draft: how to ask technical questions

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John Bowdre 2023-08-26 14:50:34 -05:00
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title: How to Ask Technical Questions
date: 2023-08-26
timeless: true
draft: true
description: There are no dumb questions - but there are smarter (and dumber) ways to ask them.
---
I spend a lot of my time and energy answering technical questions[^1]. How a question is asked plays a big factor in how effectively I'll be able to answer it. Years ago I came across Eric Steven Raymond's [How To Ask Questions The Smart Way](http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html) and it really resonated with me. I wish everyone would read it before asking for technical help but I recognize it's a pretty large doc at this point. So I thought I'd summarize some of the main points that I would like to emphasize.
## Research Before You Ask
## Clear and Specific Subject Line
## Correct Spelling and Grammar
## Be Precise
## ...But Not Unnecessarily Verbose
## Describe the Symptoms, Not Your Guesses
## Describe the Goal, Not the Step
## Be Explicit About Your Question
## Be Courteous
## Follow Up with Solution
[^1]: Both professionally as well as "for fun" because I love scratching that troubleshooting itch.