semi-worthless threads (uping your post count)

I've got nothing better to do at work than surf the Zero-replies page. I get to report a lot of dual posts, but there is a new annoyance that i've come across lately. People stating obvious things like "New 2.6.12.3 released". Now, maybe the newbs are just trying to get 30 posts so they aren't considered a newb anymore. Maybe some people don't actually check for new versions/releases of the software they use (which seems silly to me).

Just wondering what other peoples opinions are, or if maybe we should report these to the mods to get them deleted. My thought is that they clutter up the zero-reply page and waste resources, but there have been worse posts than these.

Case in point
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...hreadid=347597

yeah, that is a pain - nothing really to help at those posts. perhaps there can be an 'member anounces' forum or 'excited newbie over new(ish) release' which does not up post count and does not get listed in 'zero replies'
i actually do the same - sit at work and read the zeros.

to be honest i think that you cannot define newbie by the amount of posts posted, just because some post a lot of questions, and others post a lot of answers. if howerver questions (and posting in your own thread) was not counted, but answers (posts in othere peoples threads) only were counted, then it could be a lot harder getting rid of the newbie status, but at least you would know a lot more, what 'status' the other person was at :-)

I've got 1000+ and I had to ask the command for finding link speed a few days ago. mii-tool -v. I'm still a newbie in some areas, the difference between a noob and non-noob is that non-noobs have figured out how to use google.

Originally posted by musicman_ace [...] the difference between a noob and non-noob is that non-noobs have figured out how to use google.

AMEN

Originally posted by musicman_ace I've got 1000+ and I had to ask the command for finding link speed a few days ago. mii-tool -v. I'm still a newbie in some areas, the difference between a noob and non-noob is that non-noobs have figured out how to use google.

I have 19k plus posts and don't consider myself a Guru or the like.. posts mean nothing. I swear I learn something new everyday either on this site by reading posts and or at my job where I work with several other Administrators..

or "me too." or "what jeremy said" or "what titanium_geek said should work. good luck!"

grrr... only post if you have a meaningful contribution. can we get that added to the rules? ONLY POST IF YOU HAVE A MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTION

hehehe. it bugs me too.
titanium_geek
(who is still a newb... but loves google.)

while you are at it, with adding things to the rules, is there a something that askes people to search google first or LQ wiki?
just during this week i felt kinda attacked for pointing someone to google and LQ wiki pages, and not posting the answer straight away.

(http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...postid=1770359)

Originally posted by Nathanael while you are at it, with adding things to the rules, is there a something that askes people to search google first or LQ wiki? just during this week i felt kinda attacked for pointing someone to google and LQ wiki pages, and not posting the answer straight away. (http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...postid=1770359)

It's not an actual rule though. Though at times, the more blatant questions where the member should have searched or at least given the idea that they searched, it's ok to point them to google or link them to external sources for the answer if it's an article or link you know should answer their questions but we should not just point every user to go RTFM or go search, that's not what this site was about. If it was, we'd just redirect all traffic to google.com/linux and be on our way to more important things in life..

sure that... i generally have a look at google first, and if i see the answer in one of the first 3-5 pages listed i think somebody is being pretty lazy.of course not everybody can be redirected, but questions about the fstab when you can see someone has either clearly not read the mount man page, or searched for the answer themselves, it seems to me some people want an answer without putting any effort whatsoever into their issue, why should others then?
perhaps there should be a page telling people how they can search for a solution of their problem themselves. some people dont seem to know (or even want to read) man pages. otheres dont know how to put their question into google. some dont know about google.com/linux
is there a possibility for a page on 'how can i try to solve this issue myself before posting a q.?'

Originally posted by trickykid It's not an actual rule though. Though at times, the more blatant questions where the member should have searched or at least given the idea that they searched, it's ok to point them to google or link them to external sources for the answer if it's an article or link you know should answer their questions but we should not just point every user to go RTFM or go search, that's not what this site was about. If it was, we'd just redirect all traffic to google.com/linux and be on our way to more important things in life..

