WTH IS SABDFL ?

Almost there and before I end my reading of the Ubuntu Code of Conduct we touch on uncertainties and how to ask better questions.

When you are unsure, ask for help.
Nobody knows everything, and nobody is expected to be perfect in the Ubuntu community (except of course the SABDFL). Asking questions avoids many problems down the road, and so questions are encouraged. Those who are asked should be responsive and helpful. However, when asking a question, care must be taken to do so in an appropriate forum. Off-topic questions, such as requests for help on a development mailing list, detract from productive discussion.

To date I have found little in the code that makes me question its stance, so you can guess from the opening of this sentence that this one section has me feeling that it is still a work in progress. It is important to know your limitations and to understand how to resolve or limit them through communication and sharing of a problem. I wonder though how many new developers will join the community only to be put of by the responses they can receive from existing community members.

This section in the code might in fact be two parts, the first as we see it here and the second should encourage people to “Be Helpful”. To ensure that your responses are useful to those whom have asked. I cannot count the amount of times I have approached the community to ask a question and been rejected out of hand. Ive taken my time, done my research and ensured that I have asked my question in the right place and with the right people, only to be torn to shreds for my idea. Responses which do not engender a desire to communicate and share new ideas lead to people leaving , not joining , a community. Some of my concerns in regards to “Be Helpful” are covered in “Be Respectful” but that evoked a different thought in me when I read it. So I guess for myself I am unsure about this part of the code and it leads me to wonder who wrote the code and whom oversees the selection of content that goes into it, but thats a thought for another blog entry. This however does not stop me from agreeing with the sentiment of the code.

So….

Thanks for reading.