How to ask questions in a discussion group

Discussion groups are among the resources people turn to most often when 
 solving technical problems. A discussion group is a living organism with rules of its own. It
 contains a wealth of information and brings together knowledge, opinions and often 
 quite a collection of personalities.

Like living organisms, discussion groups have an internal order and structure that affect
 their behavior, quality and longevity. The symbiosis between active members, readers and people asking questions creates a balance
 at the heart of the organism. How do you ask a question in a discussion group without 
 upsetting that delicate balance? It's hard to answer. You have to know, understand
 and follow the rules of this fragile organism.

My own experience with discussion groups has led me to write down a few basic rules that
 have worked for me or that I've observed over the years.

Rule I — Don't ask

Chances are that somebody has already put into words the problem, request for advice, opinion, solution, question or other piece of information
 you're after, and that somebody has already answered. Try the tools you have,
 such as search engines and discussion group archives, to save yourself and the group some time.

Rule II — Be specific

If you can't find an answer and have to ask, be specific. Ask one specific question, two at most, 
 and include anything else that's needed, such as a code excerpt, a URL or a quotation. That helps you and the group,
 as well as anyone who follows Rule I the next time they're looking for an answer to a similar question.

Rule III — Be brief

Nobody has enough time to study sprawling questions with three attachments or answer 
 several questions under one subject. If you have more questions, feel free to split them up 
 into separate threads. The group can respond more easily to a thread
 with one subject.

Rule IV — Mind the subject line

Put the essence of what you want to say in the subject line. It's a label that affects how
 the group behaves. With a poor subject line like HELP, PLEASE HELP or 
 IT DOESN'T WORK, you're much less likely to get a specific answer than with a good one.

Rule V — Be considerate

Nothing derails a discussion and upsets the group's balance like off-topic posts,
 personal attacks and other material unrelated to the subject. Another scourge is the flame war, a group quarrel 
 over something so broad (Linux vs. Windows, PHP vs. Java, IE vs. Mozilla) and open to so many perspectives that a sensible discussion
 is pointless without narrowing the subject. Save everyone time and stay out of it.

You may disagree and say this is subjective, and you may be right. But this is how it feels
 from the point of view of one cell in the living organism we call a discussion group.