On Mon, 2009-09-21 at 17:04 -0400, Kent Johnson wrote: > On Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 4:40 PM, daggerdvm <bmxx5...@aol.com> wrote: > > > > hi i need a tutor for help with python. I'll ask you basic questions > > through > > email and such. I can pay by the hour or by week or whatever. > > We do that for free here, just post your questions to the list. We try > not to give answers to homework problems, other than that ask away! > > Kent
I'm new on this list <*waves hello to everyone*>, but I suspect the trick to getting help here with homework is pretty much the same as most other tech lists. 1. Flag the problem as homework. Don't try and deceive those who are trying to help. 2. Outline your understanding of the problem; Both what you do understand, and what you don't. 3. Post the code you've tried. For larger code blocks, try and explain what you're wanting each section of the code to do. This is probably more for your benefit (to help clarify your thinking on the problem) than for the experts here; They'll have a pretty good handle on what the code really is doing ;-) 4. If you haven't got code yet, post pseudo code outlining how you might approach the problem. This will help develop your algorithm for solving the problem. Don't underestimate the importance of this step. If you don't have a good algorithm for solving the problem, all the language syntax in the world won't help. 5. Accept that you won't be given answers directly, but there is an enormous amount of patience, help and sympathy for those first starting out. Everyone who has reached the 'high ground' on the learning journey likes to see someone new starting out and making headway on the same journey. They'll (almost always) gladly extend a hand in help, but won't do the journey for you. Anything worthwhile must be earned, and that means putting in the hard yards. Be polite, patient and respectful of those who have gone before you, and they'll keep extending the hand of help. Abuse the help, and it won't last long. A bit like life in general really. 6. Don't post the same question in every forum you can find. Any decent forum will have enough experts to help out. And don't abuse those contributing to the discussion; remember that bit about showing respect? And that help being withdrawn? 7. The advice given on http://www.pubbs.net/python/200909/108644/ shouldn't be ignored (yes, I can use google too). ESR (love him or loath him) really was giving good advice in http://catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html. There is a reason it gets quoted regularly. Ignore it at your peril. Try it on the problem you posted previously; you might not have understood the hints that were given (probably not if your postings elsewhere are anything to go by) but if you're fair dinkum give it a go. If your just wanting to pass your class by getting others to solve your programming problems for you, get some spine and do it properly or fail graciously. The alternative is to be a fraud, and that never gets respect. Tim Bowden _______________________________________________ Tutor maillist - Tutor@python.org To unsubscribe or change subscription options: http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/tutor
