Internet:Help Process

So you're stuck trying to do something on the internet. Your immediate reaction is to get into a chat like IRC and ask someone for help. This is not the proper help process.

1. Search online for yourself using a search engine. Learning how to search effectively is one of the handiest things you can know online.
2. Look for your question in the FAQ for that product or service.
3. Are there any other resources you can use? man pages? documentation from the vendor?
4. If you're still stuck after trying these routes, it is maybe appropriate to ask for help on chat such as IRC.

The trick now is to ask in the appropriate channel, and this can often be determined by joining the channel and lurking for a while before asking, to determine this is the proper forum.