Rules to follow while using the forum

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Rules to follow while using the forum

Postby forumadmin » Feb 12th, '11, 11:39

edit doktor5000 2014/12/31: added guidelines and rules from viewtopic.php?f=18&t=8520

The following document will provide some rules and guidelines on how to ask questions the best way, how to answer to help your peers, and how to keep everyone happy and lessen the work for supporters, forum administrators and moderators.


Some basic information:


The international Mageia forum is a platform for information exchange, questions and discussions,
to receive support and give feedback, for complaints and acclaims, and user opinions in general.
The official language for the international forum is English, if you want to use another
language please have a look at viewforum.php?f=20
Currently there are supporting communities forums available in Chinese, French, Greek, Italian,
Portuguese and Spanish. The official German forum is not linked there, as it is no external forum,
but can be accessed at https://forums.mageia.org/de

Anyone can read the forums without the need to login or register. If you want to participate
actively, which means posting your questions or answering to other people's posts, then you need
to login with your identity.mageia.org account or register one, more on that topic at
https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Mageia.org_user_account
There is no commitment by registering such an account, every contribution to the forum is done
on a voluntary basis.

Before you post:
Be respectful, be nice. Don't assume. And please read and understand the implications of Mageias Code of Conduct: https://mageia.org/en/about/code-of-conduct/

How To Post
As described in the FAQ, click on the Forums link at the top of the page and select the correct Forum for your thread, after reading the descriptions. Once inside the Forum, look for the New Thread button on the top left. Click and you will have a box to begin typing. But, before you do, read and understand all of the Rules and Guidelines below.


Guidelines
These guidelines if followed can help you get more from the forum and make it a more pleasurable experience for everyone.

General
  • Be polite. This is a user forum and we all do this as a hobby, in our free time. "Please" and "thank you" can get you a long way.
  • Try to make understanding as easy as possible. We're an international forum with users from all over the world and not all of us are fluent in English. Write in as proper English as you are capable of. Honest mistakes are fine, we all make them.
  • Any form of advertising or spamming is disregarded and unwanted. It will be handled by moderators mostly without warning and will result in permanent banning from the forum.

    Remember:
  • Write in English.
  • Add whitespace to your posts. Use enter for paragraphs.
  • Capitalize Correctly. All uppercase is considered screaming and very rude. All lower is hard to read.
  • Use correct punctuation. Never use more than one question mark or exclamation mark and only at the end of a sentence.
  • Never use "texting abbreviations", "leet-speak" or slang. The purpose of language is being understood, not sounding cool.
  • Never invent acronyms, use as few acronyms as possible. It's called a problem, not a "pb" and a question, not a "Q".
  • Never use colors in all of your posts. Colors are there to highlight something important.
  • Read your post over before posting it. Try to catch typos. If you find an error after posting, use the Edit button to make your corrections.
  • Don't "bump" your post by adding a second post with no worthwhile content. The Forum controls will automatically add any additional post as an 'edit' of your first post within the first 24 hours. If you haven't received a response in over 24 hours, consider following up with the efforts you've tried in the meantime and their result. Naturally, if you forgot to add important information, an edit of your first post is acceptable.
  • Report bad posts. If you discover an abusive post or someone posting a thread in the wrong section, report it to the staff using the "Report Post" link, that is above every post, displayed as a red exclamation mark inside a triagle, next to the Quote-button.
  • Don't PM or email individuals with requests for help. The right way to get answers to problems is to post a thread and let everyone have a chance to respond. That way, the solution is there for the next member to view. The Staff and other knowledgeable members donate their time to help solve problems, but personal requests are impolite and an imposition.
  • Go easy on the images, they may help to explain something more clearly or indicate a problem you are experiencing better but you have to remember that not everyone has the same amount of bandwidth to waste on downloading large image files. If you feel you have to post images, make sure that they're properly compressed.
  • Images are not welcome in signatures, as they can significantly increase the load time for users. Your avatar is a space for an image, your signature is not.
  • Trolling, Flaming and Whining threads will be closed. We're not here to pit one distro or OS against another. In fact, most of us use multiple OS's and/or distros. Likewise, if you're displeased with Mageia and want to leave parting remarks, comment to the developers using the appropriate mailing lists or bugzilla if you have any technical issues to report. Remember that the Forum is users helping users, but as we're a community-based distribution, we can fix problems with the distribution, if you report it properly.

