README: Asking smart questions!

Before posting on these boards please read the following article, it could save you a lot of trouble!
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

About the link howto ask questions: I think the whole self image of alot of hackers and acctually alot of these are wannabe hackers are wrong and elitistic. Thinking the world spins only around them because they know and have information about things in the small universe of computer sience. This is ofcourse not only a problem in computer sience but generelly a problem for mankind in all areas of life. Not to say stupid questions feel hard to answer, but i dont think they deserve a harsh answer in any way if they are just stupid and not ignorant. There is a dark side and dark culture in this, it has alot of explantions ofc. Some come from Computer sience in late 70 and begining of 80 being togheter with video games etc as culture revolution from young people without alot of life experience, anyways i was one of them. Thinking i knew everything because i could c. Unfortunaly this selfimage lives on in generations and in computer culture on irc, the web etc. Well i suppose better then these people go out and drink and drive or something. (and ofc its not allways young people. just an ex of where a subculture came from) ....ramblings...ramblings..
On a sidenote, there are ofc ways you should ask questions and th elink gives alot of valid pointers. I only disagree on the whole "all that matters are the (wannabe)hackers point of view". Most cases there is no reason to be harsh. sorry for offtopic.
Last edited by Mazon (2008-08-20 07:27:14)

Similar Messages

Photos gone. I don't even know how to ask my question.

My photos are not visible when I opened iPhoto. All the albums I created and the titles I gave the photos are gone. The Last Import has 2 photos I scanned 18 months ago. I have an iMac 10.5.8 and iPhoto and iPhoto '09 version 8.1.2. I know I'm probably not asking the question correctly because I do not even understand how iPhoto really workds or what it is. I just want to know where my photos and all the sorting I did is.

The point is with iPhoto it's so search to tag, group and find specific photos. Terence Devlin posted the most succinct description of how to use iPhoto to manage photos. The following if from this topic: Better way to organize my images?: Apple Support Communities
I use Events simply as big buckets of Photos: Spring 08, July - Nov 06 are typical Events in my Library. I use keywords and Smart Albums extensively. I title the pics broadly.
I keyword on a
Who
What
Where basis (The When is in the photos's Exif metadata). I also rate the pics on a 1 - 5 star basis.
Using this system I can find pretty much find any pic in my 40k library in a couple of seconds.
So, for example, I have a batch of pics titled 'Seattle 08' and a typical keywording might include: John, Anne, Landscape, mountain, trees, snow. With a rating included it's so very easy to find the best pics we took at Mount Rainier.
File -> New Smart Album
set it to 'All"
title contains Seattle
keyword is mountain
keyword is snow
rating is 5 stars
Or, want a chronological album of John from birth to today?
New Smart Album
Keyword is John
Set the View options to Sort By Date Ascending
Want only the best pics?
add Rating is greater than 4 stars
The best thing about this system is that it's dynamic. If I add 50 more pics of John to the Library tomorrow, as I keyword and rate them they are added to the Smart Album.
In the end, organization is about finding the pics. The point is to make locating that pic or batch of pics findable fast. This system works for me.
If you're rather manage files in folders then iPhoto is not for you.

HT1491 It is not letting me download music because it keeps asking security questions that we dont know amwsers too. It says its a new device so we tried to hook up to computer and it says same thimg. I have 50.00 to use for that account but how can I use

I have an I phone 4s and I got 50.00 gift card for christmas and I put it on my itunes account. Now it wont let me use it cause it keeps asking security questions that we do not know the anwser too. Questions we never set up. What can I do to be able to use the 50.00?

Contact iTunes:
Apple - Support - iTunes - Contact Us

When i ask a question on ebay and send, when i try to back tab it keeps insisting on resend how can i turn this off?

you search items on ebay,ask a question of the seller and send it, i then want to return to my listing and the searched items, but firefox will only let me do this if i resend my question every time, it means all the messages i send asking a question are duplicated, how can i turn this annoying protocol off?

Feedback? Did any of this help?

