On the Subject of Asking Questions
As a Game Engineer, you'll run into a lot of problems. Some of them you'll be able to solve on your own, but others will leave you stumped. One of the great things about the Minecraft server community is that almost every plugin developer has their own Discord server. You can find an overview of many of those here.
But always try to solve a problem on your own before asking other volunteers for help. They'll be spending their precious time trying to help you, so it's only respectful to try it yourself first. Read their wiki, Google for some answers, anything. But don't be scared to ask. They're there to help, and will do so with pleasure. However, keep these things in mind:
Don't ask to ask, just ask
If you need help with something, please just post your question and any relevant information. You don't need to get the attention of anyone or wait for them. Your question will be answered when someone sees it!
Also check out https://dontasktoask.com/ (opens in a new tab)
The XY Problem
The XY problem is asking about your attempted solution rather than your actual problem. This leads to enormous amounts of wasted time and energy, both on the part of people asking for help, and on the part of those providing help.
- Always include information about a broader picture along with any attempted solution.
- If someone asks for more information, do provide details.
- If there are other solutions you've already ruled out, share why you've ruled them out. This gives more information about your requirements.
You can find more information on http://xyproblem.info/ (opens in a new tab)
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way (opens in a new tab) is and in-depth guide that aims to teach you how to ask questions in a way more likely to get you a satisfactory answer. It's definitely worth a read!
Dealing with rudeness
Much of what looks like rudeness in hacker circles is not intended to give offense. Rather, it's the product of the direct, cut-through-the-bullshit communications style that is natural to people who are more concerned about solving problems than making others feel warm and fuzzy.
When you perceive rudeness, try to react calmly. If someone is really acting out, it is very likely a senior person on the list or newsgroup or forum will call him or her on it. If that doesn't happen and you lose your temper, it is likely that the person you lose it at was behaving within the hacker community's norms and you will be considered at fault. This will hurt your chances of getting the information or help you want.