*tl;dr? Just see the bold...*

After reading both of these meta questions:

http://meta.serverfault.com/questions/6683/why-is-the-server-fault-community-is-so-unfriendly

http://meta.serverfault.com/questions/2737/whats-wrong-with-serverfault-community

Along with questions like this:

http://meta.serverfault.com/questions/5825/being-professional-to-professionals

**And the ["Be Nice" Requirement][1] which is purposefully a 2-way street:**

> (EXPERTS) Be welcoming, be patient, and assume good intentions. Don't
> expect new users to know all the rules — they don't. And be patient
> while they learn. 
> 
> (ASKERS/NOOBS) If you're here for help, make it as easy as possible
> for others to help you. Everyone here is volunteering, and no one
> responds well to demands for help.

I can see that despite the site's statement that *"Server Fault is a site for system and network administrators"* there's an obvious sense of Server Fault not being helpful based on the "Be Nice" rule.

We "experts" here tend to be very quick (myself included) to stomp on the VTC button and then when asked "why?" we point them to the Help pages and say "you should've known".

SO...with the finger pointed back at myself...should I have known about the above "Be Nice" requirement?  I've been here for 5 1/2 years, surely I've read that before today right?  (sarcasm)


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With all of that said...I'm back to the title.  **From here until January 1 I will strive for the following and am challenging my other experts to do the same**:

 1. I will downvote and comment as to why.  If the OP changes their post enough to warrant removing the downvote I will remove it.  Yeah, it's not an SE requirement...but I'll go above and beyond the requirements.
 2. I will edit questions that will improve upon them and help the OP receive help here on SF without removing their original intent.
 3. I will offer up constructive yet positive comments on all questions during this challenge.
 4. I will not presume that someone isn't in a professional sysadmin role unless the evidence is overwhelming.  Even then, I will politely explain WHY they are in the wrong place and offer alternatives to point them in the right direction.
 5. I will remember the words of the great philosopher Dalton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTh5JzRziHE (nsfw) when dealing with posters not being kind to me.

**What's the goal here?  Why do this?**

 1. To either help prove/disprove the reasons why Server Fault gets the reputation it does.
 2. To follow the rules.  Be Nice is in the Help rules...

**Anyone with me?**

  [1]: http://serverfault.com/help/be-nice