This question comes via an anonymous submission to Ask Slashdot: The problem with "Ask Ubuntu"

Say a new user has a problem, searches Ask Ubuntu and the UNIX site for a solution, and comes across an existing question about this problem that doesn't have an answer yet. How should he indicate that the problem also affects him or otherwise draw attention to the question in order to get an answer?

• Upvoting to get it higher on the unanswered list list is impossible with a new user's reputation.
• Adding a bounty to get it on the featured list is impossible with a new user's reputation.
• Posting something other than an answer as an answer is forbidden.
• Asking an exact duplicate question is discouraged.
• Suggesting seven edits that only remove noise is also discouraged, as such edits "clutter up the review queues".
• Even asking this question would have been impossible with a new user's reputation.

If all the questions that affect a given new user have already been asked but not answered, how should he get an answer? Or if someone new is thinking in terms of "this also affects me", should he be directed to Launchpad instead of AU?