mirror of https://github.com/zulip/zulip.git
55 lines
2.6 KiB
Markdown
55 lines
2.6 KiB
Markdown
# Asking great questions
|
||
|
||
A well-formed question helps you learn, respects the person answering, and makes
|
||
efficient use of time for everyone involved. Asking the right question, to the
|
||
right person, in the right way, at the right time, is a skill which requires a
|
||
lifetime of fine-tuning. This page offers some guidelines and resources that the
|
||
[Zulip community](https://zulip.com/development-community/) has found helpful in this pursuit.
|
||
|
||
## Where to ask your question
|
||
|
||
It is almost always best to ask questions and have a conversation in a public
|
||
channel, rather than in direct messages. You’ll get better and faster answers
|
||
since many people can help, and it makes it possible for others to benefit from
|
||
the discussion.
|
||
|
||
The [Zulip community
|
||
guide](https://zulip.com/development-community/#where-do-i-send-my-message)
|
||
offers guidelines on how the major public channels in the community are used.
|
||
Don’t stress too much about picking the right place if you’re not sure, as
|
||
moderators can [move your question thread to a different
|
||
channel](https://zulip.com/help/move-content-to-another-channel) if needed.
|
||
|
||
## How to ask a great question
|
||
|
||
Spending some extra time and effort to carefully formulate your question is well
|
||
worthwhile, as it makes it much more likely that you'll get the information you
|
||
need to move forward. There are a few wonderfully thoughtful blog posts that
|
||
explain what it means to ask a good question:
|
||
|
||
- [Try, Then Ask](https://www.mattringel.com/2013/09/30/you-must-try-and-then-you-must-ask/)
|
||
- [We Aren’t Just Making Code, We’re Making History](https://www.harihareswara.net/sumana/2016/10/12/0)
|
||
- [How to Ask Good Questions](https://jvns.ca/blog/good-questions/)
|
||
|
||
In brief, to formulate a great question, you should:
|
||
|
||
- Try to solve your own problem first, including reading through relevant
|
||
documentation and code.
|
||
- Identify the precise point on which you feel stuck.
|
||
- Formulate a clear question, which includes an appropriate amount of context
|
||
and a specific request for help.
|
||
|
||
When your question is answered, follow through on the advice you receive, and (when
|
||
appropriate) summarize the resolution of your problem so that others can learn
|
||
from your experience.
|
||
|
||
You can find additional helpful tips in our guide to [what makes a great Zulip
|
||
contributor](contributing.md#what-makes-a-great-zulip-contributor).
|
||
|
||
## Follow the community guidelines
|
||
|
||
As always, be sure to follow the [Zulip community
|
||
norms](https://zulip.com/development-community/). In particular, check out [the
|
||
section on getting help](https://zulip.com/development-community/#getting-help)
|
||
before you post.
|