comp.dsp Procedural FAQ

The Question:
Why doesn't anyone answer my post?"

If someone on comp.dsp told you to read this document, there's still hope. comp.dsp is a great place to hang out and get intelligent answers to difficult (or not) questions. So what went wrong?

The Answer:
There are a lot of reasons why people don't answer questions on comp.dsp. It could be:

• Nobody knows the answer (but comp.dsp has a pretty good track record)
• Someone who knows hasn't read the question yet (be patient!)

• You did a bad job asking the question.

• Did I provide enough context?
  If you're having a problem with a specific processor, tell us which one. Are you using an operating system? Which one? Did you design the hardware yourself, or did someone else? Who? What have you tried? How did it fail? We need details! If it is an algorithm or general method you need help with, before you ask the question, give as much background regarding what you are really doing as you can. Don't simplify it so people have to give you answers that start like "If you are doing [...] then you should [...], but if you are [...] then [...]." If the responses have to start like this, it takes a lot more time to formulate the several possible answers than it would take to respond more completely to the correct one. It is much easier to discard irrelevant information than it is to read the mind of the poster for missing relevant information.

• Did I ask a specific question?
  "I need help with [insert topic here]" is not a good question. What is it you don't understand? We can't read your mind!

• Did I write all the words I intended to?
  Sometimes, we omit words when typing and imagine them when rereading. Check carefully.

• Did u typ out all the wrds, or wr u 2 cryptc?
  (Translation: Did you type out all the words, or were you too cryptic?) Historically, the people who answer questions on comp.dsp don't like to work just so they can read your question. You can answer questions this way, but you should never ask like that. This is a Newsgroup, not a chat room. If you want us to take time to answer your question, you are required to take time to ask it. Type everything out. (Well, almost everything). We do use some common acronyms, some of which are listed here.

• Is this a homework question?
  We can usually tell, and we're not going to do your work for you. We might help you over a rough spot so you can do it yourself. Just let us know it's homework and tell us what rough spot you're having trouble with and we'll try to help you around it.

• Was I rude?
  Don't bite the hand that feeds! If you're new to comp.dsp and you've insulted someone here, it was probably one of our friends. You may need to apologize.

• Did I ask a question related to Digital Signal Processing?
  This is the wrong place to ask about Windows drivers for your soundcard. Make sure your question is actually about DSP*. There are a lot of knowledgable people here, and you may ask where to ask. If it is short, you might get the answer instead of a referral.
  * A broad subject that includes algorithms for communications, audio, sonar and radar, chips and boards, and programming and simulation tools.

• Is my question easy to find?
  If your question is a one-liner, and you have a 20-line signature, it's easy to miss. This is also true if you're quoting a huge amount of irrelevant text, and inserting one tiny question in the middle. Quote sparingly, and insert a blank line before and after a one-line question.

• Is my question in the body of the message, not just in the subject line?

• Is the subject line descriptive?
  "Low Pass to High Pass transformation question" will get more attention from those who can help than "Urgent!!! Please Help!!!"

You can find more guidelines at DSP guru's comp.dsp culture page
and at Eric S. Raymond's How To Ask Questions The Smart Way .

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