One of the most effective ways to learn is to figure out how to ask good questions and figure out how to connect with the people who will be able to figure out the right answer. I this cultural blog post, we're going to dive into: "who do I ask a good question?"

There are a couple tips to help ask the best questions, particularly on sites like StackOverflow where people are answering questions out of benevolence.

Think about the Pyramid Principle. Meaning, give the full punchline first. Then go into the details after that. With this approach the reader will be able to know which part of the code and / or problem you'd like for them to focus on.

Assume the ready is a "busy colleague," meaning they don't have a lot of time to read long sentences. Can you sum up your question in one sentence? Do you have errors or pictures you can include with the question for context?

One of the most important things is to continue asking the questions. If the first answer wasn't clear for you, continue to delve in and see if you can clarify. The optimal outcome is walking away from the conversation armed with more knowledge and confidence for how to approach the problem.