Edit update: see #4&6 for clarification on what I meant [didn't mean], sorry.
I meant: Seeing Mods do it, should other follow that lead?
I wasn't referring to 'problematic' posts; I meant all, including 'good'

[Y/n]: Should responders [I] [generally=mostly]
always say "Welcome to LQ" to first-time posters?
(not referring to the 'Welcome to LQ' [warning] link!!!)

Meaning: if replying to a new member's first post, 'should'
(['should'] meaning: an LQ usage 'guideline')
the reply (post #2) include the phrase: "Welcome to LQ"?

Is there an already-existing LQ link to such a guideline=LQpolicy?

Yes, I know this is 'free will' and thus up to any responder to choose to do, or not.

personally, You have to agree to the rules/regulations before signing up, and I believe there is a way to require a specific pinned post to be read before posting in specific fora/sub-fora, though not sure if such a thing would be practical here, I would say unless someone is posting in a way that is inconsistent with the rules but seems like they genuinely don't understand rather than are just ignoring the rules, then it isn't really necessary.

TBH, most of the times I've seen "Welcome to LQ", it's been backhanded. As in: "Welcome to LQ. Now recognize what you're doing wrong and try again."

1 members found this post helpful.

Most of the times I see=notice it, are when a Moderator replys.
I was wondering about following their 'lead'.

I wasn't intending to refer to not welcoming only 'certain' posters;
that would be a different discussion. Sorry for my lack of clarity.


Such 'sarcasm' might get 'Report'ed: it just happened to me, where
I wrote it 'in quotes', followed by a mention of 'soft skills', ending with: Bye.


More: Hmmmm/eek... I hope my always posting the 'WelcomeToLQ'
doesn't imply that "backhanded" negativity, when I didn't mean that, at all!!!

I don't think dugan was trying to be rude !!!. I think that dugan was only making the point that members generally try to teach the OP best practices to help them help themselves. Which to me personally, is quite a valid point to make. And that's what not only I also try and do but also, what this site's about. (as I understand anyways)

Personally, I assume that if a new member wants to be 'welcomed', they would post here. I also think that the OP would just like and respects the help that is hopefully given to them. At least some I've seen, just want their questions answered and don't much care about being 'welcomed'.

I also think it's going to be up to the member who is replying to the question, like it or not. I don't see how LQ could enforce a rule that demands members post something like "Welcome to LQ", for each and every new member that asks a question.

Just my 0.02 cents worth.

Good point about the Intro Forum for 'getting' a Welcome.
In that case, I'm confused about why [mostly only?]
Mods 'always' say Welcome in all other forums. [?]

Certainly not a 'rule' at all; I meant: is it a 'guideline'[?].

I think you're right: Only a few 'members' (vs Mods) do the Welcome.
Good point about 'just get down to business'. Thanks!!!

Calling it "backhanded" seems like an overly negative interpretation. I see it more as signalling friendliness. Which is fairly important when you tell someone that they're doing it wrong.

1 members found this post helpful.

There have been quite a few threads over the years discussing how to engage, or on-board, new members where various thoughts and ideas have been discussed.

The only true rules are the LQ Rules.

Meanwhile there is the Welcome to LQ post which is in the Site FAQ. This has been part of many of these discussions.

At one point there was a recommendation made, with the purpose of reducing frustration of existing members. This recommendation was when a new user's first posts were so inadequate, that we were recommended to offer them the Welcome to LQ link and leave it at that. Some have chosen to use their own personal style, but embody the same intentions of welcoming the user, to let them know we are here to help, but also informing them that their question is incomplete.

Personal recommendations I can make are:

1. Review the thread history, the date the initial question was posted, as well as the join date and posting history of the OP
   • Some examples are that you can see a very poor question, a fragment even. And you may see that the OP is brand new, and also that they've posted once or twice.
   • Seeing "twice" may be a possible warning clue, or may not be. They may have introduced their self in the New Member's forum, or ... they may have posted the same question more than once. It is simply a good idea to check
   • Some cases, we have members who have been LQ members for years and never posted, or not posted much. So you may see someone who joined in 2008 with 3 posts, and then they ask a very confusing, or incomplete question. In that case, welcoming them to LQ is an odd action, so you'll have to pick a style of how you will indicate to them, "Your question doesn't help us to help you ..."
2. Review the thread if there are other replies. If a thread was started with a very poor question, and another LQ member has already noted this, then what point does it serve to add your post to that? I know it sometimes frustrates us all to see a poor question and may also frustrate us if the first reply also was poorly done. In extreme cases, we can note a rude reply by reporting the behavior and we can also offer beneficial advice to the OP of the thread without starting a battle among other replying members in that thread.
3. And finally: Be as clear and organized as possible when trying to help a new user. Consider that we are all working with an operating system, software, and that there are highly organized things to do in order to install new software, fix an install, install the OS, or do the very many things we all may take for granted with Linux. When we're helping a new user accomplish a complex task, we will both want information from them about their exact status, and also we will want to give them an organized process to follow to clearly resolve their problem.

These are not adamant guidelines, they are just some recommendations of my own, however I will state that I shaped these perspectives mainly from seeing other helpful posts, as well as making mistakes of my own and learning from them.

Here are some of the discussion threads in this forum I am referring to:

https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...rs-4175596474/
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...ce-4175595960/
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...696/page3.html
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...re-4175548029/

in a big city's central station, if someone asks you how to get from A to B, do you begin your answer with "Welcome to [name of city]"?

if the poster chooses to post to member introductions, that's a different matter of course.
and i commend those LQers that regularly reply there.

+1

Absolutely spot on in fact...

^ could be due to the fact that it's their first post?
and it's very likely that they haven't fully groked forum etiquette and posting requirements yet?
so it's more like "Welcome to LQ. i'd like to tell you what your first post lacks, but please don't be offended, it's normal to not get it the first time."