IMO there are very few places where it's appropriate to ask unspecific questions. IRC and forums are “better” for them in the sense that there's a tighter response loop on narrowing down what the asker is actually interested in, but it's still a waste of time for everyone involved. Being able to ask questions well is a skill, and everyone has to learn it somehow, but it's generally better for everyone if the question includes too much situation-specific detail than too little.