Where's ubuntuforums.org?

[vasa1]

Go to this page: https://help.ubuntu.com/
Enter something appropriate in the search box
Hit enter
Look carefully at the next page
I couldn't see a single mention of ubuntuforums.org. It's not there as a filter option. I couldn't find a single search result pointing to a post at ubuntuforums.org

It's deja vu all over again :(

I wish someone would come out openly and honestly and explain what's going on.

[Paqman]

I wish someone would come out openly and honestly and explain what's going on.

Have you actually asked? Maybe open a bug against ubuntu-docs (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-docs/+bugs)?

[buzzingrobot]

That page is labeled "Offical Ubuntu Documentation", which these forums are not. Can't be, actually.

The forums are listed under the "Community" link at the top right of the page.

For comparision, here is the documentation page for Debian (http://www.debian.org/doc/) and Fedora (http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/index.html)

[sanderj]

Go to this page: https://help.ubuntu.com/
Enter something appropriate in the search box
Hit enter
Look carefully at the next page
I couldn't see a single mention of ubuntuforums.org. It's not there as a filter option. I couldn't find a single search result pointing to a post at ubuntuforums.org

It's deja vu all over again :(

I wish someone would come out openly and honestly and explain what's going on.

help.ubuntu.com says "Official Ubuntu Documentation". Ubuntuforums.org is not official.

So ... better use google.

[Paqman]

help.ubuntu.com says "Official Ubuntu Documentation". Ubuntuforums.org is not official.

So ... better use google.

I think his point is that it does return links to askubuntu.com, which isn't official either.

[sffvba[e0rt]

The only issue I see is the fact that Ask Ubuntu gets a glorified position and isn't added to the Community tab... This is normal.


404

[buzzingrobot]

Aren't answers at AskUbuntu edited and vetted, in some fashion, unlike here?

[Paqman]

Aren't answers at AskUbuntu edited and vetted, in some fashion, unlike here?

True, and people like Jorge Castro are pretty prominent, but it's not clear if he's doing so on company time. However, Canonical also supports this forum somewhat.

[Buntu Bunny]

It is listed on the Ubuntu Community Finding Help (http://community.ubuntu.com/help-information/finding-help/) page.

[varunendra]

I believe people in need of help will eventually find the place that is most useful to them, and once they find it, they won't rely on search boxes like that.

If the quality of the posts/answers we have here is not as good as those on askubuntu (or better), we won't get a prominent position on pages like that.

If we do have better support and more helpful answers, we won't need a prominent position on pages like that. Most people use search engines anyway and search engines don't care whether the best answer comes from an official link or an unofficial one.

The important thing to think about or discuss is that askubuntu does have a way to optimize the good and correct answers and it helps users (new as well as experienced ones) quickly find the one that is most helpful (editing / ranking). We don't have such a system here on the forums and more than often the good answers are lost in the huge pile of subsequent posts that may just be comments or half-cooked, individual's solutions.

I feel the need for a ranking system or something alike that helps users quickly (instantly, if possible) find the answers that have proved to be most useful.

We do offer more dedicated, user-specific help here. But not many people have the interest or time to get involved in a possibly lengthy process of finding help (searching through a number of thread pages) or troubleshooting a problem, especially when most of the potential traffic consists of users who just want to 'Try' the OS to see if it is interesting.

[mikodo]

It does seem a slight, that an Official Ubuntu Documentation page search function (https://help.ubuntu.com/) returns AskUbuntu (http://askubuntu.com/) links and not Ubuntu Forums (http://ubuntuforums.org/forum.php?) links.

I use googlubuntu (http://www.googlubuntu.com/) a lot too. I wish it included AskUbuntu (http://askubuntu.com/). I guess one needs to do searching in both.

"tis strange.

[castrojo]

True, and people like Jorge Castro are pretty prominent, but it's not clear if he's doing so on company time. However, Canonical also supports this forum somewhat.

