How to use a forum (edited extract from The Charm of Linux)
1) Start by searching your chosen forum. Someone may already have asked this question. If the forum has a FAQ, use it.
2) Don't post off-topic; find the right sub-forum for your post. If it's very basic and there is a "newbie" forum, you can also post there. Be careful not to post in a forum that is labelled "Not for support questions". And don't post in more than one section. Most forums have a rule against this.
3) Choose your post title carefully. Never use titles like "N00b needs help!" or "Somebody help me PLEEEZE!!!" It really puts people off. Your title should indicate what your actual problem is. Then anyone who knows the answer will be encouraged to share it with you. Be as precise as you can. "I get site hang-ups during authentication" is much more useful than "Can't get on the internet". A useful question to ask yourself is, "If I knew the answer to this problem, would I know that I knew it just by looking at the title?"
4) Be brief but informative. In the body of your post, give the name and version of your Linux distribution, the name and version of any program that is playing up, and any relevant hardware details. Also include the precise error messages. If you indicate (briefly) what you have done to try to solve the problem, you will come over as an intelligent and competent person.
5) Don't use texting abbreviations. It's very annoying. Some standard acronyms like AFAIK (As Far As I Know) are acceptable.
6) Don't follow advice blindly. You are here to learn something. If you are asked to use command line tools to gather information, first study their man pages to find out what they actually do. That way you can use them with confidence if you run into similar problems in the future. If you are asked to post the contents of a certain file online, first find out what the role of that file is in your system. The more important system files often have their own man pages.
7) Always post the output of diagnostic commands or extracts from files within [code][/code] tags. This gives the section its own slide bars and makes it easier to read.
8) When your problem is solved, mark it as such for the benefit of others who might come cross the same problem. And remember to say thank you. Nobody is paying us to help you. We do it because we have all been helped in the past and we want to pass it on.
9) Keep an eye on the problems of other novices and, if you can help them, do so. Remember, Linux is a community.
2) Don't post off-topic; find the right sub-forum for your post. If it's very basic and there is a "newbie" forum, you can also post there. Be careful not to post in a forum that is labelled "Not for support questions". And don't post in more than one section. Most forums have a rule against this.
3) Choose your post title carefully. Never use titles like "N00b needs help!" or "Somebody help me PLEEEZE!!!" It really puts people off. Your title should indicate what your actual problem is. Then anyone who knows the answer will be encouraged to share it with you. Be as precise as you can. "I get site hang-ups during authentication" is much more useful than "Can't get on the internet". A useful question to ask yourself is, "If I knew the answer to this problem, would I know that I knew it just by looking at the title?"
4) Be brief but informative. In the body of your post, give the name and version of your Linux distribution, the name and version of any program that is playing up, and any relevant hardware details. Also include the precise error messages. If you indicate (briefly) what you have done to try to solve the problem, you will come over as an intelligent and competent person.
5) Don't use texting abbreviations. It's very annoying. Some standard acronyms like AFAIK (As Far As I Know) are acceptable.
6) Don't follow advice blindly. You are here to learn something. If you are asked to use command line tools to gather information, first study their man pages to find out what they actually do. That way you can use them with confidence if you run into similar problems in the future. If you are asked to post the contents of a certain file online, first find out what the role of that file is in your system. The more important system files often have their own man pages.
7) Always post the output of diagnostic commands or extracts from files within [code][/code] tags. This gives the section its own slide bars and makes it easier to read.
8) When your problem is solved, mark it as such for the benefit of others who might come cross the same problem. And remember to say thank you. Nobody is paying us to help you. We do it because we have all been helped in the past and we want to pass it on.
9) Keep an eye on the problems of other novices and, if you can help them, do so. Remember, Linux is a community.
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