Background: I am a beginner with absolutely no Computer Science background. I am completely self-taught, which means that I only learn things as needed. As such, I know less basics than I should. However, my new job requires more of this knowledge than I have. And no, I don't really have the resources at my job to ask anyone else these questions.
More detailed background: Before I ask a question, I usually spend 2-5 hours researching online to try to find an answer. The object isn't to find an answer that solves the problem. The object is to find an answer that I CAN UNDERSTAND that solves the problem. I understand my own limitations to this. But that doesn't mean that I always ask perfect questions. I'm still learning everything I need to include in order to help others users to help me. Asking someone to include certain information is GREAT! Telling someone that they didn't provide enough information without telling them what they need to do is NOT GREAT.
It is hard enough trying to understand which StackExchange site to use for any particular question. I've seen people get rude comments on their questions for posting on the wrong site.
By being rude to new members, you only make it harder for them to become as good a power user as you. If you offer a solution and mention what they did wrong, that seems acceptable to me.
So, the questions: Is superuser unfriendly to beginners? My initial answer is no. But I say that with a caveat that many members here are VERY rude & their criticism is not constructive for beginners.
How can we help beginners understand things? This is what I'd like others to address. If there are questions like mine, but I don't understand what the answers mean, is it appropriate to comment asking for more information? What is the best way to do this? How do I know people will see my comments so that I can get a timely answer? Is it more appropriate to start a new question?
Extra optional questions: How many tags are appropriate? Is it not appropriate to thank people ahead of time in your question or give your background (by saying you are a beginner so that you get more detailed answers)? What length is generally considered best for a question? Is it appropriate to flag comments on my posts that are rude and don't give an answer (e.g. "Look it up online.")?
I don't make a point of saving rude posts, so don't have many of the examples asked for. Also, the rude comment on one of my posts was flagged by me, and has since been removed.
Example of an acceptable response (in this case, a duplicate question) Making a script executable (The first comment to the question)
There was a second comment that said something along the lines of "Videos on this topic are more numerous on the internet than cat videos". I found this discouraging and unhelpful, but not necessarily rude.
