Finding Yourself in a Struggle

When working on code, there are often problems along the way. Often, these problems are simple and can be solved with a single search on Google. Other times it isn't so simple. The work is important and facing these problems is the only way to complete it. In the end, you will find out that it is beneficial to request help from others.

Asking Like a Pro

When help is requested, it is preferred to come with a certain degree of effort prior. No one likes it when a toddler asks for help with homework that they barely even gave an attempt. When helping someone like this, it can become a challenge to get the person wanting to learn how to solve the problem themselves. Author of How to Ask Questions the Smart Way, Eric Raymond, outlines "the best way to get a rapid and responsive answer".

Initial Strategies

Before asking a professional, there are some things that should be done. Most of the solutions necessary to clearing a road block is available on the internet. By performing a minimal amount of research, anyone could find a solution to their problem. If the solution isn't available online, the solution can potentially be found in manuals, old codes, and by minimal trial and error. After trying all of that, a professional would be glad to help.

Requesting Back Up

Once the reservoir of the internet is searched and no solution is found, it is time to ask for help. Many areas on the internet such as forums and FAQ's are made for these questions. Most forums and FAQ's are posted with a specific audience in mind, so it is expected that the posts in these areas are relevant to the topic. When posting to these forums it is courteous to make sure the post is in the correct location and not already answered. Questions with an elementary solution are also discouraged and seen as a waste of time.

An example of a forum post that asks for help the smart way is here. In this example, the user provides some background of their problem, how they attempted to combat the problem, some resources they have consulted before posting on the forum, and a partially complete potential solution to the problem. By providing all of this to the forum, the user has avoided getting solutions that they have tried before as well as proving to other users insight to other potential problems that are subliminally affecting the code.

Another example of a forum post that does not ask for help the smart way is here. Here, the user simply states the problem and posts a copy of their code. Compared to the first post, this post got much less feedback and the feedback that it did receive were a much lower quality. This goes to show that the work done before asking for help as well as the work put in to formulating the question promotes better and faster replies.

For more information about How to Ask Questions the Smart Way visit this website. The author does not promote themselves as a reputable resource for code experience so do not treat them as such.