Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Ask the Right Questions
OK, so you need help, and you're ready to ask for it. Nothing
will bring on the silence like a poorly asked question. Remem-
ber, the people who know the answer are probably pretty
busy and have invested a fair amount of time in collecting
the knowledge about the application of interest. You need to
do the same. Read the documentation, search the Web, and
make your best attempt at discovering the answer yourself. You
will learn more from the experience and gain some of that
“knowledge.”
If you still need help, provide enough information so someone
has a reasonable chance of helping you. This typically includes
the version of software you are using, your operating system
and its version, and exactly what you were trying to do. With
most OSGIS applications running on at least three or more plat-
forms, each having its own set of unique issues, this information
is pretty important.
Ask the right questions, provide the right information, and you'll
get the help you need.
question yet. And lastly, it's possible your question got lost in the rest of
the traffic. Just because no one answers doesn't mean they are snobs,
arrogant, or hate you. Your best approach is to hang out for a bit on a
channel until you figure out the dynamics.
You can also get commercial support for many of the applications dis-
cussed in this topic. Most OSGIS applications provide information
regarding support on their websites. In addition, a list of support pro-
viders is available on the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo)
website.
3
Although it has been the subject of some heated debates between the
closed and open source groups, most people who have needed support
for OSGIS are happy with the experience. If you need support, it's out
there and readily available.
3.
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