TS3297 This software asks security questions that you never setup, real bad software!

Beware, after updating to the new version of itunes and trying to purchase a song it thinks it is a new computer and asks security questions that you never setup. Real bad! Still do not know how to reset security questions with new version of Itunes.
Any Ideas?

You don't need to buy only from the App Store. If only you knew how to change settings in the security pane of your Mac... You would know that you can change this setting. But of course, you don't need a "babysitter" to make things easy for you.

I want to use my apple TV as a second monitor not a mirrored one, in other words, I want to use my TV as a second screen not a copy of my first screen,other people have asked this question but have been given mirroring answers. I want a second display.

I want to use my apple TV as a second monitor not a mirrored one, in other words, I want to use my TV as a second screen not a copy of my first screen,other people have asked this question but have been given mirroring answers so I am spelling it out here very specifically. I want a second display. This should be possible and would be awesome. Anyone know how to do this?

Nevermind I just installed it to try it and it's awesome, so happy right now, Thanks. All the things I had read about it on third party sites led me to believe it could not do extended desk tops, thanks for your help!

I just upgraded my iPad from 4.3.3 to the newest - I think 6.1.3. I cannot find my photos and videos. I tried a restore, but after 3 hours, it's timing out. Pardon my ignorance on asking this question; but is there a way to find my photos?

I just upgraded my iPad from 4.3.3 to the newest - I think 6.1.3. I cannot find my photos and videos. I tried a restore, but after 3 hours, it's timing out. Pardon my ignorance on asking this question; but is there a way to find my photos? I do nto care about anythign else.
Here are the steps I though I took this morning:
Backup iPad
Connect to iTunes and downlaod newest version of iTunes and then newest iOS
restart Vista Laptop
upgrade to newest iOS
I knew somethign was wrong when it took about 6 hours to upgrade the iPad
at the end it errored with this message error (-50), but the upgrade worked
I was expecting to see all my photos but didn't see them
I have tried a restore to a back up 2 times. The first time took 3 hours and just sort of timed out - it kept saying that there was an hour to go
I tried it again 2 hours ago and same message.
They are very valuable to me and so now I am panicking
Your help is much appreciated

Hi Eric Ferguson,
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
For troubleshooting on this, take a look at this article:
iTunes: Specific update-and-restore error messages and advanced troubleshooting
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts3694
Error 13, 14, 35 and 50 (or -50)
These errors are typically resolved by performing one or more of the steps listed below:
Perform USB isolation troubleshooting, including trying a different USB port directly on the computer. See the advanced steps below for USB troubleshooting.
Put a USB 2.0 hub between the device and the computer.
Try a different USB 30-pin dock-connector cable.
Eliminate third-party security software conflicts.
There may be third-party software installed that modifies your default packet size in Windows by inserting one or more TcpWindowSize entries into your registry. Your default packet size being set incorrectly can cause this error. Contact the manufacturer of the software that installed the packet-size modification for assistance. Or, follow this article by Microsoft: How to reset Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) to reset the packet size back to the default for Windows.
Connect your computer directly to your Internet source, bypassing any routers, hubs, or switches. You may need to restart your computer and modem to get online.
Try to restore from another known-good computer and network.
Best of luck,
Mario

I want to ask a question but is it supposed to go in this "Ask Your Question" field or should this really be a synopsis or a tersely worded teaser, like a "subject" line?

Oh.
When I pushed the "Ask your question of the community" I got this empty box. But I've already asked my question. Should I copy and paste it into this box?
> I want to ask a question but is it supposed to go in this "Ask Your Question" field or should this really be a synopsis or a tersely worded teaser, like a "subject" line?<
There. Now I have asked the same question, which is of questionable value, for sure, twice. So, if someone answers it, they will get twice the points. Right? Or is there another box for that? Should I paste the question into another box? Twice?
I've been around here for a l-o-n-g time, longer than ol' BenB by several years, so you'd think I'd know better.
Maybe I do.
bogiesan
Message was edited by: David Bogie Chq-1, I blame all misspellings on my iPad's virtual keyboard.

