-- How to answer questions the smart way --

This stuff is not about asking questions the smart way. If that's what you're after, go there: http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html


Introduction

Wrote this because all the lame answers to (possibly good) questions i've seen really bother me. I feel it is somewhat important to both ask the questions and answer them the smart way. So, here you go, what i've noticed.


Answers

It is not uncommon that when a question is asked, important information is left out. You might want to answer the question but just can't since it is too vague. So you ask some questions to get a better grasp of the problem. While doing so, though, remember to ask the questions the smart way. If you got the time, anyways.

Don't let cool things get to you. I know how massive "RTFM" and "STFW" and "go google it you lazy fuck" look, but it would be appropriate to at least try and do the same yourself, to confirm that it really yeilds in an usable answer to the question. You might be sure that there are hundreds of webpages out there offering indepth discussion on TCP MSS negotiation, but well, there aren't. So, if you're not sure, fire old google up yourself before sending people that way. If after doing so you're still absolutely positive that the question was a horrible parade of laziness and stupidity, bitch away.

Also, some people seem to think that google has a built-in quality-weighing engine. Although propably developed under secrecy, so far googling doesn't neccessarily return the "good pages" nor does it return pages with "more technical discussion". I mean, when someone asks what programs do you prefer for some tasks or where can they find good tutorials on some subject, don't just tell them to check the links section of this dot that site or google for it or check a web directory or whatnot, since the question is about quality not a list of both good, bad and plain wrong resources.

RTFQ - Read the fucking question. If you think you know better, since you are the one answering, guess again. Uh, ok, actually you usually do know better, but really, don't assume that the original poster doesn't absolutely know what he/she is doing. Before saying the whole idea is stupid and suggesting another, "better" way of doing it or just assuming that all peculiarities in the question are errors on the part of the asker, give it a benefit of a doubt and consider it. This is particularily important, since it looks really dump when a specialist asks a rather advanced question and three or four helpful people say something completely basic and pointless. You propably don't want to be in that situation.

Try to stay in the topic. When you're asked what window manager to use on a P100 box, unless you really can't stop it, don't start suggesting an upgrade that would most definitely be answered by another, even better upgrade, gradually shifting the conversation to a flamewar about which has better customer support, ATI or nVidia.