Over 600 forum users read the following post, but nobody could be of help. Please try again and help!

[carum carvi]

viewtopic.php?f=147&t=325175

The above post was posted by a totally new forum user, whose post was read by over 600 forum users, which is a record for the entire month of July, but nobody could help him / her. With this REpost by me of his post I would like to ask any forum member to have a new look at his problem.

(There are many unread or unsolved problems at this forum, by simply clicking on "Quick Links" in the upper left corner and then by clicking on unanswered topics we can help out many people, who did not get one single response to help them use our wonderfully great LinuxMint OS)

[Kadaitcha Man]

... I would like to ask any forum member to have a new look at his problem.

I won't go anywhere near a machine that is so old.

Code: Select all

Machine:
  v: 03CA.MP00.20081125.KTW date: 11/25/2008 

[carum carvi]

My computer is running LM20 smoothly (besides some loud fan noise) and was produced in 2009. Old computers still can be worth a lot. I always "sell" LinuxMint to my friends and family by telling them that they can rejuvenate / repurpose / recylce their "old" computer by simply installing Linux. Every time I tell them this they are completely surprised. Sometimes older, secondhand computers perform even better than new, cheap budget computers. Old computers ROCK!

[GS3]

I see quite a few threads that seem to be sinking and are not getting any response. In many cases I try to offer some input even if I really cannot be of much help but I hope my input, even if erroneous, will get the ball rolling and others will come in and offer their views. It seems once a thread/conversation get rolling it attracts more participants.

Like this one viewtopic.php?f=90&t=326358 which is now in its fifth page.

I cannot see how it makes any sense to start this new thread rather than bump the original.

[carum carvi]

I see quite a few threads that seem to be sinking and are not getting any response. In many cases I try to offer some input even if I really cannot be of much help but I hope my input, even if erroneous, will get the ball rolling and others will come in and offer their views.

Thanks for your input GS3, by now the original poster has already gotten 2 reactions to his post. Mentioning his post was more of a gentle nudge to every dedicated forum user, like yourself and Kaidatcha Man, who both are one of many friendly and very experienced users on this forum, to focus some of the attention to the unanswered topics, some of which are posted by newcomers, whose post is their very first post on this forum. I have been neglecting the unanswered topics for a while. Some of those posts simply need a bump, but many newcomers dont know that they need to bump their post.

[Kadaitcha Man]

... like ... Kaidatcha Man, who both are ... friendly ...

Now I know you're lying.

[carum carvi]

Now I know you have got humor, besides a lot of Linux experience...

Kadaitcha Man, you are an experienced member, much more than I am or many others are. The friendly part can be interpreted in many ways, but I always like to highlight the positive....

[Moem]

I have been neglecting the unanswered topics for a while. Some of those posts simply need a bump, but many newcomers dont know that they need to bump their post.

So why not give that bump yourself?

[carum carvi]

How do I do that Moem? This might sound silly, by me asking this, me having used LinuxMint for over 3 years, but how do I "bump" a topic? Simply reply and add "bump" to the reply? I have never done that myself before...

And my post was also more of a general nudge to all the friendly and / or experienced users to help out the unanswered topics. I suddenly realized (again) that there were a lot of unanswered topics, of which some were posted by first time LinuxMInt users. It always feels welcome to get a reply, especially for newbies, even if there is no straight solution available. That was kind of my thinking...welcoming new comers to LinuxMint...

[Pierre]

you can assist, even in an topic , that your are unsure of,
by simply making an 'reply' to that post.

- - that raised the Topic, in the Activity List ,, and gives some extra exposure.

you even try an try an little 'Google Fu' to see what you can find out, about the issue,
and posting that little bit, as it may assist another forum.user, to push the correct answer.

[carum carvi]

Yes, that is sound advice Pierre, I will try to do that in the future.

[Moem]

How do I "bump" a topic? Simply reply and add "bump" to the reply?

That would work, but it's nicer to add something friendly or helpful instead. The word 'bump' is not needed. Like Pierre explained, any new reply makes the post more visible because it brings it back to the top of list of topics.

[MrEen]

I know it doesn't apply in this case, but if I stumble upon an older post that is unanswered, I now check when the user last visited.

I've left some unanswered when I spotted that they never returned after making the first post.

If it were a case of Answer A fixes the issue, I'd still post that as others with the same issue might find the thread, but I'm not going to ask for more info to help diagnose an issue from someone that may never return. It does happen quite a bit.

[BG405]

If it were a case of Answer A fixes the issue, I'd still post that as others with the same issue might find the thread, but I'm not going to ask for more info to help diagnose an issue from someone that may never return.

This is probably the best policy. I've fruitlessly asked the same on a few occasions as well, where the "OP" turned out to be an "OPW"*.

It does happen quite a bit.

Sad but true. Some, I guess, are just too impatient.

*One-Post-Wonder

[Lady Fitzgerald]

... like ... Kaidatcha Man, who both are ... friendly ...

Now I know you're lying.

Now that I can agree with.

[carum carvi]

I've left some unanswered when I spotted that they never returned after making the first post.

