> "How to ask questions the Smart Way"
> http://catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

I've suggested previously that should be sent to and be required
reading for anyone subscribing. Moderating their first few posts and
insisting they post the correct way would ensure they start PIC life on
the right foot. After that they're fair game and if you ask a question that
deserves an RTFM answer and you get one, you've only yourself to
blame. Learn from it

IMO PIClist suffers less from newbie questions than other forums
(including Microchip's). Of the type "My circuit isn't working", followed
by pages of "What circuit" "What PIC" "What's wrong"

> - Self centered
> - A coddled sense on entitlement.
> - Rejecting of authority
> - Feels alienated when chastised

That's the way kids think now unfortunately. But they will always be
the emerging entrants in any field and need to be told how to research
and present findings. When I started work we were instructed to do
just that. The lab manager would then pick over our reports, pointing
out what was well done, missing, irrelevant, and so on

My approach has always been along the lines of

> 3) Give them some water, and tell them where the well is

If you asked someone what the time was and they told you to ****
off and buy a watch, how would you feel ? But if they told you the
time and suggested you purchase some sort of timepiece .......

> This is a list for engineers, not a bunch of touchy-feely artists

Competence and sensitivity are not mutually exclusive but I appreciate
your sentiment. If, however, referring to my first paragraph, you show
people the correct way to get help, that would make things run a lot
more amicably

Looking at the vastness of Microchip's portfolio nowadays, I completely
understand how a newcomer would be totally overwhelmed at the sight
of an enormous, seemingly impenetratable, forest of information before
them. Only from experience do I know that getting familiar with a product
takes time and patience. Newbies do not have that experience and I'm
prepared to help them (up to a certain point)

wbr
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