Yes, I expect the discussion to continue here, rather than in threads on other topics.
That’s an interesting take.
The first part is me asking everybody to please consider what it is like for the people providing most of the answers here. The second part is me giving a few actual examples of what regulars have faced - also, these are not really unique to the Sailfish OS Forum, but patterns I see on other forums as well. Intention: conveying what it is like, in concrete terms.
I don’t think every newcomer acts like that, nor do I think that would be a reasonable interpretation of my writing. No newcomer is the target here, unless of course they engage in the described behaviours.
I agree, and every member here was once a newcomer. What I’m saying is that the Forum Rules are very sensible, and that newcomers should follow them. Including “read before you post” and “stay on topic”.
The members here are a pretty diverse group, considering our niche, and I think some are in fact maintainers of other projects. I would assume that anyone with that background has already seen the same challenges we have here, with some oldtimers and newcomers alike, who don’t follow Forum Rules. And I’m sure these maintainers instinctively follow very similar rules.
You are just as welcome here as the non-techy indivividual, who started to look for an alternative to Android yesterday.
Of course the Forum Rules applies to every member, I didn’t think I needed to emphasize that. The context here…
…should make it clear what I mean. I.e. some regulars being unnecessarily stern towards newcomers, which I take it was your point too.
No, I don’t agree.
I stand by my statement that the Forum Rules apply to every member. But, as you wrote, in some cases regulars could be more welcoming. We need to tackle this concrete situation, not the abstract idea outlined in the rules. We also need to tackle concrete issues with people violating other sections of the Forum Rules, like reading before posting, because that is a force driving some regulars into bad territory.
Since you are in the group of maintainers you mentioned above, I would think you understand this and have sometimes struggled to keep the forums enjoyable. Any experience, that you may have, with concrete actions to achieve this is appreciated.
This is the Community Forum for Sailfish OS, as clearly stated in the first sentence of the Forum Rules. If you want to weigh in on how Jolla spends their earnings, please consider joining their board. Forum members can’t really help with that.
Verdict: Mostly false, and I will assume that you are aware of that.
This is already in the Forum Rules, as noted in the post you replied to. It is in fact part of the rules for every forum I’m a member of, and for good reason.
You are of course entitled to your opinion and you are free to start a forum dedicated to duplicated posts, in case you find that the right approach 
.
Meanwhile, the current rules of this forum apply, and people breaking them need encouraged to do better. Those rules aren’t set in stone, though, so if you want to see a change, please start a topic to collect support for the idea. (I have to say I’m a little surprised with your approach, given your stated background as a FLOSS maintainer.)