An idea about the Cafe questions

[forrestcupp]

I know it's not that long before the system gets upgraded, but we don't know how long the Cafe will still be down after that, and it appears that there have been a lot of questions about it. People are just going to skip over the announcement at the top just like they do the stickies.

Maybe the admins could create a thread somewhere explaining the issue and move it to the Cafe, like you have done to other threads that belong there. That way, there would be an explanation right there in the main thread section for the people who don't pay attention to the stickies and announcements. I know people should pay more attention, but they don't. Maybe this would cut down on the number of threads here asking the same questions about the Cafe.

[Joeb454]

I had considered doing this when I created the sticky here in Forum Feedback & Help. That said, we now have the notice at the top of the index page which explains that the forum will be down to fix issues as well.

[lisati]

To add to what Joeb454 has already posted: Please actually read the full announcement. You can do so by clicking on the link in the announcement.

[forrestcupp]

I had considered doing this when I created the sticky here in Forum Feedback & Help. That said, we now have the notice at the top of the index page which explains that the forum will be down to fix issues as well.The only problem is that's part of the top section that everyone just skips. I just brought this up after seeing two separate threads earlier today asking why they can't post in the Cafe. Evidently, people aren't seeing all of these announcements.


To add to what Joeb454 has already posted: Please actually read the full announcement. You can do so by clicking on the link in the announcement.
Lol. Nice. :)

After clicking on the link 7 times, a funny picture will appear on your screen. :)

[bapoumba]

After clicking on the link 7 times, a funny picture will appear on your screen. :)

I see you found the Easter Egg, hey :)

[MisterGaribaldi]

I'd like to echo forrestcupp's concerns.

I sent a PM to KiwiNZ about this and proposed a solution which I will not go into here. Suffice it to say that it's premised on the basis that "people" don't pay attention and that the "gentle" approach just flat doesn't work, as is I think adequately proven by the number of "Why can't I post in the Community Cafe?" threads we've seen in the weeks since this has gone on.

And, with the deliberate effort of putting "too fine a point on it", let me add that not only are "people" not paying attention to the announcement, but they are also not paying attention to the prior "Why can't I post" threads, either.

IF "people" did pay attention, we wouldn't now be discussing this. Q.E.D.

EDIT: I would like to add an additional thought.

It is *clearly* a waste of the admins' / mods' time to bother responding to these repetitive and pointless threads, as is the rest of us community members responding and re-responding ad nauseum.

Therefore, I propose admins/mods either:


Ignore all future such threads and let them wither on the vine; or

As rapidly as possible lock them without ANY response, and then issue 0 point warnings to those posting them so then at least they'll have some incentive to pay attention.

[forrestcupp]

Therefore, I propose admins/mods either:


Ignore all future such threads and let them wither on the vine; or

As rapidly as possible lock them without ANY response, and then issue 0 point warnings to those posting them so then at least they'll have some incentive to pay attention.
It's frustrating because it's been going on a while, but be honest. Back when you were first wondering what was going on, did you learn by clicking on the announcement or by reading it in a thread? I know I didn't learn it by reading the announcement (until I found out about the announcement in a thread). It's not really their fault they're just coming into it later than we did.

We can beat up a person who comes asking because they wonder what's going on, and that will help that person. But it won't help the next hundred people who are just coming upon this for the first time.

That's why I think what I suggested would actually benefit in cutting down on these threads.

[sydbat]

See...I have a much better (and possibly sinister, yet definitely fun) idea - keep putting all the cafe related threads into the cafe, but never open the cafe up again!

This way, all the trolls who never help anyone in the rest of the forum, and do nothing but cause annoyances (like having to upgrade hardware just to keep the cafe open, while the rest of the forum is running just fine without it) will all go away and never come back. We all know who they are...

[MisterGaribaldi]

See...I have a much better (and possibly sinister, yet definitely fun) idea - keep putting all the cafe related threads into the cafe, but never open the cafe up again!

This way, all the trolls who never help anyone in the rest of the forum, and do nothing but cause annoyances (like having to upgrade hardware just to keep the cafe open, while the rest of the forum is running just fine without it) will all go away and never come back. We all know who they are...

You, sir, are truly evil. And you are now officially my hero.

Props, sydbat.

[Irihapeti]

I must say, sydbat, that something of the kind had occurred to me.

The only drawback is this: the MODs will get BORED! And we can't have that, you know.

On second thoughts, they might enjoy laughing evilly at the frustrated would-be caféites just as much...

[GregBrannon]

From the peanut gallery:

I try to be a responsible community/forum member, I read stickies in those area I visit frequently (mostly Programming Talk) and forum announcements, but I don't spend time looking for them when UF looks different. I may be curious, but if it's important, I figure I'll see a thread on it.

Though I visit 2-3 times daily, I was probably one of the last to know there were problems, and I learned of them in one of these kind of threads. I still haven't seen the sticky or announcement referred to, so I don't know what it means to "read the whole thing . . . follow the link."

This is what I do when I visit: I start at the main forum page, http://ubuntuforums.org/ (no mention of forum troubles there, though there is a note that the forum will be down for a few hours to upgrade hardware), and then I select "New Posts." I review ~10 pages of new posts, read and respond to those that interest me, and I leave.

[MisterGaribaldi]

Greg:

While I can appreciate what you're saying, ultimately this comes down to one's view on personal self-responsibility and self-reliance vs. pushing that responsibility on someone else.

