User:Bucket3432/Asking for help

Many times while working on a project, you will need to ask for help from fellow peers to troubleshoot an issue or to figure out how to do something that is beyond your current knowledge or skill set. Knowing how to ask for help effectively means you get answers faster and you avoid frustrating those wanting to help you; it is a skill that's useful not only for fansubbing, but for life in general.

Attitudes
There are a number of attitudes you should take on before asking for help to

Be a self-starter
Unless they state otherwise, everyone you ask for help will expect you to have made a reasonable attempt at resolving your situation.

For troubleshooting an issue, this usually means reading error messages and acting on them, looking things up where necessary. In many cases, an error message will tell you exactly what went wrong and will either directly tell you how to fix it or give you insights on what you need to change.

For trying things that are beyond your knowledge or skills, look for guides and resources and attempt to follow them. But be wary: there is a lot of bad and outdated information out there; be prepared to let go of information that you learn from a resource that you are not sure is trustworthy.

Be humble
You are asking for help because you were not able to resolve the issue yourself. Anyone helping you is taking time out their day because they want to help and not because they're obligated to, and that help can be offered or withdrawn at any time. They know more about the subject than you do, so be open to criticism and be willing to learn new things and implement the solutions given. Criticism is not a personal attack from people who are genuinely trying to help.

Think for yourself
The people you are asking help from are not there to do your job, they are there to provide insights that you do not have so that you can continue to solve the problem yourself. Try things out, use your resources, carefully read and understand what you're given, and do not expect to be spoon-fed answers. The response you might get for a somewhat common issue may be a link to a page that you have to read through, which exist so that people can link to it rather than have to explain the solution every time.

Thinking for yourself not only saves everyone time and energy, but it also helps develop your experience and critical thinking skills so that you can solve similar problems in the future without having to ask for help. Failing to think for yourself can cause frustration on both sides and will likely result in others being less willing to help in the future.

Steps
Once you have decided that asking for help is the right path forward after attempting to resolve the issue yourself, follow these four major steps:


 * 1) Find the right place to ask for help.
 * 2) Ask your question.
 * 3) Cooperate with those who are giving you help.
 * 4) Thank the people who have helped you.

Find the right place to ask for help
It is important to ask for help in the right place as doing so maximizes the chances of someone giving you good quality help.