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Understand what you want to ask
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The endless question of the near-endless black hole of time. The person who can give you the most useful answers is the busiest.
People (they are busy because they have to do most of the work themselves). Such people are not very good at uncontrolled time black holes
It's cold, so it can also be said that they don't catch a cold when asking endless questions.
If you explicitly state what the answerer needs to do (provide suggestions, send a piece of code, check your patch
or something else), you are most likely to get a useful answer. This will set a limit on time and energy,
It is easy for the answerer to concentrate on helping you, which is very effective.
To understand the world where experts live, to imagine professional skills as abundant resources, and to respond to the time
It is a poor resource. The less time it takes to solve your problem, the more you can take the answers from the busy experts.
Therefore, it will be very good to optimize the structure of the problem and minimize the time it takes for experts to solve it.
Great help - this is usually different from simplifying the problem. So, ask "I want to understand X better,
Can you give me some tips? "Often than asking, can you explain X? "Better. If your code
If it doesn't work, it's much wiser to ask what's wrong with it than asking someone else to modify it for you.
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Don't ask questions you should solve yourself
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Hackers are always good at distinguishing what problems should be solved by yourself; because most of us are
I have solved this kind of problem by myself. Again, these problems have to be solved by you, and you will learn from them.
You can ask for a prompt, but don't ask for a complete solution.
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Remove meaningless questions
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Don't end the question with meaningless words, such as "Can anyone help me?" or "Is there an answer?"
First of all: If your description of the problem is not very appropriate, this kind of question is even more exaggerated. Second: Because of this
It's a slight problem, and hackers will be very tired of you-and they usually use logically correct answers to express.
Show their contempt, such as: "Yes, someone can help you" or "No, no, no answer
”。
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Humility is never harmful, and often helps a lot
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Be polite, use "please" and "thank you first". Let everyone know that you spend time on them
I am grateful for the obligation to provide help.
However, if you have many questions that cannot be solved, courtesy will increase your chances of getting useful answers.
(We noticed that the only serious flaw that has been obtained from veteran hackers since this guide was released
Feeding means thanking in advance. Some hackers think that "thank you first" implies that it will be later.
I won't thank anyone anymore. Our advice is: Thank you all. )
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After the problem is solved, add a brief explanation
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After the problem is solved, send an explanation to everyone who has helped you to let them know how the problem is solved.
and thank them again. If the problem is caused in the news group or mailing list
It is widely concerned and should post a supplementary note there.
The supplementary explanation does not need to be very long or in-depth; a simple sentence "Hello, it turns out that it was a question from the network cable.
question! Thank you everyone-Bill” is better than saying nothing. In fact, unless the conclusion is really good.
Technical content, otherwise a short and cute summary is better than a long academic paper. Explain what the problem is
It is solved, but there is no need to repeat the process of solving the problem.
In addition to showing politeness and feedback, this supplement helps others on the mailing list/news
Searching in groups/forums for complete solutions that have helped you, which may be useful for them too.
Finally (at least?), this supplement helps all those who have helped get a sense of satisfaction from it.
If you are not a veteran or hacker, then trust us, this feeling is for those you want
It is very important for the mentor or expert they seek help. Problems that are delayed for a long time will make people sad.
Heart; Hackers long to see problems resolved. Good people will be rewarded and satisfy their desires. You will be here.
I tasted the sweetness when I posted a new question.
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Still don't understand
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If you don't understand the answer very well, don't ask the other party to explain immediately. Like you tried to solve it yourself
When the problem is like this (using manuals, FAQ, the Internet, the experts around you), to understand it. if
You really need the other person to explain, remember to show that you have learned something.
For example, if I answer you, "It seems that zEntry is blocked; you should clear it first.
Remove it. ",Then:
A bad follow-up question: "What is zEntry?"
The clever way to ask should be like this: "Oh~~~ I've seen it help, but there are only two -z and -p
The parameters mention zEntry and there is no clear explanation: <You mean the two.
Which one? Or did I miss something? ”
==========
Think twice before asking
==========
Here are a few classic stupid questions, as well as what the hacker thinks when he refuses to answer:
Question: Where can I find X program?
Problem: My program/configuration/SQL declaration is useless
Question: I have a problem with my Windows, can you help me?
Question: I have a problem installing Linux (or X), can you help me?
Question: How can I crack the root account/steal OP privileges/read other people's emails?
Question: Where can I find X program?
Answer: Just where I found it, idiot-the other end of the search engine. Oh my God!
Anyone else can't use Google?
Question: My program (configuration, SQL statement) is useless
Answer: This is not a problem, I am not interested in finding out your real problem--if you want
If I ask you twenty questions before I can find them - I have something more interesting to do.
