Please, newbies - please use un-apologetic, descriptive titles
 

Yes, yes, we know that you are a :newbie: and that, right now, you feel like one.

Welcome! That's precisely why this forum is here.

Now that you are here, however, may I make three specific requests:

(1) In your title, proceed directly to describe your question. The title is the "headline" of your post. It's what allows us "skimmers" to quickly zero-in on questions that we think that we can contribute to. It's also the most-important criteria for Search. A complete description of your issue, with all relevant context, will also help you to get your best-answers quickly.

(2) If you have "n" questions to ask, unless they are truly related, please ask them in separate posts, so that separate threads are created and so that each thread will more-easily remain "on point."

(3) When your question is answered, use the "Thread Tools" to mark the thread as [SOLVED].

What this will give the next(!) newbie that comes along is ... a "solved" thread, with a title that immediately helps him to know that the thread's contents might help him. Since your thread will survive here for many years, who knows how many other newbies you will have helped?! :)

Also it's polite, if a particular post has helped you, to mark it as helpful. This will increase the poster's reputation.

Even when starting a thread, it says *right* there:

Nice thread, sundialsvcs.

I hope the newcomers to LQ will take these advices seriously.

Also check these out:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...aq#faq_newpost
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...t_faq_how_post
http://www.linuxquestions.org/linux/...Ask_a_Question

Any chance of this thread being made a "sticky" at the top of Linux - Newbie?

I don't have any problems taking the most useful posts out of this discussion and merging them into the sticky thread already at the top of this forum:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...osting-356388/

Issues or concerns are:

1. A thread does exist, it may be out of date, or it may be able to benefit from additional comments Have any of you read it, and do you feel it is helpful now?
2. Experienced members would be best advised to point new members in this forum to the sticky thread, otherwise it is as useful or as ineffective as the existing one is. If new users are not going to read, they are not going to. However if we repeatedly refer them to it, then at least people are following a common set of recommendations.

And I only have to copy certain posts, leaving mine here and any additional side discussion points aside, just only copying things that we all deem to be the most potentially helpful to most new users.

To an extent it may appear more relevant and attractive if a date more recent than 2005 appears

Agreed! This great 'thing' would benefit from pruning: http://www.linuxquestions.org/linux/...Ask_a_Question

This sundialsvcs post is my classic favorite: (although 'homework' may not need to be first point)
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ml#post5669556
I love the positive ending: "Again, welcome! (We mean that.)"

Also, a concise bullet-point about 'soft' skills (collaboration, problem solving, ...)

Maybe @sundialsvcs will collect these into a LQblog (for ease of editing), that we can link to:idea:

(with MY writing skills, I'll best just be QUIET:D)

I've copied sundial's and aragorn's posts to that sticky and updated the thread title. Meanwhile this new action also moved that thread to the very top.

Once again, that information is only as useful as regular members make note of it. If you do not cite that thread regularly when instructing new members, then likely many of them may not view it.

Also note, RT ... I think that the forum should "automatically close" a thread after a certain amount of time has passed, so that zombie-threads don't get resuscitated.

We might also wish to consider adding an automatically-generated warning banner at the top of the thread display, to the effect that "this thread is old, so the information contained in it might no longer be relevant."

Point #1 was well canvassed over at least twice in threads you have created, http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...me-4175609241/

Please see Jeremy's recent response within that thread.

Regarding your point #2, please separate that to another potential thread in the LQ S&F forum, however I will add that "not exactly" what you're saying, but that old threads do have a warning when someone attempts to add replies them. Many new posters obviously ignore. That should be considered a separate question for Jeremy and the admins, who are the people maintaining the code for this site. Moderators are not involved with development of the site, unless they happen to have dual responsibilities.

I will remind that the subject about warning persons resurrecting old threads has also been discussed a number of times in either general or S&F forum threads.

I've asked the mods to consider making this post a "sticky."

I have an "I told you so" smile on my face everyone ...

Sorry frankbell, for my humor. If you look back in this thread you'll see that I had already copied out sundialsvcs' and aragorn2101's posts where I felt they offered some great newbie advice and put them into the sticky thread at the top of the newbie forum.

Meanwhile I also cited the opinion that nobody usually reads those, so I noted that what we all really should do is include a link to that thread within replies to newbies who appear to have not reviewed it.

Therefore, please review the following link: :)
UPDATE FOR NEWBIES: Please READ this before posting!

Perhaps we could give it a better title? It just says "READ this" without any hint of what "this" is. It's on par with "I have a question" type of titles, kind of ironic given its contents...

I share this sentiment. The "headline" of the thread should attract the newbie to actually read it – giving him or her a solid reason why. Maybe it could be broken into smaller sticky-threads. Because, as you say, it probably isn't being read right now.