If one cannot post in a given area of a message board of which they are presently a member in good standing, is it really rational to ask, as many on here evidently have, if the admins/mods suddenly and randomly blocked them or neutered their account? Would it not occur to a reasonable person to explore other areas of the message board to see if it were still possible to post there? And, having done that, would it then not also be reasonable for such a person to draw the conclusion that something is afoot with the area they couldn't post in?

I know my views aren't necessarily "politically correct" or "kid gloves" in nature, but really, at what point do we eventually draw the line and say "You must be at least this mature or intelligent to enjoy this message board"?

In my own case, I was well aware UF was having problems, what with all the über-long hesitations and eventual time-outs while attempting to post -- and also the frequent double-, triple-, and even quadruple postings. Not that long afterward, the administration closed down the Community Café area and posted a message (this was prior to the blue notification). Deducing the fact that there was a legitimate reason why it was no longer possible to post there didn't exactly take a genius to figure out.

Afterward, the administration put up the blue notification, and I can tell you for a fact that, had I not been on UF until after it had been posted, I would have noticed it and read it. That would be my responsibility as a UF member. It very clearly states what sections have been closed and why, as well as the fact that the administration in consultation with Canonical themselves are actively interested in and striving to fix the problem.

I am aware that today's generation has a short attention span, and I'm aware this particular crutch is frequently used to prop up all sorts of otherwise-objectionable or unacceptable behavior, but in the end it is simply no excuse for it.

Now, I'm not sitting here typing this and pointing to you or anyone else in particular and making accusations. It is not in my mind as I write this that I think badly of you, and I'm not trying to single you out in any way, so don't try and read that into what I've written here. I'm simply responding to your concern and, indeed if I'm trying to suggest or imply anything at all, it is that UF administration would be well advised not to be guilted into catering to the lowest-common-denominator, and that the membership of this or any other message board simply needs to live up to their individual and collective personal responsibilities as intelligent human beings.

[Lucradia]

I see you found the Easter Egg, hey :)

What easter egg? :P *clicked on it 7 times, didn't work.*

[forrestcupp]

What easter egg? :P *clicked on it 7 times, didn't work.*

:lol:

[Giant Speck]

See...I have a much better (and possibly sinister, yet definitely fun) idea - keep putting all the cafe related threads into the cafe, but never open the cafe up again!

This way, all the trolls who never help anyone in the rest of the forum, and do nothing but cause annoyances (like having to upgrade hardware just to keep the cafe open, while the rest of the forum is running just fine without it) will all go away and never come back. We all know who they are...
You clever devil, you!

[MisterGaribaldi]

You clever devil, you!

Indeed. :D

[unknownPoster]

See...I have a much better (and possibly sinister, yet definitely fun) idea - keep putting all the cafe related threads into the cafe, but never open the cafe up again!

This way, all the trolls who never help anyone in the rest of the forum, and do nothing but cause annoyances (like having to upgrade hardware just to keep the cafe open, while the rest of the forum is running just fine without it) will all go away and never come back. We all know who they are...


That is one of the best ideas I've seen to remedy the situation at hand. Granted I'm sure it is not a popular opinion.

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

That is one of the best ideas I've seen to remedy the situation at hand. Granted I'm sure it is not a popular opinion.

:lolflag:

Keeping the Community Cafe closed may not be all that bad of an idea.

I noticed that I have been posting more to the help subforums lately. When I have some time to kill, I can't spend it by reading the posts in the Community Cafe. That may be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your opinion of my advice. :)

I would miss reading about peoples' opinion on technology events/news however.

[Joeb454]

Once we've had an opportunity to ensure the new server has resolved the performance issues we were seeing, we will look at re-opening the Cafe :)

You might find it hard to believe, but I'd like it back too :p

[MisterGaribaldi]

Once we've had an opportunity to ensure the new server has resolved the performance issues we were seeing, we will look at re-opening the Cafe :)

You might find it hard to believe, but I'd like it back too :p

*rolls to disbelieve*

*gets a 1*

*uh oh...*

[Mariane]

Why can't I post in the community cafe? :p



If one cannot post in a given area of a message board of which they are presently a member in good standing, is it really rational to ask, as many on here evidently have, if the admins/mods suddenly and randomly blocked them or neutered their account? Would it not occur to a reasonable person to explore other areas of the message board to see if it were still possible to post there? And, having done that, would it then not also be reasonable for such a person to draw the conclusion that something is afoot with the area they couldn't post in?


Not necessarily. It's the first time I come across a forum which has one section down while the rest is still operational, unless it's a newly created section and the admin got the permissions wrong. As I was able to post elsewhere, when I discovered that I couldn't post in the cafe I thought the rules had changed and that maybe now you had to apply for some extra permission to be able to post there. I came here to ask about it and found the answer reading this thread.

The stickies usually contain very detailed descriptions of how to do this or that, they are very useful when you need them and very boring when you don't. So I usually skip them.

Mariane

[cprofitt]

*rolls to disbelieve*

*gets a 1*

*uh oh...*

OK... which game are we playing? AD&D with a D20? Gurps with a D100?

[s.fox]

Thread is moving off topic.

The original query has been answered by Joeb454.


Once we've had an opportunity to ensure the new server has resolved the performance issues we were seeing, we will look at re-opening the Cafe :smile:

You might find it hard to believe, but I'd like it back too :razz:

Thread Closed.