When submitting  bug reports, it is a good idea to

A room full of computers all showing the BSOD

  1. Realize that you’re asking for help from people who (usually) have day jobs, and
  2. Expend at least some amount of effort to show you’re not expecting someone else to do all the work.

With that in mind, let me introduce to you the Best Bug Report Comment, Ever

First the bug report:

[snip]

I don’t have the exact errors to post because I deleted my compile log, but they are the same errors you get if you don’t have the bzip2 development libraries installed, which of course I do in /www

[snip]

Then someone helpful asks for more information.

Please recompile so that you can tell us te exact errors.

Derick

And then, GOLD:

The php developer who added/maintains bzip2 support will know what I am talking about. I am not going to compile when I know this! It would be a waste of my time.


Wow.

Now, not to worry; a few minutes later the submitter saw the error of his ways, compiled his code, posted the exact error message and got help.

Learning how to ask questions is a skill. Mastering this skill can only help, because everyone (even the Super-cool techno guru) has to ask for help at some point, so why not be as effective as possible?

Until I find another one. That place is GOLD!

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