Is there a forum virus that creates all these stupid "which distro is best" threads?

I ask because every time I come here, there's always new threads with unlikely questions similar to the following: "I'm a Windows user but Windows sucks! Which distro is the best for newbies like me?" This is followed by a bunch of idiots all spouting advertisements for their own favourite beloved distros.

I don't believe these threads can be legitimate. There must be a virus, or some sort of malware, that's plaguing this forum, causing it to create all these inane threads everyday.

The onslaught of these moronic spam-like threads truly detracts from the usefulness of this forum. Can those who run this forum kindly create a filter to do away with all these stupid threads?

It's the piggy flu, haven't you heard? It's a pandemic now. Apparently, the Internet has got infected too and now those pigs are everywhere, distracting you from using this forum to your enjoyment...

Take it easy, really. See, new people are coming, they have questions that sound stupid to you, but when you were new to the subject, you also had bugging questions you wouldn't call overwhelmingly smart today, would you?

Ignore them, & all the other crap that raises your BP.

& if there are specific arse....s who especially annoy you, learn to love & use your Ignore List.

Originally Posted by Uncle_Theodore Take it easy, really. See, new people are coming, they have questions that sound stupid to you, but when you were new to the subject, you also had bugging questions you wouldn't call overwhelmingly smart today, would you?

Well, I have to say that I do understand Mark's grievance. I've actually thought the same thing myself on a few occasions, especially when I provide a useful, informative reply that gets completely ignored while my inbox fills with notifications that userx posted a "This distro rocks, that distro sux" type post in that thread. Equally annoying is the fact that most of those 'userxes' have less than 100 posts, and I've never seen them before. And I have to wonder where the Hell did they come from and how did they get here...

Just my

Cheers

Human beings are a VIRUS, Mr Anderson...
(well, alright, he said it to Morpheus)

The "which distro should I use?" questions are a perpetual condition of any Linux website, particularly this one. To look at things optimistically, these kinds of threads can be viewed as strong positive evidence of Linux's growth, because after all, there are hundreds of different distros to choose from, and for a newbie who's just discovering/exploring Linux for the first time, the choices can be overwhelming. Looking for help, they post their very own "which distro should I use?" thread, with the sincere interest in getting some solid advice. The more "which distro?" threads there are, the more new Linux users there are, and that's what we're all driving for, isn't it?

Personally, I think it's useful to assume that when newcomers post a thread here (and no matter how repetitive the question might seem to those of us who've been on LQ for a while) that for the OP it's a brand new topic, and they're hoping to get some good suggestions about what they think is a unique situation. With that in mind, and thinking back to the days when I was a newbie, all suggestions will be appreciated, especially those that offer some good context and detail.

That said, the "which distro?" threads are harmless.... if they are of no particular interest, nothing is compelling anyone to read/reply to them, and they can be easily skipped or ignored.

Originally Posted by J.W. The "which distro should I use?" questions are a perpetual condition of any Linux website, particularly this one.

I fully agree with you, and some do appear valid enough- i.e., OP provides helpful info, responds to useful input, etc. etc. The 'buggers' are the one's like this:

1) OP simply says "Windows sux, which distro"?
2) OP never returns
3) thread gets flooded with other newbies posting newbieish replies
4) nobody responds to useful info

Those are a bit frequent, and can easily start to appear 'automated'.

Originally Posted by J.W. That said, the "which distro?" threads are harmless.... if they are of no particular interest, nothing is compelling anyone to read/reply to them, and they can be easily skipped or ignored.

Hehehe...

One can't be much help if they don't at least try...

Cheers

Newbies are also unlikely to know how to search the forum(s),
to find a older thread with the same thought.

As long as these Q keep cropping up. - then it shows that lnx is still growing
& getting new blood & hopefully - converts.

Remember - You Were A Newbie Once.

Agreed, if you spend a lot of time putting together a detailed response to someone's question, it can be pretty disappointing/frustrating indeed to not receive any kind of followup post from the OP. Maybe he/she simply didn't know a reply would be good netiquette, maybe the poster had already lost interest, or who knows what their situation might be.

In any event, even if the OP fails to respond, and knowing that LQ doesn't delete threads, the detailed answer you typed up might very well provide exactly the info that some future LQ'er might be looking for. Alternatively, if you've crafted detailed note that you think might be suitable as a good essay or reference document, it can be submitted an a Linux Answer.

I think they are posted by bots, I mean the OP never posts back, so it must be a bot.

Originally Posted by H_TeXMeX_H I think they are posted by bots, I mean the OP never posts back, so it must be a bot.

Agreed, and I do still think that creating a filter to rid us of these inane threads would be a good idea.

I don't think they're bots. They want other people to make decisions for them, can't be bothered to put the effort into trying and choosing for themselves.
The best answer I can think of to all such questions:
Try as many distros as you can for a few days each until you get bored. Narrow it down to two, try them for a more extended period, then settle for the one that suits you best.

They could also be trolls, just posting nonsense to waste people's time.