Reasons for people to be here and chances to become annoying
Hello!
As its visible in the other thread about where people are from, this site is "globally populated", which might explain why there are people, who can answer to posts, but still: for some not very long time while being here, I have noticed some individuals, who answer very often. Thanks to them, but why are you people doing it? Several posts per day!
On the other hand: people who are learning C++ and want to get past some problems they have. Frankly, I am on that side as for now. The only reason for me not to feel selfishly consuming is that I plan to make my code publicly available in the near future.
What is your motivation to solve somebody's problem? Have you been thinking about how will you compensate it, after posting a new thread?
As its visible in the other thread about where people are from, this site is "globally populated", which might explain why there are people, who can answer to posts, but still: for some not very long time while being here, I have noticed some individuals, who answer very often. Thanks to them, but why are you people doing it? Several posts per day!
On the other hand: people who are learning C++ and want to get past some problems they have. Frankly, I am on that side as for now. The only reason for me not to feel selfishly consuming is that I plan to make my code publicly available in the near future.
What is your motivation to solve somebody's problem? Have you been thinking about how will you compensate it, after posting a new thread?
The people who post most regularly tend to do so with only the desire to help others learn.
Some, like yourself, seek to learn by the helping, as well as simply receive help. (Actually, the desire to learn through helping shouldn't ever go away.)
Others, like myself, aren't too worried that someone is going to post something so amazing or un-obviously clever that we'll ever be tempted to pass it off as our own. The unfortunate fact is that most stuff posted for help is really very poorly written -- which is the cause of the problems and simply a matter of needing to learn more.
No artist starts out making great art. He starts out making really crappy art, and practices until it becomes great. The same is true in all disciplines. Especially programming.
Part of the hacker culture is to share and help. Company non-disclosure agreements and the like certainly exist -- and any programmer worth his salt honors them (it isn't hard to ask questions that don't reveal obligatory secrets).
While the following is written for new posters, it illuminates the mindset of frequenters as well:
How to Ask Questions the Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
It is worth the read by anyone.
Experienced programmers are often gratified by helping others to think about computer issues the right way.
Hope this helps.
Some, like yourself, seek to learn by the helping, as well as simply receive help. (Actually, the desire to learn through helping shouldn't ever go away.)
Others, like myself, aren't too worried that someone is going to post something so amazing or un-obviously clever that we'll ever be tempted to pass it off as our own. The unfortunate fact is that most stuff posted for help is really very poorly written -- which is the cause of the problems and simply a matter of needing to learn more.
No artist starts out making great art. He starts out making really crappy art, and practices until it becomes great. The same is true in all disciplines. Especially programming.
Part of the hacker culture is to share and help. Company non-disclosure agreements and the like certainly exist -- and any programmer worth his salt honors them (it isn't hard to ask questions that don't reveal obligatory secrets).
While the following is written for new posters, it illuminates the mindset of frequenters as well:
How to Ask Questions the Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
It is worth the read by anyone.
Experienced programmers are often gratified by helping others to think about computer issues the right way.
Hope this helps.
I like to help others because I know that there will be a time I need help.
@Duoas That article is a good read.
@Duoas That article is a good read.
| Others, like myself, aren't too worried that someone is going to post something so amazing or un-obviously clever that we'll ever be tempted to pass it off as our own. |
Aside from altruism, regular answerers also sometimes learn themselves by observing other people's mistakes, and sometimes also when answering the questions.
closed account (z05DSL3A)
| What is your motivation to solve somebody's problem? |
I help where I can because other help me elsewhere. (hopefully soon I will have more free time to give, I prefer to give explanations to answers but I have not had the time recently)
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I help in part because my nature is to teach and in part to elevate the knowledge level of students coming out of college and obtaining programmer positions, in the hopes that some day I will stop having to maintain other people's code that insists on doing stupid things in stupid (and most often verbose) ways.
I am here because i love programming and love to solve the problems.
In the process i may share my knowledge and side by side i may learn new things.
and when we solve some problem and receive appreciation, that's the highest motivating factor to continue to contribute.
In the process i may share my knowledge and side by side i may learn new things.
and when we solve some problem and receive appreciation, that's the highest motivating factor to continue to contribute.
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