This is a short article giving advice to students who ask questions on open source mailing lists/forums or send email to developers.

Author: Prashanth
twitter: munichlinux
blog: prashanthblog.appspot.com
irc: munichlinux, JSLint, munichpython.

Warning! These are views of mentors, you might choose to agree or disagree.

Rules:

1. Strictly NO SIR, MADAM, PLEASE, DARLING address people with their First Name.

2. There is no room for feelings, sentiments, romance, be bull skinned.

3. Be hungry for knowledge, we don't mentor projects for ENGINEERING passengers. Be sure of what you want to do and DON'T post question just because your teacher asked you to complete homework.

4. Earn for your living, you are in school/university to learn and earn, DON'T ask us to write code for you.

5. Just because you are a student or have a Engineering degree doesn't mean you have knowledge, research before you speak.

6. WE DON'T UNDERSTAND SMS LINGUISTICS. So, write proper English.

7. Learn to read and Google.

8. Write a meaningful subject line when you send e-mail.

9. Why the hell are there so many dots?

  DO NOT DO THIS:

  Example: "I amm ..... fooo .... bbarr" we don't do sentence completion or fill in the blanks.

10. Don't write in UPPERCASE, writing in uppercase  == shouting. So, don't shout when you ask for help.

11. No top posting, use in-line posting when you reply to a e-mail.

   Example:
           DON'T:

           Hi,
           Sure. blah blah blah (Observing Time Application  Form):

           Bar Foo
           --- Foo Bar<foo.bar at gmail.com> wrote:
           > blah blah
           >

           DO:

           Hi,
           --- Foo Bar<foo.bar at gmail.com> wrote:
           > could design good
           > application forms using tex

           Sure.

           > CTAN doesn't seem to give me anything.

           Check this example (Observing Time Application Form):
           http://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/observing/applicationForms.p
           hp
           Bar Foo


12. No over-quoting:

   >
   > On  bar f <bar f at gmail.com> wrote:
   > >
   > > No..i didnt installed it ...
   > >
   > > > >
   > > > > Can any one kindly help me to start the ssh
   service.
   > > > >
   > > > > FYI: Here is  /etc/ssh/ssh_config file content

   horrible to read, make your reply readable.

13. DON'T send HTML email with different font colors.

14. DON'T send seasonal greetings, It just trolls the mailing list.

15. Don't make ORDERS like these ...

" send me the details of the code"

" i want 2 do project. tell me wat 2 do".

16. If you have no interest and are asking for help just because you have to do final year project DON'T come to us.