How to understand the answer
After you get an answer, the real work isn't over. You need to read the clues given by the respondent and determine what is a direct answer and what is asking you to continue reading, searching, adding information, or revising your assumptions.
Answers will not necessarily look like tutorials
Answers in technical communities are often short and can be very direct. They don't necessarily rehash the background knowledge, but rather point to manuals, keywords, error locations, or next steps in the direction of troubleshooting. You learn to move on from these hints rather than expecting someone else to lay out the full learning path.
Three things to do first when reading answers
- Identify specific clues pointed out by the respondent, such as document sections, commands, causes of errors, or keywords.
- Read, search and verify for yourself first, don't immediately ask the person to expand on the explanation.
- If you still don't get it, follow up with your newly learned content.
What this chapter will be about
This chapter will explain how to understand short responses like RTFM, STFW, how to follow up when you still don't understand, and how to deal with responses that seem harsh or even rude.