Welcome. The orientation materials are pinned at the top of this category and they take about an hour. They answer most of the questions a new member has and they save time in the longer run.
That has held every time I have looked, which is not the same as always.
The tag pages are usually a better entry point than the categories for a first read. A tag cuts across categories, so following one shows you how the same subject is treated by the analytical people and the practical people at once.
Introducing yourself is fine and requires no question. Post in this subcategory, describe the context that matters for why you are here, and lurk for a bit before posting technical questions. That order works well.
Worth reading the earlier posts in this thread before acting on mine.
One thing that took me a while to notice: the search box indexes maintained documents as well as topics, and documents carry a review date. If a document and a five-year-old topic disagree, the document is the one somebody has looked at recently.
Welcome. Two practical notes from staff. Your first few posts are rate-limited, which is an anti-spam measure and not a comment on you, and it lifts on its own. If you hit it and have something to add, edit the post you already made.
If you want a fast orientation, read three solved topics in the subcategory you care about. Solved means somebody said the answer worked, which is more signal than reply count.
The Lounge is a real category rather than a dumping ground. The sourcing rule still applies there, which surprises people, but the register is looser and nobody minds a digression.
If the premise is wrong, everything after it is decoration.
Read the full topic (54 posts)
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What this community means by "a source", in practical terms
Asking directly, because I could not find a straight answer: What this community means by "a source", in practical terms Counting it rather than describing it, because the count is the part that can be argued…
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+104 | 122 | 1.9k | 10mo |
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Second pass at: Which categories are strict and which are relaxed, honestly
On the subject in the title: Second pass at: Which categories are strict and which are relaxed, honestly Working notes rather than a conclusion. Checking my reasoning rather than asking for a conclusion. My…
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+93 | 99 | 36k | 3d |
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About the Welcome category
Introductions, orientation, and the pinned reading list for new members. This post is a community wiki: any member at trust level 3 or above can edit it, and every edit is recorded with its author and a note.…
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+3 | 8 | 11k | 27d |
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How to tell whether your question is already answered on a maintained page
How to tell whether your question is already answered on a maintained page — that is the question, and I have not found it answered plainly anywhere I have looked. Question in the title. Context below, and I…
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+5 | 9 | 30k | 3mo |
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Coming back to: A newcomer's list of things that confused me, and the fixes
Posting this under the heading it deserves: A newcomer's list of things that confused me, and the fixes Everything below is what sits behind that. Question in the title. Context below, and I have tried to…
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+4 | 8 | 57k | 23d |
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The anatomy of a question that gets answered within an hour
The anatomy of a question that gets answered within an hour — setting out what I have, and where I think it stops being reliable. Question in the title. Context below, and I have tried to include the things…
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+114 | 127 | 2.7k | 13h |
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Introducing myself: pharmacist, sceptic, reluctant participant — one year on
Posting this under the heading it deserves: Introducing myself: pharmacist, sceptic, reluctant participant — one year on Everything below is what sits behind that. Introducing myself before I ask anything,…
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+100 | 107 | 14k | 4mo |
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Follow-up: What other technical communities get right that we do not
What other technical communities get right that we do not I have a specific reason for asking rather than idle curiosity, and the context is below. A digression I have been saving for the right category. It…
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+117 | 126 | 13k | 14mo |
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Follow-up: How to disagree with an answer you were given, well
How to disagree with an answer you were given, well I have a specific reason for asking rather than idle curiosity, and the context is below. Question in the title and the context underneath, in the order the…
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2 | 16k | 30d | |
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When to stop reading forums, including this one
When to stop reading forums, including this one I have a specific reason for asking rather than idle curiosity, and the context is below. Something that has come up for me and that I suspect is more common…
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+78 | 86 | 47k | 6mo |