When Asking Questions

  • Please search the international Mageia forum, and current Errata/Release Notes for your Mageia version before asking questions and also give google a whirl as well. There's a good chance your question has been answered before.
  • This is also explained in more details in this wiki page: https://wiki.mageia.org/en/How_to_ask_help
  • Details, details, details! Don't be brief. Include your Mageia version number, the architecture of your computer (i.e. 32bit or 64bit, or in the case of video cards NVIDIA model or ATI model), the version of the component you're having trouble with and everything you think might help, and if you have a problem with your desktop environment, always tell which desktop environment you're using (KDE, GNOME, LXDE, XFCE ...). If you're using 3rd party RPMs explain where you got them from. Attach screen shots or other files if you think it might be useful, although text output is always preferred compared to screenshots.
  • If you're posting error messages, please make sure you post them in english. You can do this easily by prefixing the command you want to run in a terminal by LC_ALL=C .
  • Don't talk yourself down. Don't call yourself an idiot, we have all been newbies at some point. Don't add things like this to your posts:
    Quote: I know I'm an idiot but I just can't figure this out..
  • No question is too stupid.
  • Don't mark your question as important or critical. All questions asked are equally important.
  • Come back to the forum even after your question has been answered and give your thanks to the people who helped you. Try to generate that good, warm, fuzzy feeling amongst your peers. And, as your skills increase, consider coaching others.

When Answering Questions
  • Don't be cruel. We have all been newbies at one point and no one needs someone telling them how stupid they are.
  • Don't use jargon in your instructions if it can be avoided, newbies may not understand. If you don't have any better answer than RTFM (Read the fine manual), just be quiet.
  • Point the user to existing resources if they can provide useful information.
    This includes: official Mageia documentation on Installer and draktools, available in several languages: https://doc.mageia.org
    the Mageia Wiki https://wiki.mageia.org or the Mageia mailing lists in your answers
    Searching the Mageia Bugzilla is a good idea as well.
  • Always assume that the user has a default installation unless you're told otherwise. This means that you can't tell anyone to use APT without providing instructions on how to install APT or at least link to an APT tutorial, as APT isn't included in the default installation. If you tell people to use an application outside of Core, give instructions on how to install it.
  • Always assume that the user is a newbie unless you're certain the user is not. Give detailed instructions.
  • Use proper formatting, use [CODE] tags around terminal commands. You can attach files and pictures that you think might help.
  • Do things the Mageia-way, be pragmatic. There is always more than one solution to a problem, choose the one you think will be the easiest for the user. Automatic package installation (using RPMdrake) over manual installation. RPM over source. Where possible get people to use the official Mageia repositories. They are of higher quality and also supported by Mageia. Don't replace any Core packages and never instruct users to do anything that might break their system, this includes using --force and --nodeps when installing an RPM. Try to think as a newbie and choose the simplest solution.
  • Explain each step of the solution. The ideal solution to a problem should be able to teach the user how to solve similar problems in the future.
    Teach people to fish, don't just throw them a salmon.


----


Rules
The following rules are mandatory for the good of all the members of the forum, and will help you get better results.

