Year after year, you have to explain the same thing to newcomers: “Nothing worked out for me,” “Nothing works for me,” “I can’t do it” — that is not a description of a problem. It is just whining. And whining is emotion, not the substance of the problem. Emotions won’t help the matter. What will help is a good method for describing and solving the problem.
Time to blow the dust off the old how-to guides on this topic.
The first is “How to Report Bugs Effectively.”
The second is “How to Ask Questions the Smart Way.” This guide has a section for those on the other side: “How to Answer Questions Properly and Competently.”
A training course for students should be built on the basis of these guides.
Junior specialists — required reading.