When I see this kind of problem, my reaction is usually the following three:
1. Is there anything else you want to add?
2. It's so bad, I hope you can handle it.
3. What bird does this have to do with me?
Question: I have a problem with my Windows, can you help me?
Answer: Yes, throw away the soft garbage and replace it with Linux.
Question: I have a problem when installing Linux (or X), can you help me?
Answer: No, I can only find the problem by doing it on your computer myself.
Just go to your local Linux user group for step-by-step guidance (you can
Find a list of user groups here).
Question: How can I crack the root account/steal OP privileges/read other people's emails?
Answer: If you want to do this, it means you are a despicable villain; if you want to find a hacker to help you, it means you are an idiot!
==============
Good question, bad question
==============
Finally, I will give some examples to illustrate how to ask questions smartly; two questions on the same question
The Dharma is put together, one is stupid, and the other is wise.
Stupid question: Where can I find information about Foonly Flurbamatic?
This kind of question is nothing more than asking for answers like "STFW".
Smart question: I searched "Foonly Flurbamatic 2600" on Google, but
No useful results were found. Who knows where to find information on programming this kind of device?
This problem has been STFW, and it seems that he is really in trouble.
Stupid question: The source code I found from the FOO project cannot be compiled. Why is it so bad?
He felt that it was all someone else's fault, this arrogant guy
Smart question: The FOO project code cannot be compiled and passed under Nulix 6.2. I've read the FAQ,
But there is no mention of Nulix-related issues. This is a record of my compilation process. What do I have?
Is it something wrong?
He explained the environment, read the FAQ, and pointed out the error, and he did not take the responsibility for the problem.
Pushing it on someone else's head, this guy deserves attention.
Stupid question: I have a problem with my motherboard, who will help me?
The answers of ordinary hackers to such questions are usually: "Okay, you have to pat your back and change your diapers for you.
Is it? ” , then press the Delete key.
Smart question: I tried X, Y and Z on the S2464 motherboard, but it didn't work, I tried again
A, B, and C. Please note the strange phenomenon when I try C. Obviously there was a contraction during the sideband transmission,
But the result was unexpected. What are the common causes of sideband leaks on multiprocessor motherboards?
Who has a good idea what tests should I do next to find out the problem?
This guy, from another perspective, is worth answering him. He showed that he solved the problem
Ability, not waiting for the answer to it.
In the last question, pay attention to "Tell me the answer" and "Give me enlightenment and point out that I should still
The subtle and important difference between what diagnostic work is done.
In fact, the latter problem originated from a true on the Linux kernel mailing list in August 2001.
A real question. I (Eric) is the one who asked the question. I'm on Tyan S2464 motherboard
This unexplained locking phenomenon was observed, and the list members provided important information to solve that problem.
Through my questioning method, I gave everyone something worthy of fun; I made it easy for people to participate and
And attracted in. I showed that I had the same ability as them and invited them to work with me
Discussion. I told them the detours I took to avoid them wasting time again, which is a good thing.
Respect for the value of time in others.
Later, when I thanked everyone and appreciated this program (referring to the discussion in the mailing list
--Translator's note) When it works very well, a Linux kernel mailing list (lkml) is made
The staff said that the problem was solved not because I was a "celebrity" on this list, but because
I asked the question the right way.
We hackers are, from some perspective, people with rich knowledge but lack humanity; I believe
He is right. If I ask a question like a beggar, no matter who I am, I will definitely annoy something.
People may be ignored by them. He suggested that I take note of this and give some guidance to the person who wrote this guide.
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What to do if you can't find the answer
================
If you still don't get the answer, please don't think we can't help you. Sometimes I just see you
The person who is in the question just doesn't know the answer. No response does not mean you are ignored, although it is undeniable
It is difficult to distinguish between different kinds of differences.
Generally speaking, simply posting questions is a bad idea. This will be considered meaningless
Noisy.
Noisy.
You can get help through other channels that are usually more suitable for beginners.
There are many online as well as local user groups, by avid software enthusiasts (even if they may
Never wrote any software in person). Often people form such groups to help each other and
Help newbies.
In addition, you can seek help from many commercial companies, whether large or small (Red
Hat and LinuxCare are the two most common examples). Don't pay for help
Feeling frustrated! After all, if your car engine cylinder sealing ring explodes - it is entirely possible.
This - you also have to send it to the repair shop and pay for the repair. Even if the software doesn't cost you a minute
Money, you can't force technical support to be always free.
For popular software, like Linux, each developer will have at least tens of thousands of users.
It is simply impossible for one person to handle the help call from tens of thousands of users. You know, even if you
Paying for help is insignificant compared to having to purchase similar software.
(usually the technical support cost of closed source software is much higher than that of open source software,
And it's not that rich in content).