If you are like me then you are constantly learning and exploring new things. Sometimes I just get interested in something and want to know more about it. Other times I have to know how to do something so that I can make progress in a project. Without knowing where to look when you are in need of basic information, you can delay you project by days or even weeks.

I always start by looking around on the internet. My search starts with basic queries such as, “How to,” or searching for the subject title. The internet is a very large place and chances are that someone has already asked your question before. Most of these questions show up in forums because of how easy it is to post. People before you will ask the same question and receive a reply from a related community. You can usually find accurate information when reading these replies but I always like to compare with a few other sources.
In the event that you can’t find a definite answer to your problem, you may have to ask someone. Since you have probably already ran across a few forums about your subject, it doesn’t hurt to ask the community by posting. The worst that could happen is that they will refer you to a previous post that has already dealt with the issue.

Before you post you might want to look over the forums for the following:

• Do the long time members seem to help, “newbies,” or answer questions?

Like it or not you will come across communities that are not so kind to new comers. Look for newcomer posts which are littered with hateful replies. Your best bet in this situation is to find a different forum.

• Is one person answering all the questions?

The information is usually more accurate if multiple people are giving their input.