Will I be the next to be banned from this forum?

Let's be honest - that's a lot of analysis after just eight posts and two encounters with one of the banned persons.
Toxicity? Chauvinism? Equality issues?

I read all eight of your posts in different threads and didn't see that behavior.

In all fairness though, I am not a SJW, and my sensitivity level from 1 - 10 is probably a -10.

Originally Posted by BattKajs As a fairly new user of Slackware and posting queries on this forum I have encountered toxicity and often rude replies to my questions (not genuine to this site). The Linux community are divided in two groups. First we have the group that want to spread Linux and make the transition a happy experience, the further existence of any Linux distro depends on accumulating new members/users, but that require a community that are open and happy to help new users navigate through the experience. On the other hand, we have the individuals straight from the CS:go-community, who are smug and elitist and often downplay new users or other persons in this environment. Their attitude is degrading, giving the continual use of a distro a dependence on either a stubbornness of the user or pure luck to encounter a experienced individual who are happy to help. I presume the goal of this Slackware community is to be a open and including, and when the first contact with this community is a really bad experience ("the just google it"-attitude at best) 9/10 people will go elsewhere. Let's be honest, the Linux-community is really chauvinistic and that attitude excludes both new users and equality-issues. I've read in this thread that "people need to just ignore bad elements" as if the responsibility for a happy experience are on the person who are the victim. This is a pure bullsh*t attitude and part of the bad environment. The responsible agent are the one committing the action, not the individual who are affected. Answering a question should contribute to the discussion, i.e help the questionneer, and if you don't want or are able to contribute to the topic then you need to just STFU. I agree with mods with one of these bans since one of these are guilty of toxic behavior, in my own personal experience of this community.

Part of learning about Information Technology is knowing how to do your own research. Part of doing research is knowing how to use search engines to find the answers you need. Sometimes it is blatantly obvious that a new user (sometimes experienced Linux users) simply didn't make an attempt to answer their own questions through research. Whether it be through the use of Google, man pages, or using the search function on LQ, these will all yield answers to most questions. I find it very difficult to actively help newbies and veterans who couldn't or wouldn't do research. Sure I am sometimes guilty of telling these types to RTFM and "Google it", or I simply copy and pasted a link that contained the relevant information. However, there is NO BENEFIT for myself, those making the query, or LQ as a whole when these types of encounters take place. Playing "20 questions" to find out what some random person on the internet needs help with also isn't beneficial to anyone. As a result, posting RTFM and a link to the man page(s) is far less of a waste of time in the end, quite often.

I think that this thread is going off topic. Especially with your reply. We are talking about why Darth and a4z were banned, and what will result in anyone else being banned due to similar post activity. It seems like some people just want to gripe about the LQ rules, or gripe about free speech, or react to some random text on the web like its some sort of civil rights movement... The issue is that LQ mods are banning people for petty reasons. All because a few users are complaining too often about stuff that can be easily ignored.

Originally Posted by mralk3 The issue is that LQ mods are banning people for petty reasons. All because a few users are complaining too often about stuff that can be easily ignored.

What exactly do you consider to be petty reasons?

Posting off topic is covered in the fifth bullet of the LQ Rules. The first five bullets in the rules cover topics intended to make it clear that this is supposed to be a friendly and helpful forum. This is Jeremy's continued point with everyone.

Originally Posted by mralk3 Part of learning about Information Technology is knowing how to do your own research....As a result, posting RTFM and a link to the man page(s) is far less of a waste of time in the end, quite often.

I fully understand that poorly prepared questions can be frustrating. Meanwhile I feel the same comment about choosing to ignore also applies here.

To add to this, there have been several discussions about how to engage users who ask ill prepared questions, be they new or long time users. New user: Please give them the Welcome to LQ link to read. Experienced user: Ignore their attempts to ask poor questions, report their behavior for a record of their repeated, frustrating tendencies. Bear in mind that a history needs to be seen for any forum leader to take any corrective measures, and then also please note that many times, the very subtle, bad behaviors will take a bit of warnings and infractions before a final ban is applied.

Originally Posted by Didier Spaier Both a4z and Darth Vader have been banned forever, which I regret. If this trend continues, I will consider banning myself.

I think if or when a forum leader has to take a step of this nature, they similarly regret that it had to come to that point. Both of these users had ample warning, over a number of different instances, that their continued behavior was not in agreement with the intent of the LQ site.

Originally Posted by rtmistler Posting off topic is covered in the fifth bullet of the LQ Rules. The first five bullets in the rules cover topics intended to make it clear that this is supposed to be a friendly and helpful forum.

I've been warned quite often about off-topic posts. Can you find any of them that would give the impression that LQ is not a friendly place?

Originally Posted by mlangdn Let's be honest - that's a lot of analysis after just eight posts and two encounters with one of the banned persons. Toxicity? Chauvinism? Equality issues? I read all eight of your posts in different threads and didn't see that behavior. In all fairness though, I am not a SJW, and my sensitivity level from 1 - 10 is probably a -10.

Congratulations, you managed to both confirm my argument and misunderstand it at the same time.

