For people who haven't picked yet, you could always have a "undecieded" option. If you have multiple distros why not let people pick more than one? Make the limit like your top three or something.

People just need to learn to write a proper post.

I noticed in some signatures under distribution people list closed source operating systems. Therefore, I'd like to post a link to the Wikipedia definition of Linux distribution.

This is a Linux forum, and the members are interested in knowing which distribution of Linux one is using, to facilitate helping with their problems. While we may all use other operation systems, that doesn't help with our Linux Questions. I personally have Windows 98, Windows XP Pro, and Mac OS-X x86 installed on computers in this shop.

A fairly complete listing of Linux distributions is available from DistroWatch.


Originally posted by Matir
Well said.

Good point, but what about those people who have multiple distros? Which one do we help with if they forget to tell us? To be honest, most people say explicitly which distro they are using, it's the few that don't that can be a pain and they are also unlikely to have listed their distro in their profile.

And there will always be those people that will just say "Dell Inspiron" in lieu of actual info. If we can't (or won't) enforce the listing of a distro, how will this work for hardware?

I wrote this how to almost 2 years ago. What's in there is still current and a few members have it in their signatures and yet we still get poor posts. Since day one, Jeremy has been pondering how to get people to ask decent questions and despite all the things in place we still get poor ones. What else can we do? - and that is a serious question and not a rhetorical one.

While it's fine to put non-Linux items in distribution if you so choose, it's mostly meant for Linux distributions. As mentioned, we have no plans at this time to change how this field is handled.

--jeremy

At least U have more info. I have all my OS listed in Install order, May be it is a OS conflict? See billymayday #1 original idea, Use flow of my item 3 where new posters are strictly MODERATED until let free after having been trained in Proper Posting. It will only take 1 or 2 helpful corrections to assist & most fall in line after understanding why it helps.
See above, but specifics need more thrashing.
I would recommend mandatory blocks for; CPU, GPU, RAM, mainboard, sound. HD, other; PCMCIA or PCI add-on (If applicable)

Exactly what should be sent as first reply VIA email, initial post locked until corrected via edit function! Just remove Ad.

Newbies are babies, must be trained properly. It might be harsh to not allow open posts in the forum, but is probably only way to enforce policy that benefits all. Guest/Lurkers, newb & the Members that graciously answer Q. Most of it could be in place w/ release of initial post to Member Intro where HW & Current OS in use is listed under Distro B 4 allowing unrestricted open post to the Forums.
Some allowances, Xtra considerations granted for those where English is not 1st/main language.

This is a tad self-serving, but I would like to see a forum in newbie called nman or something, that has man pages designed for newbies (with examples of proper and common usage). I think it would be a great way for everyone to contribute a little to helping new users with common functions and programs. Perhaps it could even lead to a newbie man page project, since there is such an influx of new users to linux, it would be great to point them to a man page that they could actually read. My 2 cents.

That kind of project would be much more appropriate in the LQ Wiki, where it can be worked on collaboratively.

--jeremy

How about this. I know some of this is what you have already, but not all.

Any new posts will be in BOLD (what you have already)
anything old will not be (what you have already)

Any thread that has been solved can slide into other pages once new ones come in.
Any unsolved threads will remain up on top, newer ones higher, rather than sliding down several pages and having other solved one more recent.

I, like many others have unsolved topics, and they're not pages and pages into the forum. I've been told not to bump old topics by posting there, but posting another topic of the same kind is bad too. but i know ig it's not solved, generally one does write up another topic of that.

See my how to on the Linuxquestions.org section of the Tutorials bit. In short, if your problem still exists you are allowed to bump it by telling us about things you have tried and the resukts - basically, you are unlikely to have sat there for x days saying "I won't touch this until the LQers come back to me", so let us know what you have tried/are trying in the meantime - any research, any commands you have tried, etc etc. That saves us saying "Try this" only to have you come back and say "I did, 4 days ago and it didn't work".

It also means that anyone who comes to your thread when looking for help with the problem can see what else they could try - just because it didn't work for you, doesn't mean it won't work for anyone else.

I wish that all new posts had the subject line updated, that way at a Quick glance it would indicate what the replier was addressing specifically, narrow down topic of your specific thread statement more accurately. Sometimes in the original post or in an area like this, many different thoughts were/ are still active. The line allows 82 characters, even though the entry window is much smaller than that. Can keep typing there until it quits, then continue in the big white block.

The courtesy of an accurate subject line may also help the writer clarify their own thought process, leading to higher quality posts / better communication / exchange of ideas / easier to search for similar / related problem.

When you are scanning search results & pause on Subj the little yellow box shows you ## characters. But as U can see I repeated / rephrased the Subj as my 1st sentence, My post is incorrect just to make this point as a test.
May/ would help satisfy some of JBailey742 idea as the Subj line is already BOLD by default.

Q1. Why is it that sometimes the little preview does not pop up? I just scanned a page of search results, some display OK, some do not?? Is it my mouse, the browser or something about the post? I thought it may have to do w/ color of envelope, but it is not consistent!

Q2. Who knows specifics of this, Max # of characters displayed in box?? Q3. Can it be modified?

If Subj reflects overview of specific thread reply, and 1st line gives more specifics, it would be more useful to the user, especially during a search. Many Qs start out & migrate, let us use all the tools given us, to help us think & work smarter, not harder.

Where it really matters is when starting a thread. I think dukeinlondon recent `Move own threads to a different forum' post 478225 is a good example of this in action, or search on the threads I started, as I have been trying to figure out best way to utilize the inital display to a viewer.

The usefulness seems lower when Quote during reply, unless we make an entry before the quote starts. TY for your considerations in providing more concise information to assist other users. d8d

That would be super...

Too bad nothing is perfect yeah, even LQ!
That's what makes this site so... homey (is that a word) or welcoming.

Would it be possible to get an instant message flash (or not) when a subscribed thread had a new posting? Displayed only when user is signed into LQ, and daily email notifications if not on-line in the LQ forums? TY d8d
btw, I really like the option to display all new postings since last visit!

We have no plans at this time to integrate IM.

--jeremy