forum rules

i dont think this post is in the right section, but i couldnt really decide which one was appropriate, and this question seems simple enough, should normal users, ie non-moderators, tell other users if their post is in violation of the forum rules? like if a question is obviously a homework question, (my teacher wants us to.....) should users who are not moderators tell them, your post is against the rules.................
or should we not and let the moderators handle it? i would think that it wouldnt hurt for us to do that, but i could also see that maybe they wouldnt want us to, because maybe WE are actually making the mistake because the thread actually isnt violating rules, well id really like to know what the mods think.
thanks.

First let me say, if someone were to read the impetus for the creation of this site, they would understand this site is for the advancement of our KNOWLEDGE of UNIX for the WORKPLACE and for HOME USERS. Practical knowledge to make our jobs easier and for personal advancement of individual knowledge.

Second, doing someone's homework for them is counter-productive and in direct opposition to Neo's reason for creating this site. I would go so far as saying it is tantamount to CHEATING. Like having a Dad do his child's homework. (( Don't take this as any reflection on the intellect of the users )) The person doesn't LEARN, they only imitate what someone has told them the answer is.

Now, as a non-moderator person, let me say that when I see blatant abuse of the no homework policy, I will speak up. Regarding posts that are borderline, I usually give a gentle warning and may give a few hints to the answer if the user is asking politely. Usually posters understand and it isn't a big deal. However, occasionally there are a few who take offense, but only a very few.

I personally don't think it is wrong for non-moderators to take active participation in this site. We are the "neighborhood watch" for this forum.

I have been posting here for over a year now, and I consider this issue to be a matter of everyone policing everyone. As long as it remains civil, I don't see any problem with it.

Thanks for asking.

hey thanks for the responce, i am really interested to hear all opinions, as i am sure otheres are aswell.

I have to say I agree with the above.
It wasn't too long ago that there were no moderators - Neo was on his own.
And there are times that a moderator will miss something blatant, or something not-so-blatant. There are times I won't log on for a week, and I've noticed other moderators do this as well.

Remeber the old Unix motto - Live Free or Die.

I too agree.

LivinFree,
I thought you might have ended it by saying ...

Live Free or Die ... GO BSD.

Not that I have any idea of what you usually run.

Anything that smells like Unix

We will be rotating moderators in the next weeks or months, to give other strong forum supporters an opportunity to moderate.

Also, anyone can point out that rules are being broken..... but they must follow the rules in how they point out that rules are being broken

First day here, first post.

Mods can use all the help they can get. I used to host a busy forum and good help was always appreciated.

>> if someone were to read the impetus for the creation of this site

I would if I knew where to look. I'm sure the story behind unix.com is a good one.

I agree with Kelam_Magnus for the most part with this, but prefer to see "This is homework"/"Duplicate Post"/"Problem XYZ" type messages from those users that have been using the Forums for quite some time and have a large amount of participation.

But I always agree with being civil about it.

Agreed. New forums members without history or knowledge of the forums should not be moderating other users.

Good point.

Neo,

Let me say that I am glad that your site didn't go the way of the dodo.

Also, I am very grateful for the promotion. I greatly enjoy posting on this site and hope it is around for a long time.

Have you obtained the Level of the UberGeek?

<Gasp!>

It would appear that I have obtained the status of Minor UberGeek. Pretty darn cool.

Neo, I also thank you!

Somewhat useless resume filler: "Moderator of the UNIX.COM technical forums"

Thanks for all your support. The forums just keep getting better and better, thanks to each one of you.

Hell, I got me a new job shortly after my "promotion"...

The resume card isn't a joke

Hmmm.... Let's see. typing away on my resume "Over 5 years as a UNIX admin, 1 1/2 years exp managing a unix forum and mentor to over 16000 members. Monitored daily activity of said site, while constantly working to make it the best Da*n site on the web!!! "

I guess Auswipe's first response was b4 he saw that he also was honored by his fellow geekdom members.

We "minor ubergeeks" are nothing if not persistent. I told my wife the other day that I considered myself a geek, so this is just another affirmation of that!

Hey, I'm all about useless Resume filler!

Great! We'll be rotating and adding moderators more often than in the past to give more people who are strong forum contributors time in the spotlight.

I greatly appreciate the excellent work the moderators are doing. Please remember to lead by example by keeping the technical quality of your answers high (and chatter to a minimum). If we fill the database with lots of (useless) banter, searches will be slower and the signal to noise ratio with decrease.

We don't want to become another slashdot.org .... they have that honor We want to be known for technical quality and a professional atmosphere.