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mike80808
Xanscended
Joined: 14 Apr 2003
Posts: 3891
Location: St. Louis, MO
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 Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 9:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Monster_user wrote: | | The forums search feature just lists the newest threads, by default. Its like its completely ignoring the words to search for. |
It's not ignoring them, it is searching for each word (i.e. OR) separately by default, resulting in the newest post in a thread with even ONE word in your query.
The default should be for "All words" (i.e. AND) to be in the qualifying posts.
It also lists them in date order by default.
All of those options can be changed, but the biggest incorrect "default" is the OR vs AND option on the search terms. Every search engine on the planet defaults to AND-ing the search terms together, and the user must either perform two queries or explicitly ask for an OR operation.
OR is only useful for search engines looking to fluff up their result sets, not find the optimal result for the user. i.e. bigger == better, not first result == best result.
Another thing that might be helpful is to figure out a way to mark topics as to the Xandros version and/or edition. This is always a problem whenever a new version or update or edition is released.
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Thanks for all the fishes, Xandros. |
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davidalun
Xandrosianschwing
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Posts: 2172
Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 10:47 pm Post subject: |
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I don't know if the 'red zone' or something similar is going to happen, but I'd suggest that the "Gnome Desktop installed on Xandros 3" in off-topic would be good candidate to move across.
As I said before, I have no problem with folks experimenting but that's a real potential system breaker and it really should be labelled as such. I don't know if it's that obvious for Newbies.
Dave
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Dave Blythin.
Xandos 1, 2, 3, 4 ... and now PCLOS. |
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judyz
Xendrosian
Joined: 23 Jan 2005
Posts: 1243
Location: Brantford Ontario
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| Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 2:10 am Post subject: |
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This post has been moved to the new "Lab" section. Thanks for the suggestion.
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Judyz
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time, and it annoys the pig.
Xandros 4 Premium and Every Other OS I Can Get.
Ontario, Canada
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Shylock
Xandrosian
Joined: 18 Jun 2005
Posts: 190
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| Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2005 6:43 am Post subject: How about a security/hardening/protecting |
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| Can we have a section for secureing/hardening/protecting X&R? Everything is exhaustingly available on the web of course for such, but people like myself, who even though I have some familiarities with such things, am at the stage where costly mistakes can happen. Things I personally would like to see in this type of area would be the standard walkthroughs for setting up iptables, useing ids programs, which works solid in x&r which doesnt, where to d/l, and some hand holding for those new or just plain havent come into contact with such things. even basic things like what permissions you want for what, recompiling/patching your kernel to cripple it/etc (maybe have sub catagories for noob/expert/risky) I have to say for myself security is really the only reason I turn to *nix (besides not likeing the greed/underhandedness/etc of M$ of course) , and it'd probably be the only reason I left a distro like X&R (well, unless it became real lousy at performance.) so if we can educate and inform a new user to it asap, I think that would be a good thing. |
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mhwelsh
Xandrosianling
Joined: 17 Feb 2003
Posts: 496
Location: Aberdeenshire, Scotland
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| Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2005 12:36 pm Post subject: My two pennywoth. |
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Using colour as indicators is a good idea. Red - for on your own head be it,
and perhaps Orange - for it should work but store your backups first and finally Green - for idiot proof.
I would also like to see an uptodate register of other sources for 'Xandros' packaged programmes.
Matty had a go with Xandros i.d. but it was a bigger burden than he had expected. There are a number of sources on various peoples web sites and it would be nice to have a list of available programmes together with details of their location and a reference to where to find the author if you have problems. Perhaps you could call the section The Treasure Chest.
martin welsh |
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justo
Xandrosianding
Joined: 28 Nov 2004
Posts: 569
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| Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2005 7:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Hello pals. I hope to get back online soon. I have ben traveling. |
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jeffyb
Xplorer
Joined: 24 Apr 2005
Posts: 29
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| Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:44 am Post subject: |
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Another common problem is people saying "I'm having trouble getting/installing/using XYZ" when there's already a solution somewhere in the forum. I think something similar to the index sticky that's in the Tips & Tricks section is a good idea.
I also think a more obvious, more powerful search would be a great solution to reducing redundant posts. |
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Thulemanden
Xandrosianling
Joined: 30 Sep 2004
Posts: 386
Location: Denmark
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| Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2006 8:15 am Post subject: Motivation of users |
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Could be fun to be able to rate postings and users. This would make people try to perform their best.
