Advise on asking good questions

[Sherri is a Cat]

This isn't actually a question. I just read an article on KGll's website, Linux-tips.us. Asking good questions is something I try to do when asking for help on forums. I've been asking questions for a long time using a lot of the tips he discusses. Even so, I still learned some things after reading it. Looking through the threads I don't see a link to this article. Personally I think it would be a sticky in this forum.

How To: Ask A Good Support Question

 

[Brickwizard]

I don't see a link to this article

Its in KG's signature [unfortunately not many newbies read our signatures]

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

Its in KG's signature [unfortunately not many newbies read our signatures]

That's why I think it would be a good sticky. From what I've seen, it's look like most people wouldn't read it anyway. But a different forum had something like this posted as a sticky. I read it. I wanted help. I saw the suggestions and advice.
Articles like this aren't only good for PC's and software. It's good advise when asking for help with anything. I think it helps the one with a question stay focused. Admittedly, I can be one of those people!

 

[KGIII]

That's actually the number one result for "ask a good support question" on the various search engines.

There was a thread when the article came out, but I've got no clue where that thread actually resides.

(I've made a whole lot of threads and written a whole lot of articles.)

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

That's actually the number one result for "ask a good support question" on the various search engines.

There was a thread when the article came out, but I've got no clue where that thread actually resides.

(I've made a whole lot of threads and written a whole lot of articles.)

I know! I looked around your website. I always check Announcements too. I book marked your website in my browser. I may not necessarily need a lot of it now but I will in the future. It's easy to understand. That makes a big difference when I'm just beginning to learn about something.

I still think it should be a sticky. I rarely find what I'm looking for when I search forums, I think that only happened once. The forum I used to go to advised to ask a question in a different thread if you still have questions after reading old posts.

I haven't yet looked at all of your articles. If you don't already have one, that might be good advise as well.

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

That's actually the number one result for "ask a good support question" on the various search engines.

How many people actually look for that though? It didn't occur to me that I could ask a better question until I saw the sticky in another forum. When I started searching for more information to ask a better question, I usually ended up finding the answer on my own.

 

[Condobloke]

"" I usually ended up finding the answer on my own.""

That is good...as long as the answer you have found is accurate. Much of the 'answers' on the web are not.

The great advantage of finding the answer/s on the forums, including this one, is that the various suggestions have been curated by the members here.....and if the 'answer' has made past the people here, it lends a level of assurance which can be quite comforting.

Having said all that, I would be the first to agree that the linux.org search function could do with a boost.....it is not always the most user-friendly thing to use.

There was a thread when the article came out, but I've got no clue where that thread actually resides.

I rest my case......if KGIII can't find it, the search function is not as easy to use as it should be

 

[osprey]

A classic article on asking a question in lists is here:

How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

 

[KGIII]

How many people actually look for that though?

Not nearly enough...

if KGIII can't find it, the search function is not as easy to use as it should be

To be fair, I didn't look.

I now spent a few minutes and here's the thread:

https://linux.org/threads/ladies-and-gentlemen-its-the-article-weve-all-been-waiting-for.39100/

There's also the thread where I asked for input if one were to search for that.

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

"" I usually ended up finding the answer on my own.""

That is good...as long as the answer you have found is accurate. Much of the 'answers' on the web are not.

The great advantage of finding the answer/s on the forums, including this one, is that the various suggestions have been curated by the members here.....and if the 'answer' has made past the people here, it lends a level of assurance which can be quite comforting.

Having said all that, I would be the first to agree that the linux.org search function could do with a boost.....it is not always the most user-friendly thing to use.

I rest my case......if KGIII can't find it, the search function is not as easy to use as it should be

When found solutions, I search the validity of the solution itself to make sure it was a sound one. I also wrote down what I did so I could undo them if there was a problem.

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

Not nearly enough...



To be fair, I didn't look.

I now spent a few minutes and here's the thread:

https://linux.org/threads/ladies-and-gentlemen-its-the-article-weve-all-been-waiting-for.39100/

There's also the thread where I asked for input if one were to search for that.

