Young programmers note: How to write "Help"
During the 9 years that I have been programming, several hundreds of requests for help came from my less experienced, novice programmers. And now, when today, once again, a stranger asked to help him write a plug-in for WordPress (the code of which, frankly, I never saw it before), I decided to write a small guide that would help novice programmers to properly seek advice. to more experienced.
I am one hundred percent convinced that such a small number of true professionals of our business is only our fault! We do not help newbies, moreover, they annoy us, because most of them are stupid, lazy children who have grown up on computer games, hoping to become second Belami Gates, and not in terms of brains, only in terms of money. However, there are among them really talented people who are pleased to help (not in the sense that they do not ask difficult questions). And if this is about you, do not worry, you will become an excellent programmer, another thing is that someone more experienced can help you if you help him see your bright mind. So, some tips on how to ask for help from an unfamiliar programmer.
Honestly, annoying when a stranger begins to communicate right from the question. Not that I'm a snob, but these are the basic rules of decency! You create a first impression about yourself. I am pleased to think that I am helping an intelligent, intelligent young man, not a cattle, who hung on the heels with the boys yesterday, but now he is sitting at my computer and wants to know something from me. This does not mean that you need to communicate on “you”, it does not mean that you need to say “please” through the word, just the phrase “Hello, my name is Vasya, I read your article here ...” will create a very good impression about you.
To become a programmer, it is not necessary to have a degree, however, you still need brains. Programming is an intellectual lesson, you cannot get away from it, and if you can hardly formulate a sentence in your native language - remember, there are always other professions.
If everything is OK with your native language, but to formulate the question clearly still does not work out - think about it - maybe you can ask it early? If you do not have a clear understanding of the question you want to ask, most likely, even if an experienced comrade manages to answer it, you will not understand the answer.
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Appeal to a more experienced programmer should be your last resort. You are not a programmer yet, you are just learning, and the more you suffer with this or that question, the better you will understand it, the longer it will remain in your memory. Your first assistant is a favorite search engine. Squeeze everything out of it! And only if the search engine could not explain to you how to solve this problem - give up, write to the programmer.
Actually, the logical continuation of the third paragraph. Do not ask general questions like: “How to write a plugin for wordpress” or “how to write a twitter-client for iPhone”. Such questions should be asked by Google, he is used to them, and knows how to answer them. If someone turns to me like that, all I can do is give a link to Google, for each of the questions draws on writing a book, well, at least a brochure. Ask more specific questions, for example: “Why this method in this class does not return the result I need” or “Why this function constantly returns an error to the API of Twitter.” In this case, I can look at the function code, and say that you are doing wrong, I can read the description of api, and say why the data you sent is wrong, but I will not rewrite the wordpress documentation or api twitter description to you. and simple and understandable language.
Remember, no one will do anything for you. 80% of the calls to me end with the words "Damn, maybe I will give you access, do it quickly ...", or "Maybe I will throw off the source code for you, add this function, atoms I can not enter." Do not make us idiots, we are always ready to help you with advice, but we will not do work for strangers for free. Such phrases immediately send your contact to the blacklist.
It turned out five small tips, such obvious, so clear and simple. It is even strange that I sat down at the Word, and began to write obvious things, but before you pin a well-known cap on me, add the article to your bookmarks, and read every time you write to an unknown programmer in Asya!
I am one hundred percent convinced that such a small number of true professionals of our business is only our fault! We do not help newbies, moreover, they annoy us, because most of them are stupid, lazy children who have grown up on computer games, hoping to become second Belami Gates, and not in terms of brains, only in terms of money. However, there are among them really talented people who are pleased to help (not in the sense that they do not ask difficult questions). And if this is about you, do not worry, you will become an excellent programmer, another thing is that someone more experienced can help you if you help him see your bright mind. So, some tips on how to ask for help from an unfamiliar programmer.
1. Greet and introduce yourself.
Honestly, annoying when a stranger begins to communicate right from the question. Not that I'm a snob, but these are the basic rules of decency! You create a first impression about yourself. I am pleased to think that I am helping an intelligent, intelligent young man, not a cattle, who hung on the heels with the boys yesterday, but now he is sitting at my computer and wants to know something from me. This does not mean that you need to communicate on “you”, it does not mean that you need to say “please” through the word, just the phrase “Hello, my name is Vasya, I read your article here ...” will create a very good impression about you.
2. Clearly formulate the question.
To become a programmer, it is not necessary to have a degree, however, you still need brains. Programming is an intellectual lesson, you cannot get away from it, and if you can hardly formulate a sentence in your native language - remember, there are always other professions.
If everything is OK with your native language, but to formulate the question clearly still does not work out - think about it - maybe you can ask it early? If you do not have a clear understanding of the question you want to ask, most likely, even if an experienced comrade manages to answer it, you will not understand the answer.
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3. Before asking - try to resolve the issue on your own.
Appeal to a more experienced programmer should be your last resort. You are not a programmer yet, you are just learning, and the more you suffer with this or that question, the better you will understand it, the longer it will remain in your memory. Your first assistant is a favorite search engine. Squeeze everything out of it! And only if the search engine could not explain to you how to solve this problem - give up, write to the programmer.
4. Ask specific, not general questions.
Actually, the logical continuation of the third paragraph. Do not ask general questions like: “How to write a plugin for wordpress” or “how to write a twitter-client for iPhone”. Such questions should be asked by Google, he is used to them, and knows how to answer them. If someone turns to me like that, all I can do is give a link to Google, for each of the questions draws on writing a book, well, at least a brochure. Ask more specific questions, for example: “Why this method in this class does not return the result I need” or “Why this function constantly returns an error to the API of Twitter.” In this case, I can look at the function code, and say that you are doing wrong, I can read the description of api, and say why the data you sent is wrong, but I will not rewrite the wordpress documentation or api twitter description to you. and simple and understandable language.
5. Ask for advice, not help.
Remember, no one will do anything for you. 80% of the calls to me end with the words "Damn, maybe I will give you access, do it quickly ...", or "Maybe I will throw off the source code for you, add this function, atoms I can not enter." Do not make us idiots, we are always ready to help you with advice, but we will not do work for strangers for free. Such phrases immediately send your contact to the blacklist.
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It turned out five small tips, such obvious, so clear and simple. It is even strange that I sat down at the Word, and began to write obvious things, but before you pin a well-known cap on me, add the article to your bookmarks, and read every time you write to an unknown programmer in Asya!
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/127967/
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