Attempting to help on unanswered questions

[slooksterpsv]

Tonight I've been clicking on each page of the Unanswered Posts reading the topic and seeing if its something I can help with. I've done a lot of posts tonight just doing that, hoping my suggestions help. I figure I can help others out while I wait for it to cool down so I can go to sleep.

Do you guys monitor the unanswered posts to help others out? I try to so people can see we're trying to help answer their questions. Hehe. I wonder if I should apply for moderator hmm...

Hope everyone's having a good night. =D

[Elfy]

There is a team on the forum doing just that https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UnansweredPostsTeam

But I'd like to think that others do so without being in a team :)

[Bucky Ball]

Good for you, slooksterpsv! Keep up the good work. ;)

Like Elfy said, and adding to that, the unanswereds and 1-3 posts are what I mostly try and deal with when I check 'New Posts' (and I'm not on the team). From the discussion that happened when the team was getting together, I think most staff try and help out with unanswered posts when they can, on the team or not.

[sudodus]

Good for you, slooksterpsv! Keep up the good work. ;)

Like Elfy said, and adding to that, the unanswereds and 1-3 posts are what I mostly try and deal with when I check 'New Posts' (and I'm not on the team). From the discussion that happened when the team was getting together, I think most staff try and help out with unanswered posts when they can, on the team or not.

+1

Welcome slooksterpsv as a helper for the 'unanswereds' and other hard problems :-)

[Jonor]

I enjoy spending time doing this. People who are equivocating because they are not sure they are knowledgeable enough should bear in mind that often the more informed members seem to hold back from responding because of a lack of basic information by the OP.
Ask the OP for some of the missing basics and if it is beyond your own experience someone else will often help out.

[deadflowr]

I enjoy spending time doing this. People who are equivocating because they are not sure they are knowledgeable enough should bear in mind that often the more informed members seem to hold back from responding because of a lack of basic information by the OP.
Ask the OP for some of the missing basics and if it is beyond your own experience someone else will often help out.

I find the need to ask for more info happens more often than I would like.
But if others are going to be able to help, someone needs to get that ball rollin'.

Overall, though, I find most posters acknowledge the fact that those helping are all over the world, and they do appreciate the fact that someone, anyone, is willing to take the time to at least push them in a workable solution.

[Bucky Ball]

I find the need to ask for more info happens more often than I would like.
But if others are going to be able to help, someone needs to get that ball rollin'.

Overall, though, I find most posters acknowledge the fact that those helping are all over the world, and they do appreciate the fact that someone, anyone, is willing to take the time to at least push them in a workable solution.

Yea, sometimes you take a poster to the limits of your own abilities and, just in the nick of time, someone wakes up across the world with the knowledge to take it to a resolution. ;) The joys of the forums.

The third link in my signature is a good one for posters who need a few hints on posting effectively and what info to supply.

[Elfy]

For new people landing here looking for help, I find that this link is really helpful for them to look at this (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1422475&p=8920811&viewfull=1#post8920811)

[Bucky Ball]

For new people landing here looking for help, I find that this link is really helpful for them to look at this (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1422475&p=8920811&viewfull=1#post8920811)


The third link in my signature is a good one for posters who need a few hints on posting effectively and what info to supply.

Snap! Ninja! ;)

[slooksterpsv]

Elfy is a ninja, dang.

[chili555]

Do you guys monitor the unanswered posts to help others out? I mostly only answer unanswered posts and posts where the OP posted a reply that said 'bump' in some form. I am on no specific team.

Once in a great while, a long thread screams out, "Read me!!" I only jump in if I conclude that the well-meaning and hard-working person that's working with the OP is never, ever going to find the answer wandering down the wrong road as they are.

On Networking and Wireless, where I play, there are quite a few very talented people responding so it's sometimes hard to find a good, juicy unanswered post.

[slooksterpsv]

I may not have the best answers, but I try. The networking with iptables and routes and manual wifi configuration is seriously not my forte, but regular networking like drivers and that I can usually help out with.

[Bucky Ball]

I may not have the best answers, but I try. The networking with iptables and routes and manual wifi configuration is seriously not my forte, but regular networking like drivers and that I can usually help out with.

Yea, I leave the heavy lifting to chili555. ;) :)

[slooksterpsv]

Yea, I leave the heavy lifting to chili555. ;) :)

Hmm... now to figure out how to tag chili555 in every single post ;)

[tgalati4]

These forums reflect the original intent of Ubuntu--an open operating system for humans. The spirit of humanity is helping others, so although there are a lot of ways to get help with Ubuntu and Linux-related questions, I find these forums are closest to the Spirit of Ubuntu.

[chili555]

Hmm... now to figure out how to tag chili555 in every single post ;)Ouch! Looks like I'll be busier than ever. Thanks, guys!

[veddox]

First I check the unanswered posts, then the Absolute Beginners section. I'm not all that terribly experienced yet, but I figured I know enough to help a few newbies out :-)


These forums reflect the original intent of Ubuntu--an open operating system for humans. The spirit of humanity is helping others, so although there are a lot of ways to get help with Ubuntu and Linux-related questions, I find these forums are closest to the Spirit of Ubuntu.

+1

My programming prowess it not really on a level to help in the active development of Ubuntu, but at least I can help here...

[Bucky Ball]

My programming prowess it not really on a level to help in the active development of Ubuntu ...

You don't really need any to join in and contribute. Just by using Ubuntu and reporting bugs you are helping. You don't need any programming skills to install, say, the testing 4.10 and start posting in Ubuntu +1 and reporting bugs. ;)

Take your pick:

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=help+testing+ubuntu+14.10

[bashiergui]

I mostly only answer unanswered posts and posts where the OP posted a reply that said 'bump' in some form. I am on no specific team. Finding ones with no more than 0 responses are easy enough. Do you use a specific advanced search string to find the bumped threads?

[deadflowr]

Finding ones with no more than 0 responses are easy enough. Do you use a specific advanced search string to find the bumped threads?

I use logically thinking.
I look at a thread as it is listed, then I look at when it was made then look at the last post.
If the thread was made 20+ hours ago, and the last and only reply post was by the OP an hour ago, chances are it's a bump.

[Bucky Ball]

If the thread was made 20+ hours ago, and the last and only reply post was by the OP an hour ago, chances are it's a bump.

My modus operandi ...

[chili555]

I use logically thinking.
I look at a thread as it is listed, then I look at when it was made then look at the last post.
If the thread was made 20+ hours ago, and the last and only reply post was by the OP an hour ago, chances are it's a bump.Exactly!

[bapoumba]

I'm trying to answer one unanswered post a day. But most of the questions fly high over my head ..

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

...
If the thread was made 20+ hours ago, and the last and only reply post was by the OP an hour ago, chances are it's a bump.

I do that as well. However, sometimes they are posts to say they solved the problem themselves. Then they don't tell what the solution was. :confused:

That is almost as bad as the OP that edits their original post and changes the text to "deleted". Obviously those are the people that don't search for solutions before posting for help. :evil:

[Bucky Ball]

... sometimes they are posts to say they solved the problem themselves. Then they don't tell what the solution was. :confused:



I ALWAYS, and would advise others to do the same, ask the user to share their fix with the community. 9 times out of 10 they reciprocate. ;)

[slooksterpsv]

Got it fixed, won't tell you how but I did it! =D
Yeah.... those posts I'm like... uh... well what?! Did I miss, and I'll re-read the post like 5 times and search for it.