I asked a question on a forum about why a command wasn’t working. They said I didn’t have an interpreter installed on my computer and were making fun of me. I showed them that I had one installed and that wasn’t the problem, but they continued to talk sarcastically to me without explaining anything. Only one of them suggested the cause of the problem, and he was right, so I thanked him. Then another guy said that if I couldn’t figure it out myself, I should do something else and that he was tired of people like me. After that, I deleted my question, and now I’m not sure. And I don’t think I want to ask for help ever again

  • Nate Cox@programming.devEnglish
    161·
    10 hours ago

    No.

    All of the “rules” you’re describing are effectively just gaslighting people who have been bullied into thinking they asked for it. It takes so little effort not to be a dick to people. It’s like the lowest effort thing I can think of.

    Asking questions is fine; asking without doing prior research is fine too. Online bullies want others to think you need to have a PhD thesis on the topic before you’re allowed to ask a question and that mindset is ridiculous.

    Ask your questions @alina@lemmy.world, don’t apologize for it, and just ignore the assholes. It’s totally fine to look for a human connection first, you don’t need that doctorate beforehand.

    • Zikeji@programming.devEnglish
      8·
      9 hours ago

      I will say that getting a question ignored when asked in a manner that is contrary to the rules of that community is normal. People not reading the rules and guidelines and asking inappropriately is very common and results in a lot of burnout.

      But you are correct - it takes little effort to not be an asshole, and in those situations one should just move on and let the powers that be clean it up.

    • okwhateverdude@lemmy.worldEnglish
      32·
      7 hours ago

      I don’t think it is about needing a doctorate beforehand and I find your characterization of @it_depends_man@lemmy.world’s advice on social etiquette weirdly non-sequitur and white knighty. Would you walk into a religious place of worship, a strip club, a gun range, or Costco without at least knowing how to interact with that space? Wearing your magic underwear? Bring enough fives? Ear protection? Membership card?

      The point being virtual spaces are weird and full of weird people that live in their head. And they make communities that have implicit and explicit rules like all communities. And if you’re wading neck deep into a pool of internet weirdos (their pool, mind you, you’re the outsider traipsing in wanting their knowledge and wisdom) and want your question answered, the lurk and learn advice from above is solid.

      Does it suck? Maybe? I can see it from the community’s perspective where they set the barrier to entry.

      • Nate Cox@programming.devEnglish
        4·
        5 hours ago

        Would you walk into a religious place of worship, a strip club, a gun range, or Costco without at least knowing how to interact with that space?

        I wouldn’t walk into a strip club period, but for all of your other examples I would absolutely go to those places to figure out how to interact with them. Frankly, I do not understand why you wouldn’t. Who is more qualified to explain to you how to interact with them than the people you want to interact with?

        You’re accusing me of “white knighting” (hello, painfully 2010s virtue signaling catch phrase) for saying that people shouldn’t be shitty to each other. I’ll counter by accusing you of enabling that negative behavior by making excuses for it.