Forums: antix vs. other distros

[Member mikey777]

The antix community forum is a friendly place, with many knowledgeable folk who appear only to happy to help with any difficulties or questions. I think many here would agree wholeheartedly with that.

However, a key difference that I’ve found between the antix forum and other distro forums, and something that I really like, is that members are not ranked here through the use of a likes-button. After you’ve been a member of a forum community for a while, it becomes pretty obvious who the kind, helpful and experienced Linux folk are, without resorting to the number of likes next to someone’s name as an indicator.

These are the main reasons I dislike a likes-button in Linux community forums:
– it generates a hierarchy and therefore less egalitarian, the elite being the ones with the most likes
– number of likes is not necessarily the best indicator of technical experience – sometimes it can merely indicate entertainment value
– it can turn the forum into a popularity contest
– sometimes it encourages folk to post clickbait, to maximize their number of likes, which will have some knock-on effect on the quality of at least some postings
– it feels a bit childish

These are just my views – feel free to disagree.

• This topic was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by mikey777.
• This topic was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by mikey777.
• This topic was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by mikey777.

▪ 32-bit antix19.4-core+LXDE installed on :
- (2011) Samsung NP-N145 Plus (JP04UK) – single-core CPU Intel Atom N455@1.66GHz, 2GB RAM, integrated graphics.
▪ 64-bit antix21-base+LXDE installed on:
- (2008) Asus X71Q (7SC002) – dual CPU Intel T3200@2.0GHz, 4GB RAM. Graphics: Intel Mobile 4 Series, integrated graphics
- (2007) Packard Bell Easynote MX37 (ALP-Ajax C3) – dual CPU Intel T2310@1.46GHz, 2GB RAM. Graphics: Silicon Integrated Systems.

[Member seaken64]

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I’ve not noticed the “likes” in other forums. But I also don’t visit a large number of forums. It sounds like a Facebook feature. Could these other forums be on Facebook?

I do like some of the features of other forums such as editing and searching. This forum software is somewhat limited in comparison. But I do agree that the antiX forum is a good bunch and always ready and willing to help others and not just pump up their own image.

Seaken64

[Anonymous]

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[Member mikey777]

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seaken64 wrote:

I’ve not noticed the “likes” in other forums. But I also don’t visit a large number of forums. It sounds like a Facebook feature. Could these other forums be on Facebook?
Seaken64

Yes, quite a few forums use some sort of hierarchial system – some call it “likes”, others call it “level”, “beans”, etc, some examples being PClinuxOS, Ubuntu, Mint, Lite, Bodhi, and so on. As you say, Facebook use this a likes feature, but I don’t use Facebook or social media in general.

I’ve noticed that antix has introduced a helpful/not helpful button. That’s probably better (more descriptive) than likes. So far, is anyone using it, and will it be used to rank members ? I’d hate being labelled as “unhelpful” – I suspect the consequence of that would be that noone would want to talk to me (lol).

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by mikey777.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by mikey777.

▪ 32-bit antix19.4-core+LXDE installed on :
- (2011) Samsung NP-N145 Plus (JP04UK) – single-core CPU Intel Atom N455@1.66GHz, 2GB RAM, integrated graphics.
▪ 64-bit antix21-base+LXDE installed on:
- (2008) Asus X71Q (7SC002) – dual CPU Intel T3200@2.0GHz, 4GB RAM. Graphics: Intel Mobile 4 Series, integrated graphics
- (2007) Packard Bell Easynote MX37 (ALP-Ajax C3) – dual CPU Intel T2310@1.46GHz, 2GB RAM. Graphics: Silicon Integrated Systems.

[Member mikey777]

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@skidoo
I think that illustrates perfectly the futility of the likes system!
Reading your quote made me laugh.

▪ 32-bit antix19.4-core+LXDE installed on :
- (2011) Samsung NP-N145 Plus (JP04UK) – single-core CPU Intel Atom N455@1.66GHz, 2GB RAM, integrated graphics.
▪ 64-bit antix21-base+LXDE installed on:
- (2008) Asus X71Q (7SC002) – dual CPU Intel T3200@2.0GHz, 4GB RAM. Graphics: Intel Mobile 4 Series, integrated graphics
- (2007) Packard Bell Easynote MX37 (ALP-Ajax C3) – dual CPU Intel T2310@1.46GHz, 2GB RAM. Graphics: Silicon Integrated Systems.

[Forum Admin Dave]

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No the helpful / not helpful is not a rating for the user and is anonymous.
2 main things:
– it allows the user to skim over the posts finding the most common solution to the stated problem. (this can be autosorted to first reply but is currently turned off to keep the timeline correct). This should also make the search function work better (Though I have not immediately seen how)
– to gauge faq items without everyone replying to say they had the same problem.

mikey777 wrote:

I’d hate being labelled as “unhelpful”

Probably nobody does, so it is now a smiley

Computers are like air conditioners. They work fine until you start opening Windows. ~Author Unknown

[Member mikey777]

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@Dave
Thanks Dave – that sounds a sensible system. I’m relieved that antix didn’t/isn’t going down the “likes” route.

EDIT: just noticed someone has changed the “unhelpful” to “:D”. That feels much better – thanks!

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by mikey777.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by mikey777.

▪ 32-bit antix19.4-core+LXDE installed on :
- (2011) Samsung NP-N145 Plus (JP04UK) – single-core CPU Intel Atom N455@1.66GHz, 2GB RAM, integrated graphics.
▪ 64-bit antix21-base+LXDE installed on:
- (2008) Asus X71Q (7SC002) – dual CPU Intel T3200@2.0GHz, 4GB RAM. Graphics: Intel Mobile 4 Series, integrated graphics
- (2007) Packard Bell Easynote MX37 (ALP-Ajax C3) – dual CPU Intel T2310@1.46GHz, 2GB RAM. Graphics: Silicon Integrated Systems.

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