Asking for computer help
I can't stress this enough people. You need to do your very best job when asking for help. If you don't have the time or it's not important enough to you to do a thorough job explaining your problem, then I/we don't have enough time and it's not important enough to do a thorough job of helping you. You are your own biggest asset when asking for help!
Here is what I mean:
•Do a search yourself before you ask something. It is amazing what google can do for you.
•Put at least a little work into trying to solve it yourself first. Google is a very good source and chances are that if you are looking for something, someone else has already looked for it.
•Be as thorough as you can when explaining your problem. You can't be too specific. Well, we don't need the time of day this happened(unless you really think that's relevant). Seriously, include as many names, version numbers, links... etc as you can. The less someone helping you has to ask, the more they can do right away. Also, by providing links to things that you refer to, you make it a lot easier for people to help you.
•Include Screen Captures to aid your description if necessary.
•Along those lines, please use your best English. That means no short hand, no internet slang, and would it hurt to run a spell checker?
•Make a descriptive title. This isn't hard to do. Try to have it short, but as reflective of your problem as you can. 'I need help' is a very bad title. 'I am having trouble emptying the trash' is a good title.
•Don't give too much back-story. I myself am guilty of this from time to time. The trick is to give as much information as you can without giving anything that will definitely be unnecessary. In general, margin on the side of error and be as detailed as possible. However, it doesn't matter if you were wearing a blue shirt when it happened. I have looked at 2 page requests for help and just said 'eh, screw it'. This is turning into a rather hypocritical suggestion though...
•Go over things step by step. Exactly what did you do, and in what order? If your problem 'just happened', really try to think of what you might have done before it happened that might have caused this.
Lets review the important principles here:
PUT SOME TIME INTO SOLVING YOUR OWN PROBLEMS BEFORE YOU ASK FOR HELP.
BE AS HELPFUL TO THOSE HELPING YOU AS YOU CAN.
ALWAYS: THINK BEFORE YOU ASK
