So many of the postings that see mention many of the problems that various people experience and seem to not receive the right answers helping them attained the desired solutions to their problems and as a Linux user I know that asking the right question will always attain the right answer, Eventually! Many of the Linux Distros are not all a one size fits all and from my experience there are always adjustments to be made in Linux to make a particular Linux Distro function in a various hardware environment. Your Brain is the hardware and your thoughts are the software. Many of the Ubuntu Distros that I have tried out do not support sound to my speakers and yes there is a remedy for that But lately I have tried some of the newer Ubuntu's and Ferenos and Zorinos seem to to function on many of the laptops that I have installed them on. True, many of the older PC's do not support many of the newer linux distros that require 64 bit, processors faster than 1.6 and need at least 4 gigs of ram but from what I have found is that many think to suggest old versions of Linux that have out dated web browser such as sea monkey and so on and in the modern word you need a modern operating system. However there are Linux distros that are modern and do use less physical resources and from what I have found is that there is a linux website which you can find the right Distro for your laptop type by checking the appropriate boxes whether your computer is a i386 or i686. Many of the people that I have chatted with in the Linux community are pretty knowledgeable but the key is to ask the right question.

Hi mrfreddyg,

Welcome to the forum, and thanks for pointing that out!

I agree the right question needs to be asked. I prefer to tell people to look at distrowatch and try a variety (different branches of the Linux family) until they find the one that is right for them. Its what I did. I am not them and I can only vouch for what I use. Most Linux distros have repositories with the latest goodies so I don't consider that an issue.

Am I the only one who likes sea monkey sometimes? I use it when webpages I want to visit have an attitude problem with privoxy and firefox usually suits my purposes. I also seem to have a hangup over Chrome and don't want anything to do with it.

You are most definitely not alone.

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Each living creature perceives the world around it depending upon the:
1. Available physical senses.
2. Experience.
3. DNA/genetics
4. Environment

It is then that the individual is able to communicate.
Reason always precedes method.
If I am of a different culture, then my way of asking a question may not be understood by you.
So, how does one ask a question of another and why is that person asking the question?

You do not know, you take a chance that the individual is capable of understanding the same as you on the same level;
or,
you take a moment to learn the culture of another and ask from what you perceive as the proper way for that culture.
Class is back in session.

I used to work at a big computer place. Most of the management and engineer staff had multiple advanced degrees. You'd be surprised how many times you ask them a question to find out how many patents they have on the subject or to find they did really invent the internet. Other times you find they can't answer what might be considered a very simple question. A friend of my was an engineer in memory modules and later hard drives. Doubt he knew how to plug one in.

I accept that folks won't form perfect questions. As someone trying to assist, I try to assume part of the issues or ask questions in order to form a better reply. Telling someone they need to learn how to ask a question if foolish to me. Folks may not be English speaking and many of us fail at typing a well crafted sentence.

I try to not change the user, just try to assist if I can.

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yes it's important to formulate your question properly:
http://catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

it is also important to structure your text properly - it helps both the asker and the one trying to figure the question out.
hitting the Enter key twice every now and then helps a lot.

it is also important for the first responder to first make sure that we have enough info to attempt an answer.
all too often i see an attempt to help go to waste because the right questions haven't been asked (by the first responder); instead they dive head first into wild guessing what the problem could be.

Hi,

I have been using LQ for a long time now and have noticed that most new users just do not have information nor knowledge that will allow the formation of a good query. Most are very intimidated by the usage of a new system. So not having experience let alone knowledge most have a terrible time forming or composing queries to the forum. Yes, if English is not their first language then that is another hurdle to jump.

Here at LQ we try to steer new users to aids like; http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...#faq_lqwelcome or even How to Ask Questions the Smart Way
to hopefully provide the means to form a complete question that other LQ members can aid in solving the issue(s).

Some experienced LQ members will lead the new user in the proper directions to help them help us to understand the situation. Sometimes members use Tech-speak unknowingly which adds confusion to the new members. It's easy to fall into the trap of using tech-speak feeling that others understand our verbiage via assumptions on our part or just by habit. We as respondents must convey in the simplest manner without talking down to the new member. Once you start responding in a manner that everyone can understand then we all have made things easier.
I try to reference as much as I can so the member will have a basis to understand what is being presented. I have been in the field of Electronics & computing all my adult life and still continue to learn something new daily. I also like to refer this;I retired from Academia and one must know how to communicate to survive that environment. I was lucky to have a great mentor who helped me to understand how one should communicate with others. Speaking and conveying to a person who is learning English as a second language requires one to know at what level that persons understanding the written & spoken semantics and even syntax of that new language. Thankfully most new students were patient with me and allowed me to assist them to understand.

I was stationed over seas in Japan and knew first hand how it felt to not understand the locale language. I found someone who would help me along the way to understanding basic Japanese. At the same time I was helping him to learn/expand more English so there was gain for both of us.

As senior members here at LQ we must do everything in our power to assist members who have difficulty in presenting queries to their new found discoveries. Patience is very important!
Hope this helps.
Have fun & enjoy!

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