Don't you have a deadline?
Oh, sorry, I thought this was an URGENT query because you have clients waiting.
Keep calm, carry on.

How can I change the system to stop opening a new page everytime I seek information from that page? It took me 5 pages on the task bar to ask this question.

This week I downloaded the BIOS update from Mozilla and since then my header bar has not been the same. For instance, in order to get to this box, to ask my question, I entered Mozilla.com, then entered "Help" which resulted in a new tab, then "Ask a Question" which was another tab, then still another tab. By the time I got to this page I have 5 tabs open. In the past, a new page was opened and I could always return to the original via the "arrow" in the address bar. More than likely this can be solved with one key stroke, I just don't know what key to stroke.
Thank you!

I'm sorry, but what do you mean by a BIOS update?
Firefox will launch a link in a new tab if the Ctrl key is pressed down during clicking, and will launch a link in a new window if the Shift key is pressed down during clicking. Maybe Firefox is having trouble reading your keyboard accurately. Sometimes pressing Ctrl or Shift several times will help clear that up. In other cases, it could be a compatibility problem with your keyboard, low batteries, or another problem on the keyboard side. And/or, if you haven't shut down and restarted Windows since this problem began, that sometimes helps.
Some add-ons also can change how links behave. Do you have any extensions related to tabs, like Tab Mix Plus? You can review your extensions on the Add-ons page. Either:
* Ctrl+Shift+a
* "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons
In the left column, click Extensions. For some, you will find an Options button to inspect their settings.

HT1937 I want to ask you question please i have free apple id because i am still a college boy who doesn't have any of credit visa card and i just want to download beautiful apps on my phone including whats app but they require payment information to comp

I want to ask you question please i have free apple id because i am still a college boy who doesn't have any of credit visa card and i just want to download beautiful apps on my phone including whats app but they require payment information to complete my request so please help me and please find a solution for this problem because not everyone have credit or master card .

Buy an iTunes gift card.
http://www.apple.com/support/itunes/cards-codes/

How to effectively ask a question on this forum

Ok, so this'll take a little explaining. I was kinda bored over my lunch break, so i decided I'd write a general reference for how to post well on this forum. I realize that many people aren't gonna read this the first time they post, but i thought it would be a good thing to reference when replying to people who post a poor question.
_10 Ways to Post a Good Question on this Forum_
_1) Write a descriptive subject line_
This is the first thing that people see, and it influences how they read a question. Subjects like "Java error" tell people nothing about your problem. Subjects like "How to implement a SAX parser for use in multiple classes" are infinitely more useful.
_2) Don't use phrases such as URGENT or HELP ME!!! or IT'S DUE IN AN HOUR!!!!_
The people on this forum don't have the same priorities as you, and therefore don't care if your problem is urgent. In fact, they find it rude to assert that your problem should be solved before somebody else's just because you procrastinated. They also don't pleas for help too fondly. Typically posters who write this sort of phrase in their post has given up and become helpless, making it very difficult to guide them to the answer. Also, keep the caps lock off. THERE IS NOTHING MORE ANNOYING THAN ALL-CAPS POSTS. IT SEEMS LIKE YOU ARE YELLING, and people will make you aware of how it annoys them.
_3) Dont post your homework assignments asking for "teh codez"_
You will get flamed like none other for this sort of question. You may get codes, but when you submit them to your instructor, you may get suspended or expelled (depending on your school's cheating policy). The people on this forum are more advanced than you in Java, and can make it painfully obvious to your instructor that you cheated.
_4) Write in normal English_
Think of this forum as your supervisor or instructor, you want to sound professional and convey your question effectively. SMS speak or any other sort of abbreviation of the English language becomes difficult to read, and many people on this forum won't even try. This forum is filled with professionals in the Java world, and they are accustomed to reading true English (full sentences).
_5) Don't be helpless_
This forum is here mainly to help with specific problems, not to teach you Java. If you don't know where to start, a person is most likely going to tell you to write the solution out on paper first, breaking it down into small steps that can be accomplished by the computer.
_6) Do your research_
Many of the questions posted can be solved with a quick Google search. You should check a few places before you even post a question. They include: this forum (do a forum search), Google (do a Google search), the API's (http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/api/), and the Java Tutorials(http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/)
_7) Post code and errors with your question_
The answer to your problem is in the error messages and the code. Instead of asking a general question about for loops, post the code that you have written and the error info that you get. When asking a question it is IMPERATIVE that you have tried to do it your own way, because the people on the forum mostly won't do it for you, they'll only point out where you have done it wrong and try to help you fix it. Don't paraphrase your error messages, because there are subtleties in the actual messages that you may unknowingly edit out.
_8) Don't Multi-post_
It is rude to post the same question multiple times or in multiple places in the this forum. This is for the same reason as #2, it makes it seem that you think your problem is more urgent or important than others' problems.
_9) Don't resurrect dead threads_
If a thread is 3 years old, nobody is going to remember it, so make a new thread to ask your question. If you have a question about something in the old thread, reference it through a hyperlink.
_10) Take it easy_
As long as the people in the forum see that you're legitimately trying to help yourself, they'll help you as much as they see fit. The biggest problem that newbies have is they rely on the forum to spoonfeed them the info, and it's not going to happen. They'll either get flamed or ignored. The people on the forum aren't trying to find "fresh meat to flame", they legitimately want to help you, and they'll typically give you fair warning if you're doing something annoying or unorthodox.

