From the course: Learning Troubleshooting for Web Developers

Set expectations

From the course: Learning Troubleshooting for Web Developers

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Set expectations

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- [Instructor] With the exception of paid product support, all of the other suggestions I've given in this course on where to look for answers involved volunteers, probably absolute strangers going out of their way to help you find an answer to your problem. They're not being paid to help. They're not obligated to help. They're helping because that's what we do in the tech community, especially in opensource communities. We try to help one another along. To that end, here are a few things to keep in mind when you're posting a question online. First, be patient. I know from experience that when you're frustrated with a problem, you're knee deep in some code and you've got a project deadline looming, you're looking for answers fast, even urgently. But due to the nature of asking for help from some kind soul on the internet, prepare yourself to wait a while for an answer. You're on their timetable. They're not on yours. Next, be kind. It's really easy to misinterpret tone of voice online, so go out of your way to be gracious and appreciative. People will be much more likely to wanna help you. Lastly, be helpful. I mentioned it earlier when I talked about networking, but the more you're viewed in the web development community helping other people solve their problems, the more likely other people are to jump in and help you out. I think we're on the same page here, so next, let's figure out the best place for you to ask your questions.

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