  • Respect the Forum Staff
    Spoiler:
    We provide a service in our free time to keep the forum running efficiently; we are not here to make life harder for anyone. Any decision taken by the Administrators and Community Managers is final and will be respected. Do not argue with the Staff in a thread. If you want to discuss an issue, do it by email or by a PM (Private Message). Do not ignore or fail to comply with Staff requests, whether by post, PM or email.
  • Do Not be Abusive
    Spoiler:
    Abuse doesn't get you anywhere. It generates bad feelings and is very likely to get you suspended from the forum. We're here to help each other not fight.
  • Don't post complaints about forums / forum rules / moderators / problems with other users publicly in forums
    Spoiler:
    The forums are an inappropriate venue for publicly discussing any personal issues you may have with the forum guidelines or administration. Please contact the moderators or administrators by email or private message if you have such concerns. If you disagree with a moderator's action concerning your posts please contact the moderator in question for clarification. The moderators are perfectly willing to privately and civilly discuss any disagreements.
  • Use Informative and Meaningful Titles
    Spoiler:
    Instead of using a title like "Heellllppp!!!?!!!" or "ARGH Mageia Crashes AGAIN!!!!!", use a title that is specific. Such as "Mouse Glitch/HD Hit Once Per Second" or "No Sound With PulseAudio". A clear title will attract more views to your thread, as it gives a clear indication of the content of the post in a mature manner. Experienced users usually have little time for immature complaints. Ultimately this will allow you to get more help of a better quality. Failure to comply will normally result in your thread being ignored.
  • Only one problem per support-thread
    Spoiler:
    Normally this golden rules applies. But there are some exceptions, in collection-type threads, like the ones about the Impressions of new development releases of the distributions, where everybody just posts their impressions, this is allowed, as there is normally no need for support.
  • Do Not Cross-Post (double-post about the same issue in two different forums) or create a new thread for an existing thread if your problem has not been solved yet
    Spoiler:
    Posting the same question or thread in different parts of the forum is counterproductive. Just because it's in more than one location doesn't mean that more people are going to answer it. In fact quite the opposite normally as experienced members have little time for this sort of behaviour, staff members will close all offending threads. Posts or threads advertising other posts are also seen as cross-posting.
  • Do not use fullquotes and reasonably shorten your answers
    Spoiler:
    There is no need to quote complete posts, only quote the relevant parts of the post you're anwering to. There's also no need to repeat previous posts in your own words, the forum offers a Quote-function for that, please use it. In general, reply function should be used. Quote function only when you want to answer on some specific parts of previous posts.
  • Do Not Advertise
    Spoiler:
    We are not a space to advertise your product, and you are not permitted to do so without the express consent of the Staff. Links to commercial sites and products may also be considered as ads. Check before you post them.
  • Do not post images containing nudity, violence or otherwise offending content.
    Spoiler:
    This is a friendly support forum and we do not want to cause offense.
  • Do not breach copyright
    Spoiler:
    This is to prevent the forum from being sued. So please make sure you have permission before posting that super cool wallpaper you found to the gallery. This also includes illegitimate downloads of software, asking for circumvention of effective copy protection mechanism (hint: asking for libdvdcss is no problem :) ) or similar topics.
  • Threads about "Cracking" will be closed
    Spoiler:
    Yes, there are packages such as aircrack in the repositories but mostly they are used is for illegal purposes. The Staff will usually close such threads.
  • Don't post Religious, Sexually Explicit or Political threads
    Spoiler:
    There are many forums for such posts. This isn't one of them. Most people have strong feelings on these topics and may be offended.
  • Don't Post Homework Questions
    Spoiler:
    We will close any threads asking for help on assignments. We've done our homework, you do yours!
  • Don't Post bikeshedding topics. See e.g. https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fo ... IKESHED.29
  • Respect other distributions!
    Spoiler:
    No flamewars or hatespeech/badmouthing on other distributions allowed, this also includes our beloved Microsoft Windows family. Constructive comparisons are totally OK.
  • Don't Post Garbage
    Spoiler:
    The Wizards Lair is a sub-Forum for many non-linux topics, however there are limits. Posts that illustrate you may need to refresh your meds or are little more than random words thrown together are wasting bandwidth. If your ideas are a bit on the Wild Side, please use the Social Groups to express them. At the Staffs' discretion, disruptive Wibble posts will result in a loss of posting privileges. Disruptive posts elsewhere may terminate your membership.
  • Use Default Font Size And Colors
    Spoiler:
    Sure, we all want our post to stand out a bit, but giant text sizes and extreme colors just annoy everyone. Please consider using "bold" for emphasis instead. The Staff, in turn, will be considerate if an occasional word or two turns up in red or green, but remember that the Staff edit is "final".
  • Only ONE User Name Per Member.
    Spoiler:
    If you've outgrown your identity, PM an Administrator to change it. Never create a second username/identity without permission or your membership may be terminated. As info, the first identity change is generally acceptable, however we seldom agree to a second change.
  • Use Code and Quote tags
    Spoiler:
    To improve overview and clarity, please use the forums Quote function to do quotations, and please use Code-tags if you post terminal output, longer error messages or log excerpts. This can be done by selecting that portion of your post in the forum editor, and pressing the Code-button above the forum editor. Use of code tags is also shown in this short video: ftp://ftp5.gwdg.de/pub/linux/mandriva/m ... e_tags.ogv

