Ryan Bigg

⟵ Posts

Listen to us

07 May 2010

From my time helping out in the #rubyonrails channel on Freenode, I have come across some awesome people whom I probably would have never met. Being able to talk with them is the major reason why I still hang out in there. Then there’s the coming and going of the people wishing to ask questions and listen to the answers provided by the people who are willing to give them, such as myself.

I don’t mind answering question after question when I have spare time (which I don’t anymore, so I cut back). Some of the questions are nearly identical such as “Has anybody used ?" or "Can somebody help me?" or "This is broken." This is why I made the bot for the channel so that the people helping out do not have to repeat themselves. The bot provides many things, such as the commands `!used`, `!ask` and `!elaborate` for the responses to the respective questions above. I think it's a great advantage having something like that in the channel and I can see that other people do too.

Sometimes though, we have to answer the questions ourselves. The channel bot does not have the knowledge we do, and is really only helpful for answering general questions or linking to helpful things like the guides. When we answer these questions, we (read: most of us) put our heart and soul into helping you become a better person. We give free advice to those who ask for it.

Many of these people are thankful, grateful, appreciative. I want to see these people become contributing members to the Rails community, so I help them. This is how I got started, and how I need them to get started too. In helping these people, perhaps I learn something new, or perhaps I don’t. It’s those little things you pick up along the way by helping out others which I think makes me a great programmer. The feeling you get when somebody says “Thanks” when you help them is awesome. If I didn’t need to eat, sleep or drink, I could probably live off this alone.

Then you get the people who question your advice. Who state, adamantly, that your advice is wrong. Very, very, very rarely this is the case. It’s usually that they’ve come in with their own set opinion and that anybody else who says anything different is completely wrong. I do not understand these people. They come in asking what appears to be a legitimate question, but instead will argue with you for hours as to why their point is better, regardless of your experiences and issues with their point.

Listen to us. We’ve been there before. We know what’s best (99.999% of the time). If you think that you’re right, stop and think for a moment. What if the other person is right? Try to see it from their point of view. Imagine what it would be like to argue their point. Don’t come back with things like “NO THAT SUCKS”. Clearly elaborate on why it sucks in clear and concise points. Text is not limited and your time is not as precious as you think. The more valid points you have for your argument, the better it will be. Arguing with the longtimers in the channel is not the way to win friends and influence people. Admit you’re wrong if you are, and you’ll be a better person for it.

Stop assuming that your answer is the be-all-and-end-all of the topic. Why waste our time asking a question if you’re already set in your ways? Just go and implement it and then come to us later when it breaks for you and we will help you fix it for free. If 5 other people in the channel are opposing your idea and suggesting what they claim is a better solution, then they’re probably right. We only have your best interests in mind.

Please, listen to us. We want you to help you, help us, help you.