Here are a few random things I have learned about asking for coding help:
- It is sometimes difficult for me to find the balance between asking too much (being a nuisance) & asking too little (getting stuck for too long).
- A number of people have told me they are glad to help me. They said it makes them feel good that they know the information and have the skills. Plus they get to review and learn even more deeply by teaching.
- Coders like helping if the other person is putting in the effort, but coders hate spoon feeding (helping a person at every single step).
- Getting help has shortened my learning curve and accelerated my progress. I have greatly benefited by “borrowing” others experience and knowledge.
- I get much better help when I ask for help on only one specific question or problem at a time.
- The more information I provide, the better the help I receive. For instance, if I received error messages and researched what those error messages mean, then I provide all of this information to my helper, they are better equipped to help me solve the problem.
- I do better when I ask for an example to learn from, whether it be a piece of code, an article, or even a book or video. Also I keep the code example in a safe place for future reference.
- I make sure to ask politely, say “Please” and “Thank you.” I also try to provide updates, i.e. “Thanks your suggestion worked!” I also ask how long I should be stuck before asking for help.
- Lastly I make sure to help whenever I can to continue the cycle 🙂
bryanttunbutr 