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tex.stackexchange.com is great, active and better IMHO than the LyX specific forum, even though it presumably was TeX only in the beginning.

Question 1) Is there an agreed branch or identifier to post LyX questions (other than the tag) to avoid LaTeX only members getting upset and LyX instruction sets and LyX only content? See @onewhaleid. For using LyX LaTeX code isn't directly useful, and to a LaTeX user anything else is meaningless. A LyX user potentially needs to know everything a LaTeX user needs, but also needs the additional LyX instructions.

Question 2) Is there an agreed syntax for posting LyX command sequences and instructions here?

Question 3) Are there better/more appropriate forums for LyX specific posts? Could the LyX tag be made "Don't complain about LyX content"? When I entered it for this post I read that it indicates this, but how to you post a LyX answer to a non-LyX tagged question without provoking complaint?

LaTeX posts can be very helpful to LyX users attempting slightly advanced/specific tasks beyond LyX, so I am not stirring divorce: Just a new forum member avoiding flames :-)

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    LyX has its own users and developers lists
    – user2478
    Feb 19, 2016 at 9:21
  • @Herbert I use the one linked under LyX specific forum above and latex-community.org however stackexchange is a very rigorous site that contains LyX relevant/specific posts: hence my questions. Which is the correct/most appropriate? Feb 19, 2016 at 10:18
  • the LyX mailing list
    – user2478
    Feb 19, 2016 at 10:31
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    if a question contains lyx-specific content (in addtion to latex content) but is not tagged [lyx], add the tag. Feb 19, 2016 at 12:59

1 Answer 1

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My (subjective) answers:

Let SE = "tex.stackexchange.com"

  1. The LyX tag is sufficient. It marks the question as LyX-related. What else could be desired?

  2. Command-sequences could be marked using code, such as char-delete-forward.

  3. The lyx-users list is quite active and is full of only LyX lovers, if that is what you want. SE is not designed to be that. It is a mix of all kinds of users that use LaTeX in all kinds of creative ways. This diversity of workflows to me is what makes SE a special and creative place. Again, if you want a LyX-focused place join lyx-users. I will describe my experience on SE, as a LyX user. I have found that non-LyX users on SE are extremely helpful and patient when answering LyX questions. Some of them even have LyX installed on their computers for the sole purpose of writing instructions to help LyX users. It is true that often non-LyX users do not answer in a way that is directly helpful to LyX users. In these cases, it is best to work together to come up with a different answer that is more fit for LyX users.

  4. To answer the second part of your 3rd question, if a question on SE doesn't explicitly mention LyX, the answer should not depend on LyX because it would not be answering the question. EDIT: in the comments below, @yo' points out that LyX answers to non-LyX questions could be encouraged after there is already a non-LyX answer.

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    +1, we just (ad 4) seem to have a bit of tolerance towards this "transition" to specific workflow. For instance we tolerate PSTricks answers to "how do you draw this in TikZ" question, as long as there is a good TikZ answer already. This increases the all-over value of the question, once the OP's needs have been fulfilled. In a similar way, I can imagine that if LyX has an additional way of doing something which is more difficult in LaTeX (use judgement), we could allow for such answers.
    – yo'
    Feb 20, 2016 at 20:08
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    @yo' that makes sense. Good parallel with PSTricks and TikZ.
    – scottkosty
    Feb 20, 2016 at 21:37
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    I'm very heartened to read item 3, since I think that many of us who are not LyX users have tried quite hard to make sure that LyX questioners are treated respectfully and helpfully. So it seems to be working.
    – Alan Munn
    Feb 20, 2016 at 21:46
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    @AlanMunn that is my experience at least. I am especially impressed given that I know many non-LyX users have negative views of others using LyX. The fact that they respect the choice of others and still try to help as much as they can is something that I really appreciate. It also teaches me to be more respectful of the choice of others. Whenever the voice comes in my head of "why does this person use Windows instead of Linux? I am not as interested in spending time to help this person", I remind myself that many people have helped me even when they have disagreed with my preferred choice.
    – scottkosty
    Feb 20, 2016 at 23:45
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    I use LyX because LaTeX was too much of a first step in an unsupported environment. It has taught me a lot of LaTeX ;-) I use WinDoze because the university only supports WinDoze. Unfortuntely many Doze users tend to expect everything as a no-thinking executable. Better to have people thinking LaTeX on Linux is the way to go, full of nice people, than scare them off. HAM radio was so elitist it is effectively dead now. Feb 21, 2016 at 10:00

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