Are forums less helpful then they used to be or are people less appreciative?
#1
Brick 
Looking for comments on help you have received and how much you appreciated it?

Or how much you helped someone and did not get any appreciation?

It seems to me that forms are becoming less and less helpful. Only simple forum topics on XBMC get answers from what I have experienced. XBMC Topics that are more complicated or offer an almost solution cant get that final answer.

How many here were able to get your complicated topic question answered and how long did it take? I'd turn this into a poll but don't know how.
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#2
i think the main problem is that people ask for solution without even reading/searching a few topics first,
they ask for help but don't provide details of there problems.
debug log (wiki), what they already tried etc.
or they ask help for add-ons XBMC/Kodi doesn't support.
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#3
(2014-09-23, 20:52)TRaSH Wrote: i think the main problem is that people ask for solution without even reading/searching a few topics first,
they ask for help but don't provide details of there problems.
debug log (wiki), what they already tried etc.
or they ask help for add-ons XBMC/Kodi doesn't support.

This x1000. The amount of times I refer people to the XBMC wiki is outrageous. They can just simply search for most of their issues.

I see this lot's on the OpenELEC forum as well.

Something that also bugs me is when people ask if they can do something, but don't provide the purpose to why they are doing it. Many times there is a simpler solution then what they are wanting to do.
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#4
I can only speak for myself but I have never asked a forum for a solutions without a very exhausted search. For example I have 2 pending issues that I can not get resolved and I believe both are possibly easy but my limited linux knowledge stops me from progressing.

Now in the past I used to provide less information about my problems (this is on other forums and were talking over the last 5-8yrs, when I knew even less then I know now). The difference is I would get responses far greater then I do now but of course I would get asked a lot of questions and for additional information. I noticed this took up all the time to getting to the answer so I started to provide as much info as I could about the problem right in that first post. The issue is I think people that that is to daunting and skip trying to help me. What do you guys think?

Here is an example of one of my topics: http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=204134
For this remote Ive got the answer but I simply can not figure out how to get it to work for the newest kernel.

Here is another on openelec: http://openelec.tv/forum/113-video-decod...n-openelec

Irusak if your the same guy as on openelec then I was waiting for your response to the displaylink topic lol..
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#5
I generaly dont ask questions here, mostly I try to answer them or guide people to the answers or try to follow some logical backwards troubleshooting to try get to some solution, that often requires that specific information is emparted by the question poser. If by 100 Questions I answer to a valid solution, I ask one question the return is lesser and often I have no answers or solutions at all., but on the other hand some reports I have made for issues have been fixed in source code because I persevere and try to ask in right places and try to provide as much helpful information as I possibly can.

You ask a very specialized question for that kernel patch adaptation, one person who is very experienced told you straight up its a complicated request, one thing is to get the patch to compile, the other to actually have it work.

Essentially at the risk of sounding rude, you are half expecting something to be done for you and at that you expecting specialist coding skilled people to help you with that. Try to remember that this is volunteer only boards and that no one is under any obligations to provide you with the correct answer or do anything at all to try to help you if they:

A) dont have the time
B) dont have the skills
C) dont have any interest on the solution even if they have plenty of time or skills.

you require specialist C++ coding with a deep understanding of in kernel and kernel drivers, if you honestly think its simple, then let me tell you its not.

You probably would be better off asking in correct communities that kernel developers frequent, mail boards, irc channels or even specific forums. The chances of the correct person with time, skills, interest for that what you ask are slim around XBMC forums immho Smile And even in correct places, you may be out of luck.

To answer the last part of your question, people are just less appreciative, or dont like the answers they get which makes them double ingrates. Wink
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#6
It's already been said, and I agree completely, asking without searching is a sign you don't want to do anything for yourself. "please spoon feed me the solution I want"
I'm a relative newbie here but I have spent countless hours reading around all the things I would like to have Kodi do, guess what it already does 99.9% of the things I want, I love it!

The lack of appreciation is a wider symptom, try talking to a stranger in the street, most will walk on and look at you like you're a nutter (maybe I am and nobody told me)
People seem now; less patient and less able to ask nicely, or say thanks and mean it than even 10 years ago.

I've been a forum user too long and have seen a shift in the user demographic, varies for the type of forum, but on the whole ungrateful trollish oiks seem to be breeding.

Oh and if at any point someone helped me and I didn't thank them (unlikely I didn't) thanks, you're all geniuses!
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#7
I wouldn't say forums are less helpful - the amount I've learnt from this very one is staggering - but I do agree that there does seem to be an increase in the number of people who just post questions asking for solutions when they've put no effort in. As a rule I tend to only answer queries when someone's clearly made an effort (unless it piques my intellectual curiosity...) and I will only post questions once I've thoroughly searched for potential solutions. This is what I like about stackoverflow - sure, sometimes comments are a bit blunt but they are always clear about what they expect someone to have done before asking for help.

Quote:The lack of appreciation is a wider symptom, try talking to a stranger in the street, most will walk on and look at you like you're a nutter (maybe I am and nobody told me)
People seem now; less patient and less able to ask nicely, or say thanks and mean it than even 10 years ago.
This made me laugh. I've become immune to this having lived in London for the last 10 years, it's just what I expect. However, what I loved when I was in Paraguay, was strolling down the streets and just chatting to random people, sharing a drink with them. However, as fun as that was, I never got anything done!

