Don't just ask, ask to ask

Every now and then, in online chat rooms I hang around in, someone pops in and says something completely inappropriate in the lines of,

Foobar123:

How do I parse a date string using the java.time package while handling potential ParseExceptions?

This is horrific form, for several reasons. What the person is actually blurting out here is,

Foobar123:

I am completely disregarding everyone's current mental bandwidth, forcing you all to read my technical essay without your consent, and expecting someone to immediately begin debugging my code right this second!

There are plenty of reasons why people who DO have the knowledge would be deeply offended by this sudden text dump. By just asking, you're dropping a heavy burden into the chat without establishing a social contract first.

You're assuming people care. You're ambushing them. You're also unnecessarily cluttering the channel scrollback. I often like to sit in channels and enjoy the absolute silence, and a massive wall of code or a specific error message ruins the vibe entirely.

Alternatively, it can be seen as..

Foobar123:

I'm too entitled to test the waters first, so I'm just going to scream my problem into the void and hope someone spoons-feeds me a solution.

..which is just rude. If you're not willing to ask for permission to speak first, why should we listen?

The solution is not to just ask, but to ask to ask. Someone who is idling on the channel and only every now and then glances what's going on needs to be properly coaxed into a conversation. A vague, mysterious query about their credentials will pique their pride and get them to answer.

So, to summarize, don't ask "How do I do [problem] with Java and [other relevant info]?", but rather ask "Any Java experts around?"

Only Hello.