system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Please take time to learn how to answer a question

In response to this front page post, I felt it important to give the other side.

Yes, it is absolutely important to learn **how to ask** a question.

However, no matter how you try, if you're asking that likely means that you need help and aren't really knowledgeable in the area.

So, as long as you aren't asking hard/impossible to answer things like "why isn't my code working?!?", we should assume the best of you.

So, for those of you answering questions, I wanted to create a convenient guide to help those who really are trying their best, despite many gatekeepers making them feel inadequate with how they ask.

1. Assume the best of the asker. They likely don't know any better and need your help.

2. Don't gatekeep. If your intention is to arrogantly come in and say that a beginner should have a mastery of awk and sed, don't respond to the question, you clearly don't have as good of a mastery as you think that you do. I have met world masters in coding and they are as humble as they are smart. Strive to be like them.

3. On that note, if you couldn't teach a child  in their terms how to do what you think that know, then you might opt to not answer questions until you have a better understanding and mastery of that given area of programming. A true master can communicate concisely and clearly even to someone with little to no knowledge.

4. Assume that the person has tried their best to solve the problem and has already searched around for help. My best buddy and I have been coding since the early 90s and we almost never ask for help because we focus super intently on solving it ourselves. This is not normal. Assume the best of your asker.

5. Above all else, remember: **If you don't have something useful to say, don't say anything at all.**

6. Remember what it was like when you were there. Also remember that the ritualistic hazing that you went through sucked and was unwarranted. Don't perpetuate that toxic culture.

This is not a comprehensive guide, it is up to you to apply empathy and sympathy or just not respond.

I distinctly remember how terrible and exclusive the bash scripting communities were back in the 90s and 00s and I only succeeded **despite** their jabs and demeaning responses, not because of the

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Lastly, if you don't like the message in here, look at point 5.

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^(Who am I to say this? Self-taught Silicon Valley programmer from the 80s-now. I taught myself everything from basic to JavaScript, PHP to python, and so much in between. However, I also teach, and I realize that the community puts the blame on the askers instead of getting better at answering. It is actually both sides that need to improve, with you experts among us needing to humbly lead the way.)

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Edit: hotfix - this post isn't perfectly worded but the recommendations in it apply to it too. If you're confused, please feel free to ask any questions for clarity. If you just want to showboat or be opinionated, gatekeep or be arrogant, please go enjoy another place. This post is meant to help those who want to be better question answerers. If you don't fit into they category, it's ok, but I ask you to not try to answer questions from new people, they need help.

Edit 2: Two important notes -

1. I apologize for my writing. I was never good with written communication. My strength lies in oral communication and I'd happily do a youtube video in place of this post and comments.

2. I fully agree with you all - learning to adequately ask AND answer is important. That is quite literally why I was quick to put up this post in response to the other one.

Edit 3: Final addendum - looks like my monday morning script ran. I'll come back and clean up the content her so that hopefully it's more clear. Honestly, I bet that with your help we could make matching guides for "How to ask" and "How to answer" that would help a lot of people on both sides of the fence.

Thank you all for the comments, input, opinions, and experience!
gpt
> Assume that the person has tried their best to solve the problem

That's a bad assumption.  There are many questions on the programming subs where it is obvious the asker has not thought about or worked on the problem whatsoever.

You can usually tell though - so assuming one way or the other isn't necessary.