Back on topic, what really bugs me is when someone asks a question, someone else posts a long helpful answer and then there's no reply. No "Thanks, that worked". Nothing. That's just plain rude.
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#8
(2014-09-26, 15:05)el_Paraguayo Wrote: I wouldn't say forums are less helpful - the amount I've learnt from this very one is staggering - but I do agree that there does seem to be an increase in the number of people who just post questions asking for solutions when they've put no effort in. As a rule I tend to only answer queries when someone's clearly made an effort (unless it piques my intellectual curiosity...) and I will only post questions once I've thoroughly searched for potential solutions. This is what I like about stackoverflow - sure, sometimes comments are a bit blunt but they are always clear about what they expect someone to have done before asking for help.

Quote:The lack of appreciation is a wider symptom, try talking to a stranger in the street, most will walk on and look at you like you're a nutter (maybe I am and nobody told me)
People seem now; less patient and less able to ask nicely, or say thanks and mean it than even 10 years ago.
This made me laugh. I've become immune to this having lived in London for the last 10 years, it's just what I expect. However, what I loved when I was in Paraguay, was strolling down the streets and just chatting to random people, sharing a drink with them. However, as fun as that was, I never got anything done!

Back on topic, what really bugs me is when someone asks a question, someone else posts a long helpful answer and then there's no reply. No "Thanks, that worked". Nothing. That's just plain rude.

I think it also has to do with the amount of people who have access to the internet. I remember gaming 10+ years ago and using the internet. The majority of people I encountered (I was gaming) were serious gamers who had some at least GENERAL knowledge of how PCs worked and most forums were far less populated with serious members.

Now? Forums definitely are less helpful and many forums have degenerated into down right cesspools. I know some general forums I visit with PC sections, the whole PC section is unusable. It's FILLED with trolls and I'm not talking about just members. Mods will join in on the trolling too.

Another thing I noticed, is people who ask a question. No one knows the answer but they try to help. Then the OP will come back, say "I got it working thanks guys I figured it out myself!!!!" the not provide the steps as to how they figured it out. Like are you serious? Just list it just in case someone else wants to know.

Forums and the internet in general has declined in usefulness as even advertisers are realizing the benefits of forums more and more and there are forum members on a number of forums who have clear affiliations with companies or are clearly pushing xyz company's products as their job.
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#9
On a related note, the quality of questions varies according to sub-forum. As a gross generalisation, in ascending order of user ability:

Android, Rpi, windows, Linux.

In particular:

Android users tend to have bought some crap box after looking at a YouTube video and don't understand why it doesn't work, and that we don't support most of the included addons. Don't have a clue about reading the wiki or any other instructions, couldn't get a debug log to save themselves.

Rpi users often want the instant experience and are often not very computer literate. Again they have seen YouTube videos. However usually willing to learn.

Windows users generally a bit geeky and have researched their hardware for htpc.

Linux users have made a conscious decision to be using Linux. Sometimes complete newbies but willing to learn.

Of course these are gross generalisations, and not designed to offend!
If I have helped you or increased your knowledge, click the 'thumbs up' button to give thanks :) (People with less than 20 posts won't see the "thumbs up" button.)
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#10
+1 on what nickr said
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#11
+0 on what nickr said

Mostly correct, but I would place RPi users slightly higher because I am one.
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#12
(2014-09-27, 09:52)Karnagious Wrote: +0 on what nickr said

Mostly correct, but I would place RPi users slightly higher because I am one.

I knew I'd get called out for my post. Of course Karnagious I'd hope you realize that you certainly aren't caught up in the broom of my sweeping generalizations
If I have helped you or increased your knowledge, click the 'thumbs up' button to give thanks :) (People with less than 20 posts won't see the "thumbs up" button.)
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#13
@nickr - I note you didn't put Apple users on that spectrum anywhere... Smile

Anyway, at least on this forum you don't get the knee-jerk "uve probabbly gotta virus an kneed two refommat everyfing" responses you get elsewhere. Respondents try to be helpful even if the OP hasn't necessarily presented the best case they could ...
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#14
I think another issue is that the community has grown so much that a lot of posts get over looked. I have made posts and when I go back an hour later mot often than not there a hundred unread posts after I posted mine. Any post can be easily buried especially a complicated one where most people will gloss over because that are not tech savvy enough for that issue.

I had a question about using poweredvd 13 for an external player for BD play back and I think I waited days before someone posted and it was also help with that problem. I eventually gave up.
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#15
Again, these are international (timezones) volunteer only boards not only that more people "demand" help then people providing help. Who on their right mind wants to spend hours upon hours going through endless posts that are and probably been addressed.

Just not possible, large PAID staff ran boards for commercial products take 2 or 3 days to reply to threads. If EVER gets a reply.

Here its a free product, free support, free everything and people largely expect a reply within hours. If they dont get one, either bump the threads annoyingly or eventually give up. And most active users providing help or trying are not active in all platforms.

Honestly speaking, avoid like the plague, the Android sub forums, Windows, OSX and most others non Linux, not just because I dont really use XBMC on those platforms mind. I find the general posts are already answered many times over. more than 50% of my posts in reply is answering with links to answers of that nature. Trying to reply to 1 posts as well as multiple posts users equally just across general and Linux specific is already impossible.
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