What's better than whining on the forums? Making a difference.

[aysiu]

reporting a bug w/o internet access would be difficult.

Then how do these people manage to post threads on the Ubuntu Forums without internet access?

By the way, I posted a similar thread a while back:
What's better than whining on the forums? Making a difference.

[John.Michael.Kane]

Then how do these people manage to post threads on the Ubuntu Forums without internet access?

By the way, I posted a similar thread a while back:
What's better than whining on the forums? Making a difference.

Adding to aysiu post theres the threads below. Which outline how users can get involved.
***** Announcement Please Read First Criticism FAQ & Ways To Help *****

*****Please Read First Gutsy Gibbon Ways To Make A Difference*****

The thread regarding Gutsy can easily be updated to reflect the next version that being (Hardy Heron)

[saulgoode]

I would add that the development team and beta testers of a release do not have access to every piece of hardware out there.

If you have a piece of hardware that doesn't work on a new release, the fix is often quite simple (especially if the hardware has worked in the past or works with another distro); however, your help is necessary in order for the developers to make the fix and for testing it (one can hardly expect a developer purchase a device just for testing purposes).

My experience has been that developers very much want to make your hardware work and will go to great lengths trying to make it work. You just have to give them the chance and, as Captain Tux suggested, provide them with the necessary information and be willing to test the result.

EDIT: Wrong Tux.

[theacoustician]

1. Right on
2. Live CDs and Virtual Machines are your friend. Try before you buy.
3. More emphasis needs to be placed on how to find solutions. Many people coming from Windows are used to zero support. They don't know where to look, how to ask a question, or submit a bug report. I know this sounds dumb considering the resources out there, but think about it. People who read about Ubuntu from the Wired or WSJ aren't being told about the support structure, just about how "sunshine and roses" Ubuntu is. To compound the issue, you've got tons on so called how to's out there that basically amount to "copy and paste these command lines". They never describe the hows and whys as to what's going on. Once you get to a comfortable user level, its hard to exactly figure out how to start pitching in and giving back. I know I still haven't figured that out.

[CaptainTux]

Then how do these people manage to post threads on the Ubuntu Forums without internet access?

By the way, I posted a similar thread a while back:
What's better than whining on the forums? Making a difference.

Good thread...had I seen that one I would have bunped it as opposed ot being repetitive.

For newbies I give a pass and educate...but when you have like 200 posts and yer whining.....get in the game and help us make it better.

[kamaboko]

Then how do these people manage to post threads on the Ubuntu Forums without internet access?

Obviously not on the computer they're having inet conneciton issues with. And if that's their only computer....
Not everyone downloads this OS. They get the free CD. Also, I tossed this on a laptop with Vista and as it turned out Gutsy hozed the MBR for Vista. So...I couldn't access the interent on my working Vista install and Ubuntu refused to work with the restricted WiFi firmware. I had to use someone elses computer for inet access.

[aysiu]

Obviously not on the computer they're having inet conneciton issues with.

Then they can post a bug report off the computer that does have a working internet connection. If they have a connection to post a complaining thread, they have a connection to post a bug report.

[23meg]

Obviously not on the computer they're having inet conneciton issues with. And if that's their only computer....

Interesting fact: about 35% of forum visitors use Windows to visit the forum.

[aysiu]

Good thread...had I seen that one I would have bunped it as opposed ot being repetitive.

No worries. I've merged the two threads.

[Kangarooo]

4. Stick with Windows: just as Ubuntu isn't for everyone, Linux is also not for everyone. It's entirely possible that someone may have coaxed you into Linux, telling you lies about how it's panacea for the world's computing problems and works on every piece of hardware with little to no effort. Sorry if that happened. However, just because you don't like Windows doesn't mean you'll necessarily like Linux. Windows may be the best option for you.

So is it true that video drivers regressing so older cards wont work? So with time from beeing Linux user im just left with unusable system? It was working but starting to not work. Actually for everyone something doesnt work so everybody should now consider one of options to use Windows? Some will have solutions but actually i have 7 video cards witch now the last working also isnt working but as manual says it should be and shouldnt only with next version driver. One of cards have even never had solution.
I think better delete this option 4 so other option would work and make all drivers work so every human beeing could use Ubuntu and not only latest hardware could use Ubuntu couse Ubuntu is for human beeings and not for latest hardware (as i remember)