Ah!!!

 

[Condobloke]

I also wrote down what I did so I could undo them if there was a problem.

Now you have Timeshift.
be aware that is Timeshift takes the system back a day or even a few days, and as a result wipes out a few updates etc......Update Manager will know they are gone and simply relist them for download and install.

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

Now you have Timeshift.
be aware that is Timeshift takes the system back a day or even a few days, and as a result wipes out a few updates etc......Update Manager will know they are gone and simply relist them for download and install.

I take a manual snapshot immediately after every update! And I've ALSO learned that if I give them a name or description it won't be deleted by Timeshift

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

@KGIII

I need to learn about those tags... I think I need a cheat sheet!

 

[wizardfromoz]

...the search function is not as easy to use as it should be

True, perhaps, but I used it a couple of hours ago to find

There's also the thread where I asked for input if one were to search for that.

and easily found it here

https://www.linux.org/threads/worki...stion-article-and-looking-for-feedback.32608/

Cheers

Wiz

Personally I think it would be a sticky in this forum.

The article itself won't be made a sticky as it is at David G.'s @KGIII personal website.

We could make a sticky of

https://www.linux.org/threads/ladies-and-gentlemen-its-the-article-weve-all-been-waiting-for.39100/

but David would need to clarify this

The old URL will 'work' for a few more minutes - and then it will automatically redirect to the new site. The old links to the site will still work, it'll just (blindly) redirect to the new site. However, you'll probably want to update your own references to the new site. After a year or two I'll just stop registering the old domain name. So, you have plenty of time to do so.

No point in linking to a dead link, otherwise.

There is also this from some years before David's article appeared, from one of our former Mods

https://www.linux.org/threads/getting-hardware-information-from-linux-to-help-forum-helpers.9676/

Wiz

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

We could make a sticky of

https://www.linux.org/threads/ladies-and-gentlemen-its-the-article-weve-all-been-waiting-for.39100/

but David would need to clarify this.

I vote for this...

There is also this from some years before David's article appeared, from one of our former Mods

https://www.linux.org/threads/getting-hardware-information-from-linux-to-help-forum-helpers.9676/

Wiz

Maybe a sticky of multiple articles with advise on how to askk for help?? I haven't been at this forum nearly as long as you, so I defer to your judgement.

I can say though that at the other forum I saw many questions from people who apparently didn't bother to think about the question they were asking, bother to find out anything before asking or consider the time people might have to put into figuring out exactly what the question or questions are. But maybe people willing to jump into Linux do think about those things? Again, I defer to your opinion. I'm still taking off the training wheels!

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

Its in KG's signature [unfortunately not many newbies read our signatures]

I read your banner, too! "How do I Install Linux". After I quit dealing with the Giant's never ending obstacles that seem specifically implemented to keep people from trying out Linux.. I won't say more about that. I might be banned from the forum!

After I quit trying to figure out a way around Windows and out of pure frustration and disgust, I followed your tutorial and here I am!

Thank you! Not sure I would be here without you! At least not as soon.

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

Its in KG's signature [unfortunately not many newbies read our signatures]

I may have 1st seen a link your article in a response you made, but I remembered seeing it in your banner too.

 

[KGIII]

No point in linking to a dead link, otherwise.

The easiest would be to edit it and point to the new link - but the old link will redirect (301 redirection) to the new link in perpetuity. It'd be far easier just to edit that out.

I'm not adverse to making it a sticky, I'm just not sure if there's a benefit to be had. If other think there's value in it, I'll happily clean it up and have it point to the new URL to ensure future-proofing. It was originally written for the first (the .gq domain) instance of Linux Tips, the one that got nuked in favor of the .us domain and all the new features and yada yada yada...

I can certainly clean it up and sticky it.

 

[KGIII]

Edit: Never mind... I'm a moron...

The existing post (the one linked that folks want to make a sticky) is already pointed at the .us domain name.

So, just some text could be removed. It no longer points at the old URL.