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| Posting Rules & Guidelines |
FedoraForum.org Rules & Guidelines
Welcome to FedoraForum.org
Here are the forum rules, some guidelines, and some tips on how to ask
and answer questions. Our goal is to provide a civil, helpful, and
consistent environment for members to request and provide help while
keeping everyone, including the forum staff, happy.
How To Post
Click on the "Forums" link at the top of any forum page and select the
forum appropriate for the topic after reading the descriptions. Once
inside the forum, click the "New Thread" button on the top left to get
a text box for entering the post text. But first, read and understand
all of the rules and guidelines below.
Forum Rules
The following rules must be obeyed. They are for the good of all the
members of the forum. Failure to comply with these rules will result in
administrative actions all the way up to loss of membership.
1). Respect the forum staff.
Staff members serve without pay to keep the forum
running efficiently. They monitor threads and posts to ensure
compliance with the forum rules. Decisions by and instructions from
Administrators and Community Managers are final and must be respected.
Do not argue with a staff member or make derogatory comments about a
staff decision or instruction in a thread. Members should contact staff
members via a private message (PM) to discuss decisions or instructions
from the staff. Never ignore or fail to comply with decisions or
instructions by a staff member.
2). Don't be abusive.
Abuse of other members never accomplishes anything
useful. The staff takes a dim view of people who instigate or
participate in such conflicts. We are here to help each other not fight.
3). Don't cross-post
(double-post).
Posting the same content in multiple parts of
the forum is counter-productive and wastes the time of other members.
Cross-posting leads to confusion when replies are made in the duplicate
threads. Staff members will close, merge, or delete duplicate threads
and posts. Posts or threads advertising other posts are also considered
to be cross-posting.
4). Don't advertise in threads
or posts.
Threads, posts, signatures & home pages are not to be used to
advertise a product. Links to other sites that sell products also may
be considered advertising. With prior staff approval, some
non-commercial forms of publicity may be allowed. Always check with a
staff member before posting such content.
5). Don't breach copyright.
Never upload or post copyrighted material without
first getting the permission of the copyright owner. Include in the
thread or post that the permission of the copyright owner was obtained
and identify the copyright owner.
6). Don't use profane language
or post images containing nudity, violence, or other offensive content.
Our members can be as young as thirteen and people
of all ages can view your posts. Therefore, all content here has to be
considered family friendly. A staff member will edit or delete threads
and posts with potentially offensive content and issue a warning to
stop the practice.
7.) Don't post content that is
religious, political, or sexually explicit.
There are many forums for such posts. This is not
one of them. Most people have strong feelings on these topics and may
be offended or provoked by such content. A staff member will close
threads that veer into these topics.
8). Don't post content about
"cracking".
Content about any form of password or encryption
"cracking" is not allowed. Even though there are packages such as
aircrack in the repositories, discussions about cracking or software
related to cracking often lead into discussions of illegal activities.
A staff member will close threads related to "cracking" and other illegal activities.
9). Don't post homework
questions.
Its obvious that getting someone else to do your
homework is a form of cheating. A staff member will close any threads
asking for help on homework assignments.
10). Don't post garbage or
nonsense.
Posts containing nonsense or inane ramblings are a
waste of time, space, and often provoke members. Such posts will be
closed or deleted and members who post such material will be in danger
of losing their membership. A staff member's judgment regarding the
value of such posts is final. Non-linux content should be posted only
in the Wibble sub-forum or in the Social Groups area of the forum
(under User CP).
11). Don't post in languages
other than English.
Fedora and FedoraForum.org are both* located in the
USA. While we have an international membership, we must insist that
English is used in all posts as questions and solutions must be
standardized and the staff must be able to understand them. Threads and
posts in other languages will be closed with instructions to post again
in English. Please don't worry or apologize about imperfect English.
Forum members understand this issue well and will compensate for
English language errors. *(Note: FedoraForum.org itself is not
officially connected with or sponsored by FedoraProject or Red Hat,
Inc.).
12). Don't re-post moderated
threads.
New members may notice that their first few posts do
not appear in the forum immediately (a.k.a. "moderated"). This is a
normal circumstance to allow a staff member to review the post content.
