Suggestions for Programming Talk FAQs

[LaRoza]

As you all (probably) know, there is a Recurring Discussions forum.

I suggest everyone go read text on the top of the forum that states its purpose.

Very few programming questions get moved there, and as you see from its contents, it is full of pointless threads.

Now, I recently closed a "what language do I learn" type thread http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=685202

That thread clearly qualifies for the Recurring Discussions forum, however, I don't like the shame of that forum.

So my question to you all is:

Should such threads be closed after refering to the stickies or should they be moved to the Recurring Discussions and left open?

I think it is better for those wanting to learn to review the material already written and prepared for them (the stickies) then to have to follow the discussion which follow such threads.

[CptPicard]

I see no problem really with tossing the threads to recurring discussions -- if someone wants to discuss within the context of the shame of that particular forum, why not let them, after making the point clear that there is a sticky.

I'm pretty sure our discussions will revolve around similar topics here anyway, after all:

Everything returns as before, and there is nothing new under the Sun, and man never changes although his clothes change and also the words of his language change.

Every now and then, we may even come up with novel points of view, so no reason to terminate threads prematurely

[amingv]

Searching the Ubuntu Forums is a quick way to see if someone has had your issue and if it has been answered. In a forum as large and active as this one, there's a good chance your question has been answered before, and you can get the information you want quickly.

And yet:

If the users' question has been covered in one of the community documents, please give them a description and the links. Some useful sites to point green users are: wiki.ubuntu.com, www.ubuntu.com, the forum HOWTOs, and doc.gwos.org. You can also show the user how to search the forums or tell them about the forum search utility. If you wish to remind a user to use search tools or other resources when they have asked a question you feel is basic or common, please be very polite. Any replies for help that contain language disrespectful towards the user asking the question, i.e. "STFU" or "RTFM" are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

Myself; as of today I have had no need to create a new thread (I have found everything I need in older ones), but new users are not likely at all to search back in the forums. Still, I get your point and I agree that this will only lead to the same threads being made over and over again, we all know them by heart ('python first', 'type sudo apt-get install build-essential', 'use g++ for c++ code, not gcc', etc...) but closing the thread as the information has been provided might cut off the feedback of the OP, if the problem actually turns out to be different.

In a nutshell: I agree that threads of the kind 'what language to learn' can point to the stickies and be done with (closed), but other threads may need further consideration.

[LaRoza]

In a nutshell: I agree that threads of the kind 'what language to learn' can point to the stickies and be done with (closed), but other threads may need further consideration.

Yeah, I realize this forum is massive, and don't expect much other than reading the stickies.

[RIchard James13]

I think you will know what to do when the time comes. There is no blanket answer.

[Compyx]

How about creating a Programming Talk FAQ and making it sticky?

In such a thread you can put questions that pop up over and over again and provide an answer. Such as:

Q: 'no such file or directory: stdio.h'
A: sudo apt-get build essential
(some info why the above will solve the problem)

Perhaps making sections per language or problem-area (general compilation issues, kernel compilation, etc).
And ofcourse avoiding flame-bait questions: best language, best ide, best editor, best indentation style, etc.

Once we have established a good FAQ and made it sticky and closed, it will hopefully reduce the noise in this forum because a) people actually read the FAQ before posting or b) we can simple say 'read the FAQ'.

[LaRoza]

How about creating a Programming Talk FAQ and making it sticky?

In such a thread you can put questions that pop up over and over again and provide an answer. Such as:

Q: 'no such file or directory: stdio.h'
A: sudo apt-get build essential
(some info why the above will solve the problem)

Perhaps making sections per language or problem-area (general compilation issues, kernel compilation, etc).
And ofcourse avoiding flame-bait questions: best language, best ide, best editor, best indentation style, etc.

Once we have established a good FAQ and made it sticky and closed, it will hopefully reduce the noise in this forum because a) people actually read the FAQ before posting or b) we can simple say 'read the FAQ'.

Read the current stickies....

There is a Learn to Program FAQ, and there is a "read before posting" thread which has exactly some of the things you stated and more.

[aks44]

Taken from the "Recurring discussions" foreword (emphasis mine):

Subjects that are almost completely subjective in nature, and are obviously not a technical discussion, but a battle to trash to other side. Debates in which each side has no intention of listening, only attacking. Note: technical discussions should never fall under this category, so discussion on what Distro or OS is good for a certain computer with low specs, as the forums often get, will not qualify.

As I understand it, the kind of threads you're targeting doesn't fit there.
So I say, just merge them. At least we'll end up with less than a dozen megathreads instead of zillions of recurring threads. Just my 0.02.

[LaRoza]

Some discussions seem to come up over and over. This is a place for those sorts of topics, topics that have been discussed numerous times without the addition of new thoughts or idea. Generally, these are the sorts of things that cause arguments that are not based on merit or logic, but on personal tastes and desires.

These are the sorts of topics and discussions we may/will move here:

* Subjects that are almost completely subjective in nature, and are obviously not a technical discussion, but a battle to trash to other side. Debates in which each side has no intention of listening, only attacking. Note: technical discussions should never fall under this category, so discussion on what Distro or OS is good for a certain computer with low specs, as the forums often get, will not qualify.

* Any subject that has repeatedly been discussed, and further discussion is pointless.

* Proposals or suggestions that will never be implemented, for a variety of reasons, but what new users of these forums have commonly suggested. These may include "make Ubuntu more like Windows" discussions or "include this feature in the forums."

Note: we aren't trying to eliminate positive debates and conversations, we're just making a place for the more pointless ones...the "are we having this discussion again???" type.

There is more to it than just the clause you chose, emphasis mine. You just selected a single example, out of three, and the thread topic I cited fulfills the exact requirements of the Recurring Topics description.

[aks44]

Hmm, it makes sense. The first time I didn't understand the whole text as you just presented it, I guess I focused too much on the "non technical" part.

So IMO the "What is the best..." threads definitely belong to the Recurring Discussions.