My experiences are not limited to this account and are also from lurking

Originally Posted by mralk3 Part of learning about Information Technology is knowing how to do your own research. Part of doing research is knowing how to use search engines to find the answers you need. Sometimes it is blatantly obvious that a new user (sometimes experienced Linux users) simply didn't make an attempt to answer their own questions through research. Whether it be through the use of Google, man pages, or using the search function on LQ, these will all yield answers to most questions. I find it very difficult to actively help newbies and veterans who couldn't or wouldn't do research. Sure I am sometimes guilty of telling these types to RTFM and "Google it", or I simply copy and pasted a link that contained the relevant information. However, there is NO BENEFIT for myself, those making the query, or LQ as a whole when these types of encounters take place. Playing "20 questions" to find out what some random person on the internet needs help with also isn't beneficial to anyone. As a result, posting RTFM and a link to the man page(s) is far less of a waste of time in the end, quite often.

I agree that it is really frustrating with threads that have zero to non information to even begin the process of assisting the query. But that is a completely separate discussion. That does not excuse bad behavior from any part. We all have guilty moments and no one is perfect, two wrongs can't make one right. What I was trying to say is that mostly it is better to not answer such kind of thread rather than replying with something rude, if you don't are motivated to help *in any way*.

I think that this thread is going off topic. Especially with your reply. We are talking about why Darth and a4z were banned, and what will result in anyone else being banned due to similar post activity. It seems like some people just want to gripe about the LQ rules, or gripe about free speech, or react to some random text on the web like its some sort of civil rights movement... The issue is that LQ mods are banning people for petty reasons. All because a few users are complaining too often about stuff that can be easily ignored.

I included my experiences to support my argument. I for one don't think this is a petty issue since the culture can be unnecessary hard at some moments. At least two persons create a political domain and since this is a community of persons, politics are unavoidable. And "ignoring bad elements" is not a constructive position for development.

Originally Posted by rtmistler Posting off topic is covered in the fifth bullet of the LQ Rules.

I spent a bit writing a much longer reply. I read through it and realized it is pointless. The rule is flawed. There are cases (all over LQ) where reprimands were given to members who were genuinely trying to help. I've been warned in the past for being a "Thread Hijacker". Which was not the case had the moderator actually read the thread in full. Anyway, by the guidelines of the LQ rules, most of the people in this thread are "off-topic". Should I report them all? This is the Slackware forum after all...

Originally Posted by BattKajs My experiences are not limited to this account and are also from lurking

How many accounts do you have here at LQ?

Hi brianL,

Things are always left open to interpretation, however my point, which I should note is my opinion, is that the first 5 bullets of the LQ rules help to provide guidance that this is not a site intended to be an uninviting site. Off topic posts, that are not relevant to the thread, is what one of those bullets discusses, however not the total focal point of the LQ Rules. I will agree that it is a primary topic of this discussion thread.

Hi mralk3,

Expecting that any set of online site rules be absolutely perfect for all occasions seems to be non-realistic. As a result, there are methods to contact Jeremy to discuss concerns if members feel that improper actions are occurring on the site. I personally have found Jeremy to be very thoughtful, judicious, and decisive about things.

Regarding your comment about this being the Slackware forum. That actually concerns me the most.

This is a sub-forum on the LinuxQuestions site. It should be treated no differently than any of the other forums on this site.

I did suggest earlier that the thread should be moved to LQ Feedback. It would be more appropriate there, since Slackware is a technical forum.

Originally Posted by rtmistler Regarding your comment about this being the Slackware forum. That actually concerns me the most. This is a sub-forum on the LinuxQuestions site. It should be treated no differently than any of the other forums on this site.

I think that's what he meant. It may be a sub-forum but it is also the official Slackware board [which in this sense refers to a sub-forum, since the word 'board' can be differently interpreted].

Originally Posted by hazel I did suggest earlier that the thread should be moved to LQ Feedback. It would be more appropriate there, since Slackware is a technical forum.

I always considered it as being for all things Slackware-related, but mostly for support requests.

Originally Posted by mralk3 I spent a bit writing a much longer reply. I read through it and realized it is pointless. The rule is flawed. There are cases (all over LQ) where reprimands were given to members who were genuinely trying to help. I've been warned in the past for being a "Thread Hijacker". Which was not the case had the moderator actually read the thread in full. Anyway, by the guidelines of the LQ rules, most of the people in this thread are "off-topic". Should I report them all? This is the Slackware forum after all...

Yup, me too!! I was helping someone with some printer issues and because the person was foreign didn't really understand, reported me to the mods for hijacking his thread. Everything was on topic and relevant but yet I was warned. There's that double-standard + hypocrisy + micromanagement etc... Nonetheless, I got over it but careful who I will help from that point on.

Originally Posted by BattKajs As a fairly new user of Slackware

Hi a4z

Originally Posted by Gerard Lally Hi a4z

Not the same person. The problems BattKajs has had in the past would have been fixed by a4z. I just read all 9 of his/her posts.

Originally Posted by Gerard Lally Hi a4z

LOL, not sure if that is him, but I did/do suspect that Darth had more then one account on here. People don't realize that forensically speaking (pun intended) writing has distinct signatures, even typing, similar to speech patterns etc...

PS: Damn, now people will know that, good thing its nearly impossible to fake.

Originally Posted by BattKajs I've read in this thread that "people need to just ignore bad elements" as if the responsibility for a happy experience are on the person who are the victim.

Raises eyebrow

In the world of voluntarily read words, it is. In the world of this forum, you can block someone's post and not read their words at all (unless someone you haven't blocked posts a quote of course).

Maybe I misunderstood your point.