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Linux user 322220. www.linuxcounter.org -- the more paper you use, the more trees are planted. |
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cprise
Xandrosianding
Joined: 26 Dec 2003
Posts: 592
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jimallyn
Site Admin
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Posts: 8195
Location: Wenatchee, Washington, USA
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| Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 2:24 am Post subject: |
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Being a moderator, I could remove it, but I'm not going to. I do agree that the article shows a bit of hostility toward new Linux users, and it's certainly not the way I would have written the article. To me, it reeks of RTFM attitude. Why not explain some of the differences in a bit nicer way? But, people will post whatever they like here, and unless it is obvious SPAM or something that is clearly offensive to a majority of Forums readers, we usually leave it.
By the way, if you'd like to write a more appropriate article for new users (and I encourage you to do so!), I'm sure Mike would be happy to have it on his ArchLUG wiki.
Jim
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I refuse to live in a country like this - and I'm not leaving. - Michael Moore |
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cprise
Xandrosianding
Joined: 26 Dec 2003
Posts: 592
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| Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 4:58 am Post subject: |
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| jimallyn wrote: | | But, people will post whatever they like here, and unless it is obvious SPAM or something that is clearly offensive to a majority of Forums readers, we usually leave it. |
The Getting Started forum is moderator-only and therefore carries the weight of a semi-official bulletin.
IMO it should be removed from GS. (No need to move it, since its already being linked gleefully in the other forums.) 
I can think of better places than Xandros to get a large helping of geek-superiority pathos and unhelpful excuses.
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"We need the computer power you're not using." Join ClimatePrediction.net at the BBC. |
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XandrosAdminAJ
Site Admin
Joined: 03 Jun 2004
Posts: 3580
Location: Saskatchewan, Canada
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| Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 1:54 pm Post subject: |
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| cprise wrote: | | jimallyn wrote: | | But, people will post whatever they like here, and unless it is obvious SPAM or something that is clearly offensive to a majority of Forums readers, we usually leave it. |
The Getting Started forum is moderator-only and therefore carries the weight of a semi-official bulletin.
IMO it should be removed from GS. (No need to move it, since its already being linked gleefully in the other forums.)
I can think of better places than Xandros to get a large helping of geek-superiority pathos and unhelpful excuses. |
As the poster of the 'offending' post, I didn't know this concern until stumbling across this reply to an older thread. I haven't see the 'gleeful' links either. At any rate, I thought there was enough good info that would be of service to those doing switching to post it. I would be more than pleased to consider adding a brief paragraph of advice on how to consider the info or similar. The forum has been advice and discussion versus authoritative in any final sense. I posted the original link in that light. As it and Xandros have grown, perhaps it has taken on more of that character. Thanks, arnoldjames. (P.S.: while not wanting to open myself to a flood, there is an email link for me in my posts, which would be more find-able that stumbling on another thread).
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War doesn't determine who's right - only who's left. |
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cprise
Xandrosianding
Joined: 26 Dec 2003
Posts: 592
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| Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:14 pm Post subject: |
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I'm not going to change your mind arnold. So if you add anything to the Getting Started post, I suggest you edit the original to include a few quoted paragraphs from the article.
That at least would be good form.
Now if you're uneasy about the impression those paragraphs might leave, on display right there in Getting Started, well I can't help you there.
Most everything from "Linux is deliberately designed for the well-informed, knowledgeable user, rather than the ignorant beginner." is arrogant and misleading. It advances the notion that the Linux community rightfully only catering to its peers: people who aren't lazy and unworthy.
| Quote: | Fourthly: Where, in any of the above text, did you see a way that FOSS would actually benefit from attracting lots of typical Windows users?
Take your time. Re-read it, if you like. I'll wait.
The guiding principle of Linux and FOSS is "make good software". It is not "Make Windows-replacing software". The only thing a horde of typical Windows users will contribute to Linux is complaints. |
Wow. 
| Quote: | To suddenly throw that all away and focus instead on making Linux all about replacing Windows would be to kill the very thing that has made Linux what it is. There are corporations out there that have seen Linux's growth, and want to cash in on it. They're frustrated by the GPL, which makes it very hard for them to sell Linux at Microsoft prices. "Linux will die if it stays open," they say, "as nobody can make money off it like that."
