PSA: Descriptive hacking questions; hacking question PMs

[Agro]

I want to address a few things that I currently see as issues with the way we do hacking questions.

Firstly, I've been getting a lot of music hacking questions via PMs, which is very flattering, but also a little bit irritating. I'm sure that other regulars in this forum have been experiencing the same sort of thing.

It's not that we don't want to help! Some of you I'd even consider friends and I'm happy to help. But PMing one user with your question puts a lot of pressure onto the person to answer it when there are numerous other users who might be able to help.

Also, if another person with the same question tries to use the search function (as they should be...) then your question and therefore our answers will not show up.

For this reason I'd like to ask that as an unwritten rule we please avoid PMing users with hacking questions where possible. Unless your hacking question is super sensitive and would spoil EVERYTHING about your hack (unlikely).

I personally check the Questions forum at least 3-4 times a day and even checked it and answered questions while I was on vacation. So rest assured your questions will not go ignored.

Secondly, there is the influx of new hackers who ask questions and give very vague descriptions of what they've done and what the end result is.

It helps no one if you say "I inserted a map sprite and it doesn't work, help please?" or "The song doesn't sound right, help please?"

Don't be lazy. If you want help with your hack then we are more than willing to provide, but you have to be willing to put the work in, as well.

Provide as much information as possible - every single program you used from when your ROM was working to when it wasn't, every single exact offset you inserted the data to, etc. Better yet, provide audio recordings, GIFs or screenshots.

If something isn't working for you, and it does for someone else, it almost always means you did something wrong.

There's nothing wrong with making mistakes when hacking, even when it's as simple as forgetting to end your events with an ENDA (which even I still do) or accidentally overwriting old data because you pasted the wrong offset. No one is going to think you're stupid for doing that.

But you have to provide as much information as possible! There's nothing more frustrating than a hacking question that literally takes days to answer because the questioner doesn't provide adequate information. The truth is that most of your questions can be figured out within minutes (if not seconds) by most of the experienced hackers.

Finally, if you find a solution to a question on your own, please post it in the thread. Two reasons: for people using the search function and also because I actually care about how you're going as a hacker.

I love this community and have been in it for god knows how long. It's given me a lot and I want to see it grow but it can only do that if we all put in together to improve it - which means you need to contribute, too.

Edited September 13, 2015 by Agro

[Zane Avernathy]

I'd just like to throw out a suggestion when asking questions, myself:

Don't forget appropriate punctuation and sentence structure! There's a big difference between "how to repoint data" and "How do I repoint data?" I get really dissapointed when checking the Hacking Questions subforum because many of the topics have vague titling.

Edited September 13, 2015 by Zane Avernathy

[MisakaMikoto]

They should read this:http://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

[Agro]

They should read this:http://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Well, that basically summarises everything I wanted to say and more. A good read!

[CT075]

Okay, I've grown to dislike that article more and more the longer I've spent here

While the things it says are true to a certain extent, it also just describes a collective community attitude I wish we could move past

Edited September 13, 2015 by CT075

[Lamia]

I can agree that being asked stuff through PM is nice and all but if it's not findable publicly, then the same questions will continue to be asked again and again

I try to mention this to people that ask me stuff that isn't easily covered to post in a topic

[Shin]

I'm fine with PM's directed at me, and generally any questions I've been asked have been things that aren't immediately obvious. It'd be nice if people checked if someone's asked it first, but it's not like I get a huge volume of messages because who's stupid enough to try and toy with FE4.

[FionordeQuester]

Okay, I've grown to dislike that article more and more the longer I've spent here

While the things it says are true to a certain extent, it also just describes a collective community attitude I wish we could move past

Perhaps. I will admit though; this had me laughing, both for it's tongue-and-cheekness, and because I actually DO have Asperger's...

(Some people assert that many hackers have a mild form of autism or Asperger's Syndrome, and are actually missing some of the brain circuitry that lubricates “normal” human social interaction. This may or may not be true. If you are not a hacker yourself, it may help you cope with our eccentricities if you think of us as being brain-damaged. Go right ahead. We won't care; we like being whatever it is we are, and generally have a healthy skepticism about clinical labels.)

I've gotten better at the whole "social lubrication" part, but I'm still fairly blunt and direct in what I say. Small talk is something I have to put conscious effort into.

Edited January 11, 2017 by FionordeQuester