There does seem to be a way to sticky posts, but I think only mods and admins have the power to do it. There's one over on the Generics forum : http://forum.java.sun.com/forum.jspa?forumID=316
I've been trying to add a pseudo-signature to my posts as far as possible, with a link to a page which pretty much covers this stuff, only it's on JavaRanch:
People on the forum help others voluntarily, it's not their job.
Help them help you.
Learn how to ask questions first: http://faq.javaranch.com/java/HowToAskQuestionsOnJavaRanch
But I've had a couple of occasions where the OPs thought it was directed at them and they got a tad upset :)
And without hyperlinks, I'm not quite sure how many people actually take the pains to go to that page.
Ah well, no one can say I didn't try.

Not able to see the Person who posts reply and asked the question.

Hi,
I am facing issue with Posts in MSDN forum. I am not getting the name of Person who replied and asked the question which earlier used to come below the Post.
Are all facing the same issue? I am using IE 8 and Google Chrome 33.0.1750.117 m.
Can anyone please help.
One good question is equivalent to ten best answers.

I am using Google Chrome Version 33.0.1750.146 m (updated today). I am seeing names fine.
It may be also your connection speed and some extra add-on you have.
For every expert, there is an equal and opposite expert. - Becker's Law
My blog
My TechNet articles
My Google Chrome is also updated to 33.0.1750.146 m, and I am using high speed internet connection in my organization, but still I am not able to
see poster details. Even there is no data coming below
"Asked by:" section at Top left corner of MSDN Forum.
One good question is equivalent to ten best answers.

How to deal with often ask doc questions in Oracle forums?

All,
Lately the number of doc questions in the Database General forum and the SQL and PL/SQL forum seems to increase exponentially.
Also almost all posters never look up error messages in the on-line documentation, nor do they anything to resolve their own problem.
Need I to mention ORA-12154? Probably not.
While the Forums Etiquette post is clear you should be looking up, no one is actually doing that.
Also apparently no one reads the Forum Etiquette post.
The result of this is the Search Forum button has become fully useless and almost always turns up 1000s of non-relevant posts.
Which results in .... people asking that question again
I am quite aware the situation on http://asktom.oracle.com and many other sites is hardly better.
I am also aware Jives might be incapable of addressing this properly.
But can't something be done?
Eg: Jives automatically consults the on-line documentation or automatically consults Google or even Wikipedia?
I try to avoid answering doc questions as much as possible, but that doesn't work.
If I could, I would kick the poster, as this kind of laziness really annoys me.
When I started my career the Internet didn't exist. The only things available were manuals and the phone to call support, and it wasn't outsourced to Asia.
Regards
Sybrand Bakker
Senior Oracle DBA

