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Question of the Month: Who do you first turn to for help solving a technical problem?

pchan

e14 Question of the Month

Solving a technical problem can be frustrating or stressful, especially when it is an urgent need. Many times it requires some help to solve the problem. Who do you first turn to when you need help solving a technical problem? You tell us by voting in our poll below.

  • Of course it depends on the problem.

    If its with a part, read the data sheet (again - I read them before I use a new part), then app notes, then internet search (Duckduckgo, then Google),

    If its more of a "how do you do polynomial fit to a set of data points fast, in real time with limited memory"  kind of question then internet search first.

    If its an analogue design problem then Art of Electronics first, then other books I've collected over  along time.

    Very occasionally I might ask on a forum - maybe once a year or two on average.

    MK

  • After the RTFM, in the modern world, it's often a case of checking current firmware / software versions and then seeing if there is an available update from the manufacturer and if so checking their release notes to see if the problem has been declared there. Often you have to do this step anyway before you can expect to get any technical support from the manufacturer. 

  • in reply to aspork42

    If you are very lucky, you might get some points for participating in the poll Slight smile

  • I voted Internet search, but more recently I'm finding AI chatbots to be particularly useful. Especially when you cannot actually describe the technical problem clearly. The nice thing about AI chatbots is that you can start vague and then all further questions will be treated as related to the original query. So you can then drill down and explore. I find that subsequent questions draws out real gems, which have made a big difference. Basically, the first response is seldom the best response.

  • in reply to aspork42
    aspork42 said:
    I post on Element14! Is that the correct answer

    Yes!

    aspork42 said:
    Do I win something

    Correct answers to your questions? Smiley

  • pchan said:
    • Colleagues/friends
    • Internet search
    • AI chatbots
    • Manufacturer/distributor website
    • Manufacturer/distributor FAEs

    I feel this is also missing "internet chat rooms" because IRC, Discord, Libera, Matrix and co' still exist. There are also still mailing lists out there.

    And as mentioned, the manufacturer website and manual are typically the first places I go to for solving a technical problem, when that doesn't answer it, I try to seek out specialist forums/sites focussing on the equipment or software I'm using, and failing that I'd ask internet search, ai chatbots.

    Colleagues/friends are so far down the list because usually when I'm working on something it's not something that they're also working on/with.

  • I chose internet search.  At one time I would have said colleagues but beginning with Covid the uptake of remote working there are less people around ro ask.