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It seems to me that people often like to try their hand at programming, either just as a hobby, or perhaps because they think they're future computer scientists, or even because they're a "1337 COD M0DD3r" looking for some help with "h@x" and whatnot. Well, quite frankly it seems that its left quite often to me and a handful of other intelligent people (such as Sublimity) to field such questions. Anyways, this mini-guide is for you - random people who stumble into the Computer Programming or Computer Hacking and Coding sections to ask seemingly brain-dead questions.

Let's begin with a few tips that you should keep in mind when you are asking for help...

• Grammar counts
  

Yes, grammar does count. Believe it or not, when you ask a question and you blatantly make no attempt at good grammar and spelling, my desire (as well as the desire of others' to help you decreases dramatically. In fact, it actually makes me fear for the fate of humanity. I'm not asking for impeccable grammar, but please, observe the following requests for assistance:

If you don't speak English well, don't use big words, but at least try to form sentences. You can also go to a translating website (such as Google Translate) and actually translate from your native language to English.

• Your request is not a demand, nor a command. You are certainly not more important than anyone else
  

If we can't help you immediately, don't be upset, just understand that patience is a virtue, and many of us "helpers" (even those who pop in to answer a single question) have lives. Also, using the words "Please" and "Thank You" go a long way, prior to helping you, consider saying "I need help please..." and after helping you, "Thank" our post (by hitting the Thank button), and even leave a reply thanking us. It makes us want to help you again, and makes our time helping you much more worth while.

• If you need help, you have to be ready to participate in the solution of your problem
  

First off, when you initially ask for help, you must compile an "error report" for us (especially when asking us to debug your program). These are the steps you should take, and this is also the order your post should be in:

1. State that you need help, don't forget to use "please"
   
2. Don't offer bribes for service, others might, but I honestly don't care about your vBux
   
3. State the program you are attempting to create (no matter how stupid or how simple it may seem)
   
4. State the programming language you are attempting to create it in
   
5. Tell us what the error is. If your program doesn't compile, give us the compiler error, if it does compile and run, give us the runtime error (or explain what the problem is)
   
6. If possible, take pictures and/or videos
   
7. Document the steps you take to cause the problem (especially if you're making a large application)
   
8. Post your source code, find a few lines around where the error is occurring, and any methods or classes (or anything else) is being used in those few lines of code (that isn't actually built within those few lines of code) you should post as well
   

Once you have successfully compiled a detailed error report containing a description of the problem and a snippet (or entire source) of your program you must then follow the discussion. If we ask you questions, answer them. Don't get defensive, just answer the question as clearly and concisely as possible, we're working on your behalf to solve your problem.

If you solve the problem yourself, let us know, and then post your solution (for future reference). Also, before you have a problem, try to solve it yourself. Take steps to debug your program, examine your code and the errors it produces, etc. Then, check to see if you can find any helpful resources online, use NGU's search feature, as well as a search engine like Google to search for potential problems.

Here's an example of a good request for help:


Here's an example of a bad request for help:


Finally, if you're in need of help because your class (or even your book/tutorial) has some how left you with an impossibly hard problem that you cannot solve, or leaves you creating a program that cannot work, you shouldn't ask for help. I'm not here to do your homework, I have work of my own to do. I'm here by choice, primarily to help new programmers get through rough stages. If you're going to school and are in either a programming or computer science course and you absolutely cannot seem to solve the problem, one of two things happened.
One: Your teacher is a complete, babbling fool who has no idea how to teach or how to program and has somehow assigned an impossibly hard assignment with no instruction prior and no advice on how to complete it.
Two: You haven't been paying attention in class, or you haven't been focusing enough energy on actually learning the material.
In most (or rather, all) scenarios, its situation number two. First off, its unethical, immoral, and in most cases, against the rules to have us write your program for you. However, the second point is, that if you don't understand the problem or you can't find the solution, ask your teacher! That's what they're paid for! Its more important that you understand the material than anything else. So if you can't solve it, don't bother asking us (or at least make an attempt at hiding the fact that you want us to do your homework).

