

How to Ask Questions the Smart Way - ptn
http://catb.org/esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

======
dkarl
Where's the corresponding wake-up-call for developers who are tired of
answering stupid questions about their software? I've dealt with more than one
piece of software where the mailing list is filled with tons of unanswered
questions from noobs because the interface or documentation is a mess. You
start out asking stupid questions yourself, and everybody ignores you and
keeps talking about their high-level expert problems, and you think, "What a
bunch of assholes." Then after you figure out the answer yourself, the answer
is so stupid and convoluted or just so depressingly retarded that you can't
bring yourself to explain it to anybody else who runs into the same problem.

I wish developers would see chronic widespread noob frustration as a problem
_with the software_ that needs to be corrected _by the developers_. There are
always a few people who are willing to spend days experimenting and digging
through your code before they can use your software. Not only is it a poor
piece of software that can only be used that way, it's extremely confusing,
because _that's not the way things are done anymore!_ New users are going to
waste many days struggling with the overly charitable assumption that your
software has a logical, well-documented interface that they are on the verge
of figuring out. When they finally figure out that there _is_ no coherent
interface and the user manual should be prefaced with a directive to "tinker
for a week until you understand how it's implemented, then you'll know what's
missing from this manual," they're going to be filled with hatred and rage and
desire to kill you. At this point, if I mentioned the piece of software I'm
currently working with, it might legally constitute some kind of threat, so
I'll just say that I'm pretty fed up and it's a good thing there's no dog,
wife, or child at home that I might vent my rage on.

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RiderOfGiraffes
I prefer this one: <http://www.mikeash.com/getting_answers.html>

Targetted at UseNet, but the lessons are valid.

Interestingly, the advice is quite similar to that found in Dale Carnegie's
"How to Win Friends and Influence People".

~~~
robg
Can you post this? I'd like it in my archive here, but I want you to get
credit if others agree.

EDIT: I meant submit here to Hacker News (it hasn't been submitted before). I
think of most of my submissions and upvotes as an archive.

~~~
RiderOfGiraffes
Not sure I understand what you're asking. It's not mine, and I think it would
be inappropriate for me to post someone else's work here. You can always pull
a copy and put it in your archive, can't you?

EDIT: OK, understood, I'll do so ...

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Zancarius
I question the validity of posting this to HN for the following reasons:

1) As mattyb points out, it was already submitted as a link to HN over a year
ago. 2) It's a fairly old article. 3) Most hackers have already read this.
Thoroughly. Corollary to 3) Hackers generally know enough about asking
questions the "right way" to invalidate the requirement of reading this except
for the novelty alone. 4) The very individuals who _need_ to read this won't.
Furthermore, they'll be offended if you link it to them. 5) The only thing
more obnoxious than someone asking "can u plz halp me" is the person who
maliciously links this article for the purposes of inflaming the clueless for
their own enjoyment. Subsequently, "How to Ask Questions the Smart Way" is one
of the most over-linked yet genuinely-useful documents that can almost
instantaneously derail an otherwise productive conversation.

On the other hand, fledgling hackers may not be aware of the mores and
folkways of online interaction and this information may be valuable to them.

I have an example that has happened on more than one occasion. First, some
background: I consider myself a rather helpful person from time to time (when
I'm in a charitable mood, at least) and may lurk various forums in search of
people asking questions that need answers. It entertains me.

Yes, there are indeed those people who aren't willing to do any work
themselves. Conversely, there are some who are willing to do useful work but
haven't a clue how to ask (correctly) or where to start. If I am attempting to
assist someone who falls into the latter category with their dilemma, the
absolute _most annoying thing_ someone can do is post a link to "How to Ask
Questions the Smart Way." It derails the conversation and generally inflames
the individual I'm trying to help.

So please, for those of you who haven't had any exposure to "How to Ask
Questions the Smart Way," exercise restraint if you consider posting this to a
message board. If the individual asking the question is a fool and has no
intention of doing anything without outside assistance (i.e. they're asking in
the hopes _you'll_ do the work for them), by all means--link it! If the person
isn't asking a "smart" question but genuinely seems interested in solving his
or her own problem--don't. The latter is especially true if you interject into
an ongoing conversation populated in part by those of us who are attempting to
lend aid. In such a case, by linking this article you _will_ be wasting _our_
time as well if the person asking the question grows increasingly more
frustrated and angry.

Having said that, I'd encourage you to read the article in its entirety if you
haven't already. Eric Raymond, IIRC, has a section on how to _politely_ point
out the error of one's ways. Rather than blatantly linking the article the
next time someone asks a stupid question, consider following the advice of the
very article you contemplated linking!

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TrevorJ
It never occurred to me that somebody would need a manual on how to do this,
but it turns out there is some interesting information in here.

The section title "RTFM and STFW: How To Tell You've Seriously Screwed Up"
Amuses me.

------
mattyb
More discussion here:

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=175681>