Be patient when that happens and do not submit the post again. A staff
member will review moderated posts as soon as possible. Acceptable
posts will be released from moderation. Posts that violate the forum
rules will be deleted.
13). Use the default font type, size,
color, and justification in posts.
There are various font types, sizes, colors and
other options available for the text in posts. However, the default
font type, color, size, and justification should be used for all
routine post text. Use other font types, colors, and sizes sparingly
and only when needed for emphasis or special formatting circumstances.
Using non-default font attributes routinely or capriciously will not be
allowed. Staff members may edit such posts and issue a warning to stop
the practice.
14.) Don't create multiple
accounts.
Only one account is allowed for each forum member.
Extra accounts will be deleted or merged and a warning will be issued
to stop the practice. A request for a username change can be submitted
via the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of every forum page or via a
private message to a administrator who is online. Generally, this
courtesy is granted only once, so think carefully when requesting a
change.
15). The posting rules also
generally apply to signatures, avatars, and usernames.
Inappropriate content in avatars and signatures is
not allowed, however the staff may allow religious symbols or signature
quotes when they do not offend others.
A staff member will request changes to signatures
and avatars and usernames that are considered inappropriate. The staff
's judgment is to be considered final in all matters.
Guidelines
These guidelines, if followed, can help members get more from the forum
and make it a more pleasurable experience for everyone.
1). Be polite.
Nobody should need this explained to them.
2). Use informative thread titles.
Thread titles such as "Heellllppp!!!" or "ARGH!!!!!"
are guaranteed to reduce interest in a thread. Use a thread title that
is specific and informative while still being brief such as "Mouse
Glitch/HD Hit Once Per Second" or "No Sound With PulseAudio". A clear,
brief, and informative thread title will attract more people with the
relevant skills and knowledge to the thread.
3). Add white space to posts.
Organize the content of posts into proper
paragraphs. Doing so not only improves comprehension of the subject
matter, but also avoids the look of a "wall of text" which usually
repels readers.
4). Capitalize appropriately.
Capitalize the first letter of the first word of
every sentence, proper nouns, proper names, and so on. Avoid typing in
all uppercase text which is considered the equivalent of screaming. Do
not type in all lower case which makes the author appear to be lazy and
also is hard to read.
5). Use proper punctuation.
Use standard English punctuation. It is ridiculous
to omit punctuation and expect people to want to read such gibberish.
Also don't use multiple question marks and exclamation points to try
and express emotions like desperation or irritation.
6). Use proper formatting.
Use the [CODE] tags around terminal commands and
code. Use [QUOTE] tags around comments by other members or sources.
These and other formatting aids are available as icons in the "New
Thread" text box or by clicking "Go Advanced" when replying.
7). Don't use texting abbreviations,
leet-speak, slang, or colloquialisms.
Never forget that people around the world will be
reading posts here. Abbreviations, leet-speak, slang, and
colloquialisms may not be universally understood.
8). Don't invent acronyms and use as
few acronyms as possible.
Most people use and understand certain very common
acronyms such as FYI (for your information), IMO (in my opinion), AFAIK
(as far as I know), as so on. Those are acceptable. But stick to the
very common ones and avoid littering posts with those.
9). Don't "bump" posts.
This is the practice of posting again, usually with
useless content, in an attempt to attract attention to a thread. It
typically is a sign of impatience and desperation. Staff members
consider it to be rude. To help prevent this practice, the forum
controls automatically add any additional post to the first post as an
edit within the first 24 hours. If a post has received no replies after
twenty-four hours, the proper way to post again is with a description
of the efforts exerted to solve the problem in the meantime and the
results.
10). Report bad posts.
Use the "Report Post" link above every post when
something needs to be brought to the attention of a staff member (e.g.,
advertising spam, an abusive post, or a thread in the wrong sub-forum,
etc.).
11). Don't PM or email individuals
with requests for help.
The right way to get answers to problems is to post
in a thread and let everyone have a chance to respond. That also makes
the solution available for the benefit of other members. Staff members
and other knowledgeable members donate their time to help solve
problems, but personal requests are impolite and an imposition.
12). Go easy on the images.
