Please ask again Posted on
This page is a list of good practices when asking for help on the internet. If I linked you to this page, it’s an invitation to ask again.
Do your research first
Before you ask for a stranger’s help, try to solve your problem yourself. Read a few articles, watch some YouTube tutorials. Ask Google and ChatGPT. If you ask a community, read their FAQ or their wiki. Search for previous threads that answer your question.
Don’t be a help vampire; before you ask, RTFM or JFGI. If you show no attempt at solving your own problem, people might ignore you, or rudely remind you to do some research.
Ask the right people
It’s okay to ask strangers for help, but if you need a lot of hand-holding, or if you need the other person to do all the work, you should hire a professional.
If you have a problem with a business, ask their customer service first. These people are paid to help you.
Get to the point
If you reach out to a stranger for help, pack as much information as you can in your first message. Don’t say hello and wait, and don’t ask to ask. If you make strangers work to figure out what you want, they might ignore you.
Ask clear questions
Describe your goal, not just the step where you got stuck. Sometimes, you took a wrong turn a long time ago. If we get you unstuck, you will just keep heading in the wrong direction. In other words, you might get the right answer to the wrong question. Tell us what you’re trying to do, in case we know a better way.
Give all the important information upfront, so that we can help you right away. If you need technical help, share the error messages, the error logs, the make and model of your device. If you ask for personal help, share all relevant information about your situation. Don’t make people fish for that information.
Tell us what you have tried so far. Have you searched for existing solutions? Have you tried any of the solutions? What happened? It helps us understand the problem better, and offer more specific solutions. It also shows that you made an effort to solve your problem, and that makes us more likely to help you.
Remember the human
Remember to be kind and courteous. Say hello and thank you. Don’t just blurt your question like you’re talking to a chatbot.
Respect other people’s time by providing clear information. Respect their effort by providing feedback and expressing gratitude. This is not strictly necessary, but everyone appreciates a bit of recognition.
Pay you dues
After you solved your problem, remember to share your solution. Thousands of people might find your question through Google, and they will be happy to find a solution.
You should also follow up and express your gratitude to those who helped you for free.