Now, if you have a question relating to something you learned at school, for example, "What does the 'static' keyword actually do?", that's fine, ask us that, as long as its not part of your homework; though I guarantee you that you can find the answer online just by Googling some, and you'll get a response faster that way.

Now, if your book or tutorial has left you off with no understanding, you're in a tougher position. You're probably already motivated (since you're reading a book all by yourself). First off, go back and reread the chapter (or past few chapters), see if it helps. If it doesn't help, its time for you to take a few steps back, and find a new, more detailed, better written, or just straight up simpler book. At that point, you can feel free to ask us for help.

• If you're going to ask a broad question, don't
  

If you're going to ask a broad question, such as "How do I learn to program?" or "What language is better?", or anything relatable to such, don't ask that question. Such a question has been asked many times, and answered many times. This is where you can once again use the search feature. To answer it once and for all, you learn to program from a book, tutorial, website, or any teaching resource as well as a whole lot of practice. There is no better language, only languages better suited for a task. If you're new to programming, pick any language other than Visual Basic .NET. I'd suggest C, C#, C++, or Java, but to each is own.

If you're going to ask "How do I hack?", don't ask that either. You can't just whimsically learn to be a hacker in a matter of days. Its a long (life-long) process. You should start by learning about computer science, networking, and cryptography. You should also learn at least one programming language. From there, you can start learning some real hacking.

• We're not your program writing slaves
  

This could have fit into a number of other categories, but I think it deserves its own category. We are not here to be your personal team of developers, and we're certainly not here as your slaves. Do not demand us to write you a program. If, just maybe, you ask really nicely, and describe your program really well, we can create your program for you - but that's only if you've described your program well, asked nicely, and its not a major program. If its a school assignment, don't bother asking, but if its a program that you will use personally, that you won't be distributing, and its small enough, we might just write it for you.

• We can help solve problems, but we don't like being used
  

So, you want to create a program that's totally beyond you. You have no idea how to get started, so you come here asking. First off, don't bother asking. If you can't figure out how to get started yourself, or you can't research it yourself, the program is clearly beyond your current capability, and you shouldn't attempt it at the current time - and that's what you'll be told.

Furthermore, we're not here to give you codes to copy and paste then claim as your own. All too often I see some friendly helpers giving a person some code, then a few days later after having these helpers write the program for them, the person releases it as their own program. If you didn't write the code, don't claim it as your own. If you can't create the program whatsoever, then don't bother trying to create it by using us to write your program for you.

• And lastly, once you're ready to share your "oh so fantastic" program...
  

Post a picture, post a LINK to a virus scan. Yes, a real link. I don't need to see a picture of Malwarebytes (or whatever sort of antivirus you have), I don't need your "guarantee" that the program is clean, and I most certainly don't need an apparently "copied and pasted" virus scan. What you need to do is go to a virus scanning website, such as VirusTotal, scan the file, and then link us to the report. You should also provide a download, preferably one without Adfly or Sharecash (or any other survey/advertising website). What you should do is upload it to MultiUpload, its free, its easy, and gives users a choice of their download mechanism. Finally, you ought to consider posting the source code, trust me, you probably haven't just come out with the most ground breaking program ever, and its probably not going to make you super rich. There's nothing to lose, and much to gain by posting the source.

People have been doing this on every forum since the very start, one thread won't change it.
Most of the kind of people that do' do it are the people that do ask lots of questions.


Though knowing how forums work, im sure this will for some reason get stuck.

Way to be positive. :p

My goal isn't to make life easier on all of us who answer questions, but to make it easier on those who ask the questions. People will get help faster and easier if they're polite in their requests, understandable in their grammar, and if they provide a detailed explanation of the problem. It actually is harder to answer a poorly explained, poorly written question, which inevitably results in more hassle for the one asking the question.

Though I do agree with you, it probably is hard to convince most idiots to read such a post prior to asking stupid questions.

you always the best

Thanks, I appreciate the complements. xD

Thanks for this. I have always wanted to tell people to write this but I figured they wouldn't follow it so I wouldn't waste my time.

Sticky FTW.

Nice, this should be stickied at the very least.