How does the Arduino forum handle the balance between supporting beginners with fundamental questions and catering to the needs of more advanced users seeking in-depth technical discussions. I am also curious about what types of strategies have been implemented to serve both audiences effectively?
This topic is more suitable for "Bar Sport" category probably
I don't think @1li intended this to be a joke, a "mob", unrelated to Arduino, a "shouting out" of their love, or cursing of a battery-pack. So I don't see how Bar Sport categorization would be appropriate.
It is true that some forum members select the Bar Sport category for topics that are related to Arduino and are not strictly a "joke" in cases where they want to encourage a light hearted and wandering discussion, and that is perfectly fine, but that is a decision for the topic creator to make.
For the most part, I don’t think experienced developers look down on beginners - because we all started somewhere.
For my part, if I see a beginner looking for knowledge, I ask the fundamental questions that will improve their knowledge or understanding… they have to do the work, I’m lazy.
Learning where and how to find information is the hardest single part of being a developer.
Hopefully they’re interested enough to push on understanding hardware and software - and the necessary electronics isn’t a 7-day project… expect a year or more to become competent, and even then. you’ll still be learning and growing 20 years later.
That’s why users that ask ‘can you’ do this or that for me - are often given a short push, unless it’s a complex question that challenges the contributors.
But I think that very experienced developers have often forgotten their own beginnings, and no longer understand the problems of a beginner. So then - with the best of intentions - they give hints that a beginner simply cannot yet understand. This sometimes is a general problem between beginners and experienced helpers.
It is often not easy for advanced helpers to understand the problems of a beginner.
@1li I think you're expecting amore 'formal' approach than this forum takes, though there may be an undercurrent I'm not aware of. Generally, it's more akin to a large room full of people; someone shouts out a question, and then tries to discern a coherent answer from the resulting cacophony. At least, that's what it often seems like. While a more structured approach, with volunteers 'assigned' to take on particular topics, might seem desirable, it isn't working that way now(by observation).
I see no evidence of a mechanism or strategy, I believe it just happens naturally.
A lot depends on the phrasing of the thread title and the content of the opening post. Questions like "How do I blink an LED?" (a common and relatively simple task) will draw the attention of members who enjoy responding to such.
Thread titles like: Thread-safe data transfer interlock using std::atomic and std::memory_order (probably incomprehensible to beginners) will attract a different set of responders.
.02
As a theoretically "advanced user", I have to say that the questions I have are likely to fall into one of two categories:
- Programming language details or chip questions. The Arduino forums are not the ideal place to ask these (although I did just ask a Go question - just because I am an "advanced C programmer" doesnt mean that my Java/Go/Python/Rust/ questions need an expert to answer them!) There are not really a lot of forums where you CAN get answers to such questions
A nice thing about the Arduino forum is that "interesting" questions can lead to interesting discussions, which frequently isn't the case on "vendor forums." (Naysayers might call it "showing off." But I think some of it is that's just the way advanced technical people think. And - if you can get two advanced people to ARGUE over some fine point of something; it can be very educational!) - Questions about some unfamiliar aspect of Arduino use itself. Here, advice from a "non-expert" who is actually familiar with that area is likely to be just as useful as advice from an expert - they may be a lousy programmer/coder/etc, but that doesn't mean they wont have valuable expertise in some small subset. (I used to work at a major university. My co-workers and I would have fun commenting on the professors and PhD candidates that "couldn't program their way out of a paper bag." That didn't mean that they weren't expert at SOMETHING.)
Learning how to read datasheets, technical documents, and how to refine a web search is pretty important too. But it can be pretty depressing if you ask "is the Renesas datasheet as bad as I think?" and getting an answer "yep; it's some of the worst I've ever seen!" from people you respect.
Looking back to 1965 building my first electronic project and a long career in field service:
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There are excellent clean code writing, programming and posts out there. Like a giantic super market. Too many to choose? Purdum, Craft Arduino 2014 era focused and from my view still good starter advice.
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Experience comes with failure. Patience and more patience. Start with an UNO R3 cheapo. Burn sum stuff and advance each time.
The lab HW kits give you a great introduction and safe road to advance user status!
My 2017 Ardu HW personal experience:
3) As a model railroad fan, track layout planing SW gives you a scope what HW you want to control. Start small 1 signal, 2 turnouts.
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Over 2m x 1.5m layouts like my latest 15m x 7 requires signal and power wiring attention.
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If you run block control track sections, you may dedicate one Uno for each and run a no thrill, reliable, wire noise proof SW. Yeah your vintage train engine pruduces nice arcing.
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Test a single turnout control on the bench first. LGB, Lionel, Maerklin, Bachmann, Atlas all have their own behavior if you are in old, yard- estate sale stock.
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Industrial 24V DC short circuit proof, 5V, 12V, 15V old PC power supplies work great for me. Buck DC/DC converter for 9V LED or Arduino power I use a lot.
Happy RR.
PS Can't wait to be flagged violating Forum rules LOL