"How To Ask Questions The Smart Way"

Stumbled across this today and thought it might prove useful for your enjoyment and edification..

How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

It's an interesting read with some useful information. There's even some stuff in there to make me remember when I first starting asking questions, and when I first started answering them..

Many of you will probably like this " Question Not to Ask"

 

Somebody else posted this months ago.

The instructions of "How to Ask Questions The Smart Way" is actually harder than installing and troubleshooting most Linux problems. So what's the point.

Plus, how can you expect everyone to know all the tech lingo and what not to even ask questions the so-called proper way?

 

Yeah, definitely. By the time you've read and understand how to ask the right question, you may already know how to solve it. I don't think that guide was directed at computer newbies...

 

Because it's not only about Linux install problems, but it's about asking questions of knowledgeable people in general. It's good to show respect, and realize that when you ask questions, implicitly attacking something really doesn't garner you any goodwill.

 

Thanks Pita.. Sorry if it's been posted more than once. I actually meant it more for those that are interested in elevating the level of their question asking (and answering), and because parts of it are funny too. (Mostly that..)

For those who don't get it..... carry on..

 

What's wrong with letting someone assume that the problem is the OS, Hardware, or Something else? How is that disrespectful?

Should a Car Mechanic feel insulted if you tell him you think your radiator is busted but it happens to be something else that is the problem?

EX: If wireless doesn't work and a poster makes a thread saying that his router is broke, then come to find out it wasn't the router at all but his network setup. Is that disrespectful?

I'll admit I've seen very few blatant attacks on stuff.(Mostly out of frustration)
But to have a rules of asking questions guide thats longer than junk food ingredients makes no sense IMO.

 

What if you're not complaining to a mechanic, but instead to the engineer that designed it? Now, imagine you're not just saying that it's broken because of wear and tear, but, you're telling him that it's broken because of a design flaw? If I were that engineer, and someone without the proper credentials made such a claim to me, I'd be very insulted.

 

The guide isn't so much about asking questions as helping you understand the mindset of hardcore geeks, the ones who will really give you good help. It's a respect-based sub-culture. You can ask questions however you want, but don't expect any sympathy if you then act hurt when someone responds with "Guess you should learn to RTFM, eh n00b?" No one owes you anything, doubly-so with software you haven't paid for that people created for free. So in order to get your problems solved, it's in your own best interest to read that "junk food ingredients list" and pay attention to it, and use the suggestions in it.

 

You took it to another level. I'm simply saying that you can't blame consumers for lack of knowledge and pointing finger in the wrong direction. Isn't that how we all learn in the first place?

I hurt, because I don't know what RTFM is

 

No, I don't think I took it to another level really, because in the article, it was talking specifically about saying that on like, a developer's forum, mailing list, etc. So, quite frankly, I think it's a pretty accurate analogy.

RTFM = "Read The F**king Manual"

 

Americans do everything but read the Manual. And that's cause most manuals are pure crap. LOL

 

I've found that for Linux apps, it's very much the opposite. I'll agree with you for most commercial products, but, I've learned how to use many a program via man pages (or other documentation).

NOTE: I'm an American.

 

There is absolutely a right way and a wrong way to ask for help. But I'll also agree with LIVE that it's kind of ridiculous to have a guide that takes longer to read than it takes me to install Ubuntu.

I mean, yes it does get annoying when I read a thread like "I can't get Linux to install, please show me step by step how to do this and then step by step how to configure it and then step by step how to make sure I don't f**k up my system." I often seriously wonder if they even know what they're doing, and my first response is usually two-fold: a) please explain what distro you're using (Linux isn't an operating system), what problems you're having, what you've tried, and b)Google is your friend (the nice version of STFW). It seems like everyone just wants an answer without having to do any work, and that's not how you learn; it's almost more detrimental to just give them an answer and hold their hand than it is to be a jerk to them. You know the old saying, "If you give a mouse a cookie..."

But, on the other hand, it seems like in the time that it has taken this guy to write this ridiculously over-the-top obsessively long "guide" he could've been doing something useful like creating a wiki, contributing to help documentation, or replying to some forum requests.

 

I have a feeling that this guide wasn't meant to cater towards the (stereo)typical n00b, since if it was, it would've been much shorter, and more succinct. To me this "guide" seems more like it was written for the gurus and those already in the know just to get a chuckle out of reading it. I did find a couple good tips there myself though.

Personally I enjoyed reading that article, I found it entertaining for the most part, and I found a couple tips there that I will find useful I'm sure. But will I be recommending this guide to others? Maybe, but not as a "required reading", but just a "when you have time, you may find this interesting."

 

"this guy", notebook_ftw? Have you never heard of ESR, the guy who wrote Emacs, and is kinda the disowned Godfather of all things OSS? He's the one who came up with the first GPL license. He understands a few things, and has done plenty of highly productive things for the community. Can you say the same? And his time writing that article is probably what, 8 hours? That's pretty much nothing in the grand scheme of things.

 

Pitabred, you're thinking of RMS (Richard Stallman). ESR (Eric Raymond) is just as vocal but much less of a pioneer in my opinion.

 

Er, yeah... him They're still both smelly hippies... hehehe

 

Woah, woah, no need to get touchy about it Pita. I in fact have never heard of ESR, though I have of course heard of Stallman (not a fan, but have heard of him and listened to him). But either way, I didn't pay attention to who wrote it in either case. And besides that, I stand by my original statement. If he is indeed as important as you say, then it really seems as if his time could be much more well spent, even moreso than I originally thought.