Before asking a technical question by e-mail, or in a newsgroup, or on a website chat board, do the following:
- Try to find an answer by searching the archives of the forum or mailing list you plan to post to.
- Try to find an answer by searching the Web.
- Try to find an answer by reading the manual.
- Try to find an answer by reading a FAQ.
- Try to find an answer by inspection or experimentation.
- Try to find an answer by asking a skilled friend.
- If you’re a programmer, try to find an answer by reading the source code.