Rising flux of jerks? (or perhaps just angry help?)

Ye' old general discussion board. Basically, for everything that isn't covered elsewhere. Come here to shoot the breeze, shoot your mouth off, or whatever suits your fancy.
This forum is not for asking programming related questions.

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yum-jelly
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Post by yum-jelly »

The answer is not everything! I think most times it is better to explain than to redirect. Why, because someone has asked a question that they are really wanting to understand. If you explain it, you help them, but you also promote the understanding that helping people will help you. Which may in turn help someone else, some where else! Sure you might say, I am not here to make people like me, but that is not the point, the point is that it is better to say nothing if you really don't want to take the time to help someone by explaining your knowledge in regards to the question(s) that they may have asked. Now I am not saying all redirection is bad, but some I have seen makes me wonder why they even said anything.

yj
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trukfixer
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Post by trukfixer »

I was a newbie once.. I learned a little bit by asking questions , but once I was pointed to php.net (The Manual ™ ) I rarely bothered to ask questions, and the times I *DID* I would always show that *I had already looked for help in the manual* If you want to be a programmer (and part of being a programmer is developing your troubleshooting and problem solving skills) then you need to learn how to figure stuff out for yourself.. Most questions where I will post a "RTFM" comment are very simple questions that can be answered by a very simple search of the php manual .. It gets tiresome after a while, answering the same basic questions over and over, asked by people who cannot be bothered to try and find out for themselves via a quick look at the php manual..

My usual rules:

If you want to code php, learn the basics.
If you want to learn the basics, Google up some resources (there are literally thousands)
If you have learned the basics, then you will already know how to ask an intelligent, well formed question
If you can ask an intelligent well-formed question, chances are the experienced programmers will be happy to help

If you cant be bothered to put even 1 minute's careful thought into your question, why should *I* be bothered to put 1 minute's thought into my answer? Hence "RTFM"
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Bill H
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Post by Bill H »

part of being a programmer is developing your troubleshooting and problem solving skills
True, well said, and too seldom considered.
..I would always show that I had already looked for help in the manual.
(and elswhere) Something that shold be more commonly practiced, imho.
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sweatje
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Post by sweatje »

How to ask smart questions

And other various links of a similar nature I have collected:
http://del.icio.us/sweatje/netiquette
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BDKR
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Post by BDKR »

yum-jelly wrote:The answer is not everything! I think most times it is better to explain than to redirect. Why, because someone has asked a question that they are really wanting to understand. If you explain it, you help them, but you also promote the understanding that helping people will help you. Which may in turn help someone else, some where else! Sure you might say, I am not here to make people like me, but that is not the point, the point is that it is better to say nothing if you really don't want to take the time to help someone by explaining your knowledge in regards to the question(s) that they may have asked. Now I am not saying all redirection is bad, but some I have seen makes me wonder why they even said anything.

yj
I kinda agree with you. Take some time with 'em. My name is one of those on the list, but I used as a gentle prod to help them realize there is a wealth of information in the manual.
I wrote: I would use "msyqldump database table > table.sql". You may need to pass the password and username. In that case it could look like

"msyqldump -u username -ppassword database table > table.sql"

Notice that the password has no space between it and the switch. That's correct.

RTFM my good man. LOL

Cheers
I guess I'm saying that if all you are going to post is RTFM, then don't post. HOWEVER, there are some guys that are whiners and just expect to have answers given to them. They deserved to be ignored or shoved aside with an "RTFM you tard!" LOL.... Or just ignored.

I think it depends on the situation. If the guy doesn't have an attitude or hasn't figured out after being reminded that it's best if he search the forum or google, then he or she had better watch out!
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Maugrim_The_Reaper
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Post by Maugrim_The_Reaper »

My own 2c.

I never use "RTFM" in a post. First up, why would I assume everyone knows what "RTFM" stands for? Secondly, why would I assume they even know how to "RTFM". Thirdly, its quite likely the resulting answer "Read the F******* Manual" will be taken the wrong way.

Fourthly, it helps to inform padawans of the location of the "M". Fifthly, the "M" is the playground of slightly more advanced users - its useless (or nearly so) to a complete programming newbie. Sixthly the seeker may already have discovered the "M" and misunderstood its Wisdom.

Seventhly, we exist but to help our fellow man, not throw him into thorny ditches... Eightly, how many languages is the "M" in? Ninthly, padawans learn more from interaction than dry technical words. Tenthly, this is not a sithpoint forum.
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