sybrand_b wrote:
All,
Lately the number of doc questions in the Database General forum and the SQL and PL/SQL forum seems to increase exponentially.
Also almost all posters never look up error messages in the on-line documentation, nor do they anything to resolve their own problem.
Need I to mention ORA-12154? Probably not.
While the Forums Etiquette post is clear you should be looking up, no one is actually doing that.
Also apparently no one reads the Forum Etiquette post.gang-faq 'em!
>
The result of this is the Search Forum button has become fully useless and almost always turns up 1000s of non-relevant posts.
Which results in .... people asking that question again
I am quite aware the situation on http://asktom.oracle.com and many other sites is hardly better.
I am also aware Jives might be incapable of addressing this properly.
But can't something be done?
Eg: Jives automatically consults the on-line documentation or automatically consults Google or even Wikipedia?When I've seen this (as in metalink), it has been more a waste of time than random guessing answers by newbies. Even the best neural network software would be stumped by the range of experience it would have to deal with.
>
I try to avoid answering doc questions as much as possible, but that doesn't work.
If I could, I would kick the poster, as this kind of laziness really annoys me.
When I started my career the Internet didn't exist. The only things available were manuals and the phone to call support, and it wasn't outsourced to Asia.You are making the same mistake so many newbie user interface designers make: You have to deal with the wide range of experience and expectations of the user population, not a small homogenous group of Dutch programmers who will follow arbitrary rules.
http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/duty_calls.png

Firefox 3.6.18 is causing the webpages to bounce (or shake) up and down. Oddly, this doesn't happen if I open your "Ask a Question" page in another tab. Then the webpages in all the tabs stop shaking/bouncing.

I just downloaded and installed version 3.6.18. The web pages that are displayed shake (or bounce) up and down. Oddly enough, when I open your "Ask a Question" feature in another tab, the problem stops. But only as long as I keep that particular tab open.
I am running an eMachine T2245 with Windows XP using SP2. I have numerous add-ons, including Flashblock, 1.5.14.2, KeyScrambler 2.8.0.1, MultiRow Bookmarks Toolbar 5.0.1, NoScript 2.1.2rc4, and Tab Mix Plus 0.3.8.6.

I found a "work around". I installed Incredible Bookmarks 0.7.3. That allows me to add an additional Bookmarks Toolbar without causing the bouncing problem.
Putting bookmarks in the IB bar was a little tricky. It allows customization, but only to the extent of choosing bookmarks by topic or by a subdirectory of the Bookmarks Menu. What I actually put on the toolbar are such subdirectories (or folders), so I normally could only put one at a time. (This problem doesn't exist with the Firefox Bookmarks Toolbar, which allows you to copy subfolders, not just individual bookmarks).
I solved the problem by moving the additional folders I wanted to put in the IB Toolbar into a folder I (cleverly) called "IB Toolbar", then selected that for the actual Toolbar. The result: a row of folders, exactly what I wanted. (Actually, it's a second row of folders, since I still have the original Firefox Bookmarks Toolbar.)
I'd still prefer MultiRow, but that doesn't appear to be working with Firefox 3.6.18 and higher, so until I upgrade to Firefox 5 (and see if the Plus version will work) this will have to do.

I have a problem: every time when i want to download free apple applications in the apple store, apple store asks me which type of credit card i want to use. Why did it ask this question?

i have a problem: every time when i want to download free apple applications in the apple store, apple store asks me which type of credit card i want to use. Why did it ask this question?

If you are within 14 days of purchase you can still return the iPhone and get the phone that suits your needs, however, I think you will find that no matter which phone you get the content provider will want to know how you are going to pay for future purchases. For Android phones it is Google, and they will certainly want to know.
To create an Apple account without a credit card see: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2534

README: Asking smart questions!

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for