan, @cynwulf were 'unexperienced'. It seems by the state of LQ that it didn't harm them. But now when they reached point of 'experienced', 'guru', 'LQ veteran', they decided that newcomers require baby-sitter, 'good advices' of 'experience', all this to assure 'quality'. For me it is like closing doors in fear of fresh air. You may catch a cold.

You started great, but where do you get that concept that forum members feel newcomers require a babysitter?

Originally Posted by LinBox2013 What I mean is, a place in the forum where only users below a certain post threshold can post? New people would feel as if they are among their equals posting in this forum?

Where do you stop segregation? What if someone promotes the opposite of that, a forum only for high number posters? I disagree with this idea, and also wish to note that there are forums specifically for Newbies, New Member Introductions, FAQ's, and so forth.

All this started because the OP did not agree with the style of an answer advising them that a general web search would've helped them. And to note that if someone posted a question about something as simple as turning on a laptop, and the responses were both of "open up and press buttons randomly until you see the light" as well as "call tech support" I'd think a new user might at least be cheerful enough to go "Yeah ... sorry, I pulled a stoopid! " I mean, c'mon, one can be a little too sensitive here.

"Ask a silly question, get a silly answer."

Originally Posted by rtmistler You started great, but where do you get that concept that forum members feel newcomers require a babysitter?

From the fact that I answered a question of his by giving him a search string to punch into google. And it was a specific search string that I tried first, not "go google it" or "do a general web search".

I am one of those people whom believe research rewards one with knowledge.

I would be one that would post a page of Google results, why is this? It leads to more self satisfaction knowing that you researched and learnt something on your own.

I am a rarity though. It seems more and more people want the answers spoon fed to them and don't want to put forth the effort to solve their own problems.

Questions have a place and I have no problem pointing someone in the right direction. Knowledge however is learnt and giving someone all the answers does not teach anything. I mean, even in my time using Linux, I have copied and pasted commands and learned nothing in the process. That was my doing however but I did search for the commands to copy and paste.

I don't believe any forum is a place to hold a hand, it is for guidance.

Thank you all once again for the help, you all deserve a pat on the back, thank you.

This forum had helped me from time to time. Now, I am giving something to the guys, who helped me and to everyone. It is free.

Nuff Said.