If it were a case of Answer A fixes the issue, I'd still post that as others with the same issue might find the thread, but I'm not going to ask for more info to help diagnose an issue from someone that may never return. It does happen quite a bit.

Yes, that seems to be the case quite often indeed, I have just checked it. Thanks for mentioning that MrEen and BG405. A majority of unanswered topics are by first time users indeed. But could it be that they do return, but only without logging in? They could have bookmarked their question on the forum and have checked for replies in that way. They might be disappointed that there is no solution offered on the forum at all and they could stop trying to use this new LinuxMint OS, because they think there is no support that can help them out.

How does a newbie that visits this forum think? Does he think to begin with? Or is he in a state of panic? When I first started seeking help, (when I started using LinuxMint 3 years ago), I first contacted the Irc chat for LinuxMint. That didnt work out too well and then I found this website, which gave me excellent advice. But I still remember that I could not understand a lot of things, that I now take for granted and I was on an off using LinuxMint or Windows. Whenever I encountered a problem in LinuxMint I went straight back to Windows immediately, it was simply to much of a hassle for me to work every problem out and I did not know (yet) that a forum like this is THE place to find help...and that one has to have a little patience.

Just as BG405 said, lack of patience could be a determining factor to stop trying to use LinuxMint. Lack of knowledge that lots of problems DO get solved on this forum could be another factor, that I can think of why a newbie simply gives up quickly...

What I could do, is to answer the unanswered topics by first time posters briefly, with a welcome and request for more hardware information. If they dont react to that, then everything stops of course. Every newbie has to put in some extra effort...

[BG405]

But could it be that they do return, but only without logging in? They could have bookmarked their question on the forum and have checked for replies in that way.

I'd thought of that possibility, but without being logged in they won't see their notifications, unfortunately. I know this from the odd occasions I find myself logged out.

Every newbie has to put in some extra effort...

One thing I DO find frustrating is where the OP has been asked for specific information which they consistently fail to provide, even having been provided with clear instructions on how to do so, sometimes more than once.

One thing I must add though, is that it can be SO rewarding when you see a nice conclusion with [SOLVED] added to the title .. .. gives that nice fuzzy warm feeling inside.

[carum carvi]

One thing I DO find frustrating is where the OP has been asked for specific information which they consistently fail to provide, even having been provided with clear instructions on how to do so, sometimes more than once.

One thing I must add though, is that it can be SO rewarding when you see a nice conclusion with [SOLVED] added to the title .. .. gives that nice fuzzy warm feeling inside.

Newbies sometimes act in mysterious ways , but any newcomer might be a new LinuxMint supporter for life! I have had made many swirls, back and forth to Windows, before I knew how to use LinuxMint. When I finally found this forum I knew I could get anything working, because of the great support it has got.

Yes BG405, helping somebody can be very rewarding and it is incredible how thankful newbies can be. I just read one newbie post, who already thanked us forummembers, for simply reading his/her post. That's so kind. And I could not offer any solution. That's so sad

[hydrurga]

I know it doesn't apply in this case, but if I stumble upon an older post that is unanswered, I now check when the user last visited.

I've left some unanswered when I spotted that they never returned after making the first post.

If it were a case of Answer A fixes the issue, I'd still post that as others with the same issue might find the thread, but I'm not going to ask for more info to help diagnose an issue from someone that may never return. It does happen quite a bit.

It's funny that. I was actually thinking of creating a chat thread about that this morning. I used to post a lot on another Linux-related forum but left after a while, partially due to my frustration that many OP's were not coming back after their opening post, or were bowing out in the middle after I'd put some work in to resolving their issue. I reckon part of that was due to the fact that some folk post the same issue in several forums, grab the answer and then don't bother sharing the results around the other forums. Some posters were serial offenders - I think someone coined them "help vampires". I haven't seen a real problem on here, although a number of my responses to OP's have already remained unanswered. I was just wondering if there was anything we could do at all to encourage "engagement".

My apologies for this off-topic comment.

[MrEen]

But could it be that they do return, but only without logging in? They could have bookmarked their question on the forum and have checked for replies in that way. They might be disappointed that there is no solution offered on the forum at all and they could stop trying to use this new LinuxMint OS, because they think there is no support that can help them out.

Then they should learn to bump their post. It's in the rules that they're allowed to. I have many times responded to someone that bumped their own post, or added a "No replies?" post to a thread that I had managed to miss the first time. My first logon to the forum most days has at least 250 new posts since I last left, and I might be on here more than most. I miss stuff. I just recently discovered a thread with a sound issue that was a few days old and had a half dozen posts in it. How I had missed that, I can only guess that getting used to the new Moderator role had me a bit sidetracked.

My main point is the user needs to make some effort. And many do. A simple post of "Did I not include enough information?" Or "Has no one seen this issue?" Those will almost always get replies as they've brought their thread to the top of the list again. Sometimes when I get here, the Newbies section has new posts all the way onto Page 2.

And don't forget that Views count could be misleading. Are search bots included included in that count? (Good question, I'll look into that.) And how many others with the same or similar issue looked at it to see if thread might help them, saw there was no help, so continued searching? And when I first got here, I looked at anything that sparked my interest. Back then, I couldn't offer help on pretty much anything. I was using the forum as my learning tool.