As with any new users to Ubuntu, I have been hit with my fair share of frustrations. I don't whine and complain about how my computer won’t do this or won’t do that. Instead, I go out and find the solution. (Just ask my wife, she knows I'm too stubborn to give up until I find the solution to a problem)
On this journey of mine there has really been a place that I know I can go to and receive support from wonderful 'experts.' I use quotations for a reason, but I'll get to that soon. This place that I seek answers to my Ubuntu mysteries is the
Ubuntu Forums. This has been a place that I can always go to for support. I mean support in different ways: problems that I'm having, questions about a new program that I discovered, or even guidance from a friend about something going on in life.
One of my favorite places to be while at the forum is the Community Cafe; this is typically where I spend most of my time. The conversations are so eclectic that I love it there. I can read things ranging from
Ubuntu barking at cats to finding
Malicious applications found on Android marketplace. It's really a fun place to be at.
When I can, I try to head over to the Absolute Beginner Forum. Even though I am no Ubuntu or Linux 'expert' (see, there it is again ;-) ) I might still be able to help someone that has been using Ubuntu for a shorter period of time than I, and that person might consider me to be an expert if I was able to solve their problem. I know that I have thought this. Someone helps me to fix a problem that has been driving me up the wall, and I might think of them as an expert at what they’re doing. This is what I love about Ubuntu and Linux, anyone can help anyone. There is always going to be someone that is asking for assistance with something that I may have encountered in the past.
In the past I've used different forums for various reasons, but none of them have ever compared with this one. The Ubuntu Forum is truly a community. People like each other and help each other as if we were all brother and sisters. We care about the well being of the other user and will offer as much assistance as we possibly can. People working together is a wonderful thing.
I don't want to forget to mention the Moderators either. I have always felt that the Mods at the Ubuntu Forum are quite level headed and fair as far as how they treat the users. I have never once suspected one of them of playing favorites with a user for any reason. But truly the best part is that the whole community of users can be considered a Moderator in itself. Using the Report Abuse button can really come in handy when someone has crossed the line. Do I feel like bad when I report someone?...no. There are times when people forget that the person on the other side of the post is a real person. They might say something that could go against the Code of Conduct, and those things should be reported. But as I mentioned before, the forums are still a great place to be.
A little history:
UbuntuForums History:The UbuntuForums were created by Ryan Troy (ubuntu-geek) in October 2004 the forums quickly became a popular resource for Ubuntu and was deemed the Official Ubuntu forums in November 2004. The forums hosting continued to be maintained and paid for by Ryan until March 2006 when Canonical graciously offered hosting for the forums. In June of 2007 the forums domain, license and assests were transfered over to Canonical they now maintain sole ownership of the forums. Ryan continues maintain the forums and serve's on the Forums Council along with KiwiNZ, jdong, Technoviking, matthew, bodhi.zazen and bapoumba.
Since almost day one of my Linux experience, I've loved the idea of having a Mac-like dock at the bottom of my screen. I've never really been fond of the Windows-like panel that comes by default. The first dock that I used was Avant Window Navigator and I was very happy with it, and I still think that it's an awesome dock. However, I decided that it was time for a change.