Main parts of this text have been taken from http://www.fedoraforum.org/?view=guide

Interesting Links:

How To Ask Questions The Smart Way


links to similar guidelines:

https://www.centos.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=873
http://sourceforge.net/apps/phpbb/freen ... p?f=57&t=8
http://www.v7n.com/forums/tech-support- ... tions.html
Last edited by doktor5000 on Dec 31st, '14, 18:16, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: added guidelines and rules from https://forums.mageia.org/en/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=8520
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Re: Rules to follow while using these forum

Postby doktor5000 » Sep 9th, '11, 19:49

How soon is soon? ;)
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Caution: Hot, bubbling magic inside. May explode or cook your kittens!
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Re: Rules to follow while using these forum

Postby maat » Sep 10th, '11, 13:03

I'm late on this...
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Re: Rules to follow while using these forum

Postby isadora » Nov 30th, '11, 16:55

Until a specific rule-set is issued for the forum, it is good to know there is a "Code of Conduct" issued by Mageia.
This set of rules covers an overview of shared values, and "common sense"-thinking in our community.
The forum is part of this community, and so these values are representative here as well.

The main points of this code are:

Be considerate,
Be respectful,
Be collaborative,
Be pragmatic,
Support others in the community,
Get support from others in the community.


The complete code can be found and read at:

https://mageia.org/en/about/code-of-conduct/
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Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.
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Re: Rules to follow while using the forum

Postby removed-user » Nov 26th, '12, 18:39

How do we get accounts removed from the forum??? PM'ing administrators doesn't seem to work.
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Re: Rules to follow while using the forum

Postby isadora » Nov 26th, '12, 20:05

Sorry ldp i can't help you on that one.
I have tried reaching admin, but nothing heard so far. :(
..........bird from paradise..........

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Re: Rules to follow while using the forum

Postby maat » Nov 26th, '12, 21:48

Just following the mailing list (y gave the link so you have everything you may wish to answer your questions, follow the progress, harass sysadmins and so on)

If only you had taken the time to read the list you'd have seen why your account had not yet been removed.

As you seems to feel a very strong need to see something done then let's wave a dead chicken : I erased all personal information i could find on the forum (you already did that on the email which was a good thing) changed the name and disabled the user account. But for what's on identity server i still cannot say. And i cannot foresee what would happen if you try to re-connect while the forum has been cleaned and it's not yet done on identity.

Sorry that's all i can do for you... for the rest subscribe to the sysadmin mailing list and discuss with identity masters.

Regards
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Re: Rules to follow while using the forum

Postby gohlip » Jun 16th, '13, 06:43

I was looking for some quidelines on Mageia forum etiquette and found only this.
Anyway, a key critical 'component' of any distro is the support and participation of its community and I am generally quite happy that Mageia is doing well in this aspect.
I would like to suggest another 'guideline point' to it.

Providing wrong information or suggesting a wrong method is a sure 'blotch' for any distro and must be corrected immediately.
Though I am sure most 'mistakes' are of good intention and not to mislead, the person providing information that he/she is not sure of must make plainly clear that he/she is "not sure" of the facts or suggesting a method he/she has not tried out himself.

Continually correcting mistakes can be quite draining on the moderators or the community to ensure the veracity of the forum and to maintain the overall quality of the distro.

Thank you for considering this point.
Why do we live? To prove not everything in nature has a purpose.
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Re: Rules to follow while using the forum

Postby doktor5000 » Jun 16th, '13, 10:38

Quite some time ago i've started viewtopic.php?f=18&t=2054 but unfortunately it stalled.

For general behaviour, the Mageia Code of Conduct applies: https://www.mageia.org/en/about/code-of-conduct/
Cauldron is not for the faint of heart!
Caution: Hot, bubbling magic inside. May explode or cook your kittens!
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Re: Rules to follow while using the forum

Postby plspls » Aug 16th, '16, 14:12

very useful thread
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