Request-for-Comments: The "How to Get Help Online (2013)" Document

[Steve Litt]

On Thu, 31 Oct 2013 15:17:21 +0200
Shlomi Fish <shlomif at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> I have written a document titled “How to Get Help Online (2013)” and
> one can read it here:
> 
> http://www.shlomifish.org/philosophy/computers/how-to-get-help-online/2013.html
> 
> (It is still not linked from the rest of the site).
> 
> This document grew out of me concluding that it is highly possible
> many inexperienced users do not know how and where to effectively get
> help online with their problems. As a result, I wrote this document
> to distill my knowledge
> and experience.
> 
> I am aware of this document -
> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html - it is written
> well and is
> a commendable effort, but mine serves a somewhat different purpose (=
> explaining
> where to look for information instead of how to effectively do it
> yourself) and
> I link to “How to ask Questions the Smart Way” in my newer document.
> 
> Any comments would be appreciated.

One thing missing in http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
is an exhortation to clearly post the solution, when you finally find
it, with <SOLVED> appended to the subject, so that those who follow you
can get the answer easier than you did.

Another thing: Eric and Rick refused to include the Steve Litt Patented
Guaranteed Method for Getting Answers. You may or may not want to put
it in your document.

SteveT

Steve Litt                *  http://www.troubleshooters.com/
Troubleshooting Training  *  Human Performance