They don't realize that making Linux proprietary would be killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Linux became big because it was FOSS, and nobody was trying to make it a Windows substitute. Linux is thriving because it's fighting Windows on a front that Microsoft can never defeat it on: Open-ness and quality. |
Practically an anti-Xandros rant.
Then he goes on to use vi as an example of user-friendliness and throws a "Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair" cartoon in their face.
This is inhospitable attitude toward Xandros' customers, to say the least.
| Quote: | | "User-friendly" and "raw functionality" are exclusive. All the little buttons and drop-down menus that are vital to make a piece of software simple to use are just obstacles that get in the way of the experienced user. |
Except where elegance and simplicity are more user-friendly AND more functional (which is most of the time). No surprise this person "heard" that Macs are nice. Why is he offering detailed cross-platform commentary? He's not speaking from experience when he judges software design on Windows and Mac OS.
| Quote: | | If I want to paste the value of a formula in Excel, I have to do it via the Edit->Paste Special->Paste Values menus. I don't want to navigate through all these pain-in-the-rear 'friendly' menus, sub-menus and dialogue boxes. I just want to do it. And, to be fair, if I reprogram the shortcut keys and record some macros, I can make Excel and Word do most things at the push of a button. |
Talk about being unfair and dishonest. What does his Excel example have to do with his preference for vi and the CLI? Nothing whatsoever, except to say that seldom-used functions don't come preconfigured with easy shortcuts. But this is often true in the CLI that may require typed multi-word commands or extended escape sequences even within an application.
I am an experienced user; None of this is any skin off my nose. I've never been primarily a "Windows user", having treated the platform with suspicion from the start. But I know enough about software design to see when someone is trying to justify their blatant indifference to a legitimate audience.
In 'Off Topic' this article would be interesting fodder for discussing the expectations of different classes of users. But in the context of helping users get started with XANDROS, it is hostile.
'Xandros Is Not Red Hat'
Xandros is sold as a Windows replacement. Maybe you should just go somewhere else if you don't like that fact.
That's the same kind of unwelcoming advice given in your Getting Started post.
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"We need the computer power you're not using." Join ClimatePrediction.net at the BBC. |
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woodsmoke
Xanalandingdonger
Joined: 30 Jul 2005
Posts: 4970
Location: United States
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| Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 7:45 pm Post subject: |
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Well, to put my two cents worth in......
The guy had some valid points of "where Linux came from" but he does have a snob appeal tone to everything he said about "all I have to do...."
It very wearieingly reminds me of the interminable arguments in PC magazine 15 years ago about the arguments of ctrl-alt-whatever and the mouse gui.
NEITHER is "better"......it is all a matter of taste and preference.....me....I've got fifty things going on at once and do not want to take the time and trouble to learn commands....if it take a little time to pull down two menues....that is still time SAVED to me.......
There is a whole wonderful world of folks out there that can remember every algebra equation in the world.....I will never be them.....they can solve equations out of their head....me...put the equation in front of me and I can solve it....but never remember it....He however, might not be able to distinguise the difference in the number of teeth on an oak x hickory tree hybrid....I can.....
It is two different ways of thinking...both valid, both work.....
but I would come down on the side of maybe moving it to off topic....OR putting a caveat on it ....because there will be cash paying folks that might hit it very first thing....
dunnno...
just my thoughts
ain't xandros GREAT!
woodsmoke
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If the eco-ists would only shut up, I wonder if the sound of their droning would be replaced by the sound of normal people fitting solar panels and making soup from nettles and twigs.(J Clarkson) |
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nealklomp
Xplorer
Joined: 12 Feb 2006
Posts: 4
Location: michigan north of the D.
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| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2006 3:33 pm Post subject: my two or three cents here. |
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First the article is horribly written. Not in content or grammar, purely the tone.
That said it is also very informative and is motivating in a way.
I am going to switch to Xandros--been downloading for almost a whole day--then eventuarlly move to something slightly more direct, and still more direct until I find a system that suits.
But I am a former semi-serious computer hobbiest and have some skills to work with.
The author does miss the point though that leaving M$ is political and economic statment.
An important one.
The person has issues, it doesn't mean that he doesn't have something of a point, nor does it mean he doesn't know what he's talking about and ultimatly it doesn't mean that there isn't a lot to learn from them.
My suggestion would be throw a little disclaimer out there for the article. I.e., 'newbies' there is much to learn here, but this person is kind of mean. That said, it is important for you to get an understanding of the serious Linux users percpective, etc.
oh, hello all. |
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