Including images in posts often helps to explain
something more clearly, but not everyone has bandwidth to waste on
downloading large image files. When posting images is important for a
post, make sure that the images are scaled down (to prevent people
having the scroll around to view a large image) and compressed to yield
a file size of 100KB or less. Images are not normally allowed in
signatures as they can significantly increase the load time for users.
When an image in a signature is important, keep it small in scale and
filesize, and low-key (non-irritating).
13). Use emoticons as intended.
A collection of emoticons is available to add to the
text of a post for the purpose of helping readers understand subtle
meanings or humor that might otherwise be misunderstood. The emoticons
can help convey the writer's intended meaning. But use the emoticons as
intended and sparingly. Occasionally, a member will get the idea to
splatter emoticons all over the place in their posts. This practice is
annoying and a staff member may warn you to stop the practice.
14). Don't troll, flame, or whine.
Trolling is posting provocative and inflammatory
content to get people upset. Flaming is posting aggressive, hostile,
and insulting responses also to provoke a reaction. Neither of these
activities are acceptable whether intentional or not. Trolling and
flaming usually involve the violation of one or more forum rules and
can result in administrative actions by a staff member. Whining usually
is done to express displeasure with something, such as Fedora, without
asking for help or even identifying a specific problem. People often
are compelled to submit whining threads to tell the forum members they
are leaving and never coming back. It's never really necessary to post
such things, but when compelled to do it anyway, do it in the "Reviews,
Rants & Things That Make You Scream" sub-forum.
15). Your problem/answer deserves it's own thread.
Posting your problem on someone else's thread is impolite. You should start a new thread to explain your problem, referring back to an older one if necessary. Also, if the thread is more than a few months old, chances are that the original poster is no longer interested in your new ideas or solutions. CM's and Admins. will close older threads with new posts and may split off the new post to it's own thread. Possible solutions will be retained on the old thread, however, to help others who may be searching.
When Asking Questions...
- Read the Fedora Set-Up Guides and search
FedoraForum.org before asking questions. For best results, add your
Fedora version number in the search text box.
- Check the "Read This First" sub-forum for
assistance. Search the Fedora mailing lists and try searching with
Google as well. There's a good chance your question has been answered
before.
- Provide adequate details. Include the Fedora version
and the architecture of the computer (i.e. AMD, Intel, 32-bit, 64-bit,
cores, etc.). For video issues, include the video card make and model.
Include the version of the component causing the trouble and anything
else that might be useful to helpers. For third party RPMs, explain
where you got them. Attach screen shots or other files that might be
relevant.
- Don't be self-deprecating. Don't talk yourself
down. Don't call yourself an idiot, and so on. None of that is
necessary. Everyone was a newbie at some point.
- Don't mark your question as important or
critical. All questions asked are equally important.
- Return to a thread when a question has been
answered, or a problem has been solved, and give your thanks to the
people who helped you. It generates good will. And as your skills
increase, consider coaching others.
When Answering Questions...
- Don't use jargon in answers and instructions
if it can be avoided. Newbies may not understand. Without being
condescending, adjust the terminology in the reply to the level of the
person receiving it.
- Never reply with RTFM or refer people to
Google. Just be quiet and move on instead.
- Point the user to existing resources if they
can provide useful information. Use community sites like the Fedora
Set-Up Guides and FedoraProject.org as resources in replies. Searching
for the issue at Red Hat Bugzilla also is a good idea.
- Always assume the user has a default
installation unless they say otherwise.
- Always assume that the user is a newbie unless
it is clear they are not. Give detailed instructions.
- Do things the Fedora way. There is always more
than one solution to a problem. Choose the one that will be the easiest
for the user. For example, suggest automatic package installation (YUM,
PackageKit, or Yumex) over manual installation, and binary RPMs in the
repositories over source. Where possible, suggest using the official
Fedora repositories and the related RPM Fusion repository. They are of
higher quality. Don't replace any core packages and never instruct
users to do anything that might break their system, this includes using
--force and --nodeps when installing an RPM. Try to think as a newbie
and choose the simplest solution.
- Explain each step of a solution. The ideal
solution to a problem should teach the user how to solve similar
problems in the future.
Thank you for
using FedoraForum.org.
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