But i'm sure you ran across a few questions here that should have been simple googles. I just answered one on how to change the init level on bootup when using lilo. I've never used lilo in my life, but one google search and viewing the first three results landed me the answer. Those are the ones where the noob needed to use google cause he probably went to bed and won't find out the answer till morning when googling took 5 minutes.

...the difference between a noob and non-noob is that non-noobs have figured out how to use google.

I 100% agree! Many of the answers I give, I found 5 min before in a google search myself. I see many questions asked here as a challenge to learn something. I also agree on the rule not to plainly point to google, even if we think that this is the best way to answer a question. However, I try to point out how I got to the solution. Some thread starters still see it as kind of offense if you tell them: "A google search revealed this and that". Googleing is not as easy as it seems. You still have to filter the information based on your current knowledge. This may be something that is hard for a newbie.

To add something to the original thread: I think some 'pointless' posts are quite informative, even if no question was asked. I would think that most of these posts are in 'Linux-General' and 'General' anyway. I think some pointless 'bla-bla' makes LQ more lively and more than just a 'question and answer' factory. I have more problems with pointless answers, e.g. "Just change to distro xy". But I guess there is nothing we can do about it.

those 'what is the best distro for ...' threads should be baned :-) discussed so many times, come to the same result everytime: the thread author decides to go with what he/she hand in mind, the thread turns into semy flame wars, and everybody sugesting what they like best. i have not seen a thread where a distro was suggested, and the auther replied with 'ok, i'll have a look at x'.
IMHO distro's are like shoes! we do not all run around wareing the same shoes. rather one needs to try a few pairs, run around in them and see what pair suits them best!

Originally posted by Nathanael sure that... i generally have a look at google first, and if i see the answer in one of the first 3-5 pages listed i think somebody is being pretty lazy.of course not everybody can be redirected, but questions about the fstab when you can see someone has either clearly not read the mount man page, or searched for the answer themselves, it seems to me some people want an answer without putting any effort whatsoever into their issue, why should others then? perhaps there should be a page telling people how they can search for a solution of their problem themselves. some people dont seem to know (or even want to read) man pages. otheres dont know how to put their question into google. some dont know about google.com/linux is there a possibility for a page on 'how can i try to solve this issue myself before posting a q.?'

Here's a good example of one I even encountered myself where they should have searched, a simple question that google found on the first hit but lucky me the member actually admitted to being lazy. Cheers and have fun reading!

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...hreadid=347513

I think another reason/cause/problem/whatever is a new generation of dedicated question answerers moving up the ranks. 2 years ago I wasn't responding to posts (except in idiotic general), I was asking. So, the members who are starting to be the knowledge base for LQ (linux experience). I find that I can actually help people now - because I'd been there before. and after answering the same question a couple of times, you get frustrated and say- "hey! lazy bums!" and in response, they say "hey! lazy bums! give me LONG tutorials and google crap"

lol. you notice that finegan doesn't really have out bursts anymore (sorry other guys- he was the first to come to mind- after LQ radio)

titanium_geek

Originally posted by trickykid Here's a good example of one I even encountered myself where they should have searched, a simple question that google found on the first hit but lucky me the member actually admitted to being lazy. Cheers and have fun reading! http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...hreadid=347513

Personally, I think you should have made it a sticky. Also, linking not just to How To Ask Questions The Smart Way, but specifically to RTFM and STFW: How To Tell You've Seriously Screwed Up & following might help explain it to him. Or perhaps quote the following paragraph from ESR's Introduction:

What we are, unapologetically, is hostile to people who seem to be unwilling to think or to do their own homework before asking questions. People like that are time sinks — they take without giving back, they waste time we could have spent on another question more interesting and another person more worthy of an answer. We call people like this “losers” (and for historical reasons we sometimes spell it “lusers” ).

You were too kind.