Helping in forum

Chat about Zorin
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I really think it's a shame that all the work people put into the forum gets so little recognition. In particular, I've noticed that the more effort I have to put into solving problems because there aren't yet any forum posts on the topic that I could simply follow, the fewer positive responses I get in return.
That kind of dampens the joy I get from exploring.
I think many users can benefit from it when you share your knowledge, and it surprises me that there’s so little response.

It bothers me less when it comes to things I can whip up off the top of my head and write down in a few minutes. But when it comes to guides that take me hours to put together, it makes me very sad. Is all the work that goes into documentation worth it if it apparently means nothing to others?

Or is it too difficult or too new?

In any case, I’m very frustrated by the lack of interest and have lost some of my enthusiasm for contributing in this way.

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It is the unsung hero problem.

I have been flattered by seeing a reply on the forum where a person says, "Oh wow. It's you. I followed your guides years ago."

And a few weeks ago, I joined a discord channel in order to ask a very basic question (about a video game, mind you) and I got the "OMG it is THE Aravisian!" reply. Which... sent me running out of the server after a while.

And I have made my share of enemies on Discord channels, too. Which we won't discuss! :grin:

The point is... for years, people were quietly helped. And the only reason I found out was a happenstance encounter, much later.

You have helped me, more times than I can count. From questioning something I said, to spotting a typo, to expanding the topic into a whole new area of learning.
Sometimes the reward is in knowing you are making a difference.

That is the real thing. The real thing that keeps you going.
Not a clap on the back.
But someone, out there, tired. Frustrated. Feeling lost.
Finding your guide... and moments later, problem solved. Life is well, again and... You never even knew how much you had made so many peoples day.

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For me, the best part is seeing someone happy that I helped them. That makes me happy.
Or when someone shares my joy when I've figured something out. Shared joy is double the joy.

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Well with new folks coming in to zorin everyday.it seems like, Im sure we will see folks who are glad we are here to help. I dont look for thanks myself but just to serve

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I have worked in IT operations for over 10 years in various roles. I remember every time someone was extrememly happy with the results, response time, etc.. I have, on more than one occasion, printed out an email or written down what someone said to me when he or she was happy or wrote me a kind note.

However, this kind of response is rare, perhaps 2% of the time. Most people encounter an issue, become overly frustrated, seek help way too late, or tolerate a work around. When the solution is reached, people typically forget entirely that it happened and who fixed it. This happens mostly in directly customer facing areas.

But I would like to leave this on an encouraging note. Everyone on these forums has always maintained an extremely knowledgeable and curteous attitude. It does not go unnoticed. I read perhaps 50x more than I post an everyone here is contributing to more than they know. Even those asking for clarification or when ones post isn't marked as the answer contribute positively to these forums.

So I want to say thank you here. To you, OP, and everyone who contributes. Thank you and Godspeed.

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...with low expectations, it is a real celebration when it happens.
So heads down, read, type, repair, repeat.

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I do try to make a positive comment on helpful posts, and things I resonate with. I confess to often not even seeing the guides recently (I will make an effort from now on). They don't always turn up in forum searches, and when I go to make a post, the "similar examples" are often not even close... I think it is one reason why there are so many duplicate posts when things go wrong, like "kernel panics" (that phrase always makes me LOL because I have a very visual imagination!). Also, the forum rules discourage "useless posts" that just agree or disagree... that stops me commenting a lot, especially when it's easy to go off on a tangent.

However, you are all very much appreciated indeed! In fact, @Forpli, I'm in the process of making the bootable USB to install Zorin_OS 18 Lite, as you recommended yesterday! It's "cooking" at the moment, but taking a while because it's an ancient USB pen drive, so I'm checking for bad blocks.

As a teacher, I made my peace with a seeming lack of gratitude many years ago. Having said that, it's amazing just how many people do remember what you said, what you did and how you helped them. Many people don't know how to express that easily, but as @Aravisian mentions above... they DO remember because you DID make a positive difference.

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Yes, that's true. When I was helped here during my transition to Linux (and even now) I was so moved by the helpfulness, patience, and kindness shown to me as a beginner that I'll never forget it.

That’s one of the reasons why I’m now trying to pass some of that on to others who find themselves in the same, often helpless situation of trying to figure out the system.
Yes, and I probably learned most of it myself in the process of helping others, because I wouldn’t have had to solve so many problems on my own system.

