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by chippy 3980 days ago
All new users to IRC need to understand that there is a loose etiquette to asking questions.

In general for help this may assist someone: http://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

and for IRC - this may help: http://www.sabi.co.uk/Notes/linuxHelpAsk.html

In my experience the two main points

1) "Don't ask to ask, just ask". Which means don't type "can I ask a question about Hacker News please?" just go ahead and type your question!

2) Don't ask if someone is there to help. Instead of typing "Can someone help me with a bug about Hacker News?" just go ahead and type about the bug!

and a lesser point, now that many IRC rooms are less busy than they once were, is to wait for an answer. If need be, repeat your question in a few hours.

Now - the benefit of IRC in asking questions is the rapid narrowing down of what the question actually is. This sounds simple, but it's a crucial part of bug finding, and help giving, the helper has to know what you are asking.
1 comments
Rainymood 3979 days ago
The two main points sound counter-intuitive to newcomers (like myself). You think it's polite to ask 'Can I ask you a question' and you get a 'rude' reply with 'Geez, just ask the question'.

I just want to add 3) IRC is not like whatsapp/fb chat, you are allowed to ask longer sentences.

The instant replies are also nice and feel more human.

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