Employees participate in many parts of the project, I tend to spend about as much time here as on Ask Ubuntu (it's in my daily bookmarks). If I'm on company time it's usually related to whatever I am doing at the time, like curating the Juju tag or something or helping someone with a specific server problem.

[buzzingrobot]

AskUbuntu, like the other "Ask" sites, is a place to ask questions and get answers. Forums have a broader charter and can incorporate discussions that have little or nothing to do with technical issues (like this thread).

Now... the Linux world is full of forums, but, imo, this forum can stand as an example for the rest of them (I think the inclusion of the "Absolute Beginners" section was brilliant. I tell people that if they want a real appreciation of the problems and issues faced by brand new Linux users trying to leave Windows behind, they should read it.)

[fontis]

It makes sense though doesn't it?
Ubuntuforums isn't officially affiliated with Ubuntu. It just happens to be the biggest Ubuntu-centric forum, right? :D

[buzzingrobot]

It makes sense though doesn't it?
Ubuntuforums isn't officially affiliated with Ubuntu. It just happens to be the biggest Ubuntu-centric forum, right? :D

What makes sense?

If you mean Ubuntuforums should be part of the "Official" documentation, then I disagree. That "Official" label imples vetted, approved, etc.

[nothingspecial]

It makes sense though doesn't it?
Ubuntuforums isn't officially affiliated with Ubuntu. It just happens to be the biggest Ubuntu-centric forum, right? :D

These are the official Ubuntu forums and are affiliated with Ubuntu.

[coffeecat]

Just to add to what nothingspecial posted (thanks, nothingspecial!).

There was an about Ubuntu forums link from the home page that somehow went awol when the upgrade from VB3 to vbulletin4 was done in February. I'll look into putting it back. The text was:


The Ubuntu Forums were created by Ryan Troy (ubuntu-geek) in October 2004. The forums became a popular resource for Ubuntu and were deemed the Official Ubuntu Forums in November 2004. The forums hosting continued to be maintained and paid for by Ryan until March 2006, when Canonical graciously offered hosting for the forums. In June of 2007 the forums domain, license and assets
were transfered to Canonical who is now the sole owner of the forums.

[vasa1]

Go to this page: https://help.ubuntu.com/
Enter something appropriate in the search box
Hit enter
Look carefully at the next page
I couldn't see a single mention of ubuntuforums.org. It's not there as a filter option. I couldn't find a single search result pointing to a post at ubuntuforums.org

It's deja vu all over again :(

I wish someone would come out openly and honestly and explain what's going on.

Just to make things clear .... my point is about the links thrown up by the search if you follow the steps I outlined above and not about official versus non-official or this help avenue versus that one.

Anyway, the search results page seems to be undergoing some changes because something I saw at the time I started the thread (and noted by at least one person here) isn't there right now.

[fontis]

Just to add to what nothingspecial posted (thanks, nothingspecial!).

There was an about Ubuntu forums link from the home page that somehow went awol when the upgrade from VB3 to vbulletin4 was done in February. I'll look into putting it back. The text was:

Wow lol.
I must have missed that completely.
When I joined the forums they weren't "official". Guess times change!
I stand corrected!

[monkeybrain2012]

Employees participate in many parts of the project, I tend to spend about as much time here as on Ask Ubuntu (it's in my daily bookmarks). If I'm on company time it's usually related to whatever I am doing at the time, like curating the Juju tag or something or helping someone with a specific server problem.

I noticed that you haven't addressed the main point of the thread. :)

[castrojo]

What's the main point of the thread? I don't know why it's not mentioned there, or why it would need to be?

[Paqman]

I noticed that you haven't addressed the main point of the thread. :)

To be fair, it's not really his job.

[vasa1]

What's the main point of the thread? I don't know why it's not mentioned there, or why it would need to be?
The main point is restated a bit more clearly here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2162138&p=12730310#post12730310

[castrojo]

Oh, the code is available, see the link at the bottom of the site, lp:ubuntu-docs. Add a branch to add support for it and then submit it for merge!

[vasa1]

To be fair, it's not really his job.
How true.
To be fair, I'm still left actually wondering.