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Ich bin sehr dankbar dafür, was ich an IT Wissen Zorin OS Linux und an Geduld und Weisheit menschlich von Euch Experten lerne, insbesondere von Dir @Forpli, und auch besonders von Deinen Dialogen mit @Aravisian, wo die Fragen und Antworten wie ineinander verschwimmen (zum Beispiel Edit grub file from live USB stick). Manchmal lernt man am meisten, wenn einen jemand teilhaben läßt am eigenen Lernprozess.

Und diese Teilhabe macht dieses Forum so wertvoll.

Auf meinem Desktop liegt ein "Spickzettel" namens "Linux Commands" gespeist von Euren Beiträgen als Essenz. Mit Eurer Hilfe habe ich Timeshift aufgesetzt, Back in Time Backups meiner Userdaten realisiert und meinen Desktop verschönert. Das macht mir jeden Tag Freude. :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

I am very grateful for what I to IT Zorin OS Linux Knowledge and patience and wisdom human of you experts to learn, especially to You @Forpli, and particularly of Your dialogues with @Aravisian, where the questions and answers to blur into each other as (for example, Edit grub file from live USB stick). Sometimes you learn the most when someone is a part of the learning process.

And this is what makes this Forum so valuable.

On my Desktop, a "cheat sheet" called "Linux Commands" powered by Your contributions, as the essence is. With your help, I've set up Timeshift, Back-in-Time Backups of my user data and my Desktop embellished. It gives me joy every day. :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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this is my shortcuts list i first made in zorin 17

image
image831×390 51.2 KB

I also have a keyboard pad with alot of the usefull commands
Theres a post in forum...somewhere of a pic of it too

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20260825_1344391920×1440 302 KB

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I found this post helpful:

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That is a good solution for all of of us, regardless of how long we have used Linux. I suspect many struggle to remember infrequent used commands. A simple text file serves the purpose, from which you can cut-and-paste from if needed.

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Wow! I LOVE it!!! :heart_eyes:

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This is a difficult problem that every human faces; our species has always lived in communities, it was and undoubtedly still is a question of survival! Recognition is necessary, it allows the individual to find their place, to feel in unity.
It’s a spiritual, philosophical and undoubtedly political question!
However, let's think for a moment about certain great works bequeathed by the ancients anonymously (the cave paintings of Chauvet, Altamira, the Baghavad Gita... certain gospels which belong more to communities according to certain research - like John, Homer himself according to certain sources would only be a "nominee"...

This notion of the individual is quite recent; to say this is not to minimize the role of the person and their importance.

Strangely, it is good and gentle to act "in the shadows" - far from worldly affairs, in a selfless way, without worrying about the pangs of the ego.
Flowers bloom even if we don't pay attention to them and how many more things are offered without us having anything to do with it...
In terms of ego I know a lot, believe me, I am an artist and a teacher - the kingdom of potential demiurges, creators of universes! :melting_face:

However, how good it is to give without hoping to receive, to open the hand of giving wide - to have confidence... perhaps this too, I confess, is a story of faith!

Free Software and many other works were designed through the dedication of its contributors; I am happy to have helped in associations or via communities, to lend a hand as best I can from the top of my rare technical skills.

But it matters more to me to know if something will germinate in the minds of those who cross our path, something that they will learn to make exist; despite everything, it is not in the least up to me whether a transmission takes place.

What is important to me is to act as best as I can on a daily basis, without expecting anything in return and despite my mistakes - this is what obstructs our vision, the expectation of feedback, of a comment. I suppose that the fact of not, or almost not, contributing to social networks encourages this attitude... Being a dad perhaps also.
If as a teacher I focus too much on student feedback, suffering will inevitably appear even though the students move on so quickly to something else, the following year they have almost all forgotten you! So what? In truth, this is not so important if we have faith and confidence in what we are defending.

That some people speak up, play positive roles and defend what needs to be defended is normal, that we are sometimes "liked" for helping, why not, but let's not make a big deal out of it, real heroes offer their lives every day and this world probably does not need us to exist; However, we can participate positively, taking responsibility with lightness to cross shadow and light.

If the ideas defended by free software matter to us, this is what must prevail! Of course, if we could get together sometimes and share a beer or a hot chocolate around these and other questions, it would be a game changer!
It is indeed important for us humans, not to remain isolated, to create links, solidarity accepting divergences and particularities...

Yours sincerely

Translated via Dialect (Zorin software center)

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