Hi,

Just a short blurb!

I like to give back to Slackware by assisting here on this forum. I have noticed lately that a lot of users post general questions that could be answered by a little research on their part.

Be reading references or man commands to get an answer. Or just doing a search on LQ or Google for the answer with good search terms to get answers.

I know the ease of posting a question is there. But a user should attempt to do some work on their own. If they are stuck and cannot resolve a hard error then by all means ask.

We as a society have conditioned people to look for the easy way out. Sure we all start out somewhere but if you really want to learn something then read and ask for help when necessary!

I come from academia and always asked my students to try an be independent wherever possible. Too use the tools at hand to get answers and to ask when necessary! KISS is the rule not Murphy!

I like Slackware as my OS since the distribution is the best!
Many Thanks to PV for the Distribution.

As I said, 'Just a short blurb! '

Very good observation, but unfortunately this is not limited to the Slackware forum. There are many sticky threads with very important information as well as the search function but some people don't take time out to see if they can solve the problem on their own.

Not lately, since the begining of the internet.
One could also observe that people often realize and post that people ask simple questions.
Of course it is in anyone's best interest to learn to find answers themselves.
While some people are lazy, some are trolls, and some just like to be frantic about things, it is also not a given that everyone knows where to look or what they are looking for.
When answering a simple question assume that someone else reading it will not ask it.

Or someone is asking just to ask and raise number of posts.

Hi,

Simple but good observation! That is just a waste of bandwidth.

My, did I just bump NOP?

Sometimes, though, a question gets answered that we may think is simple, and be resolved by a quick search...But, the answer may not make sense to the person who asked.

If you read some of the posts here, the answers range from the "holding of hands" to obscure CLI references. If, for example, the poster is a total newb to Linux, and gets ahold of a correct answer that is way above their technical expertise, they may ask for an answer that is simpler.

Be that as it may, some ARE just lazy. Not only in their research and learning habits, but also in writing in general.

Well, that was my two cents

EXCELLENT observation. this described me many times. i had a problem, but was so new, i didn't even know what the problem was all the time, or what i was looking for...
thankfully most of what i needed was here in the forums, easy enough to find, but i still had those incidents that left me totally in the dark...

Hi,

I admit the problem existed long before LQ but my reference is to this forum.

May I add to;
By stating a lot of people cannot formulate nor asses a problem correctly. Let alone write in descriptive form to allow one to diagnos the problem. Some of the problem is do to the lack of experience with the OS from not doing the necessary read of available material.

Your last statement;

Can be expanded by holism methods. Just don't try to place information between the thought line. Meaning that some people tend to omit or assume that the understanding is there by the reader. Sometimes you must expand a thought because the presentation is global/international. Thus the presentation mayn't be understood because of regional thought process or understanding because of the language barrier.

A lot of people know what they want to ask but don't know how to ask!

I agree with everybody on everything
seriously!

I will try to find an awswer to my slack problems by reading posts here or by searching at google/linux.
Some newcomers to slack do need help though as do I sometimes. I've found that the senior posters here are helpful and considerate.

When I post my questions here, it is often because other sources are
* Needlessly complicated
* Needlessly elaborate
* Uselessly inaccurate or just limited in detail
* So eager to suggest options that they don't mention what the author believes to be the right way!

When I ask a question here, odds are that people have had similar experiences, resolved issues and formed an opinion on how to do things and how not. I think it is very reasonable to ask a question here to which an answer could have been found on the Interweb - if it is a recommendation I am looking for.

But there could be a lot of right ways and each person may have his own right way to achieve same things.

Hi,

That's the nice thing about Linux. You can do it your way.
For noobs' this can be a problem, since most want a cookbook to follow. If they deviate from the cookbook then where do they turn for the answer to correct the problem. Generally they will post a plea for help before even trying to find the answer themselves. I know this a broad statement but my experience tells me this is the norm.

When you share information for someone to learn how to correct a problem with Slackware or whatever, you are in a sense giving something of yourself to that person. Not just to the Internet!

Investigate and learn!