Using Discussions

[Pharap]

Using Discussions

What to use discussions for

Asking Questions

If you have any questions about the FixedPoints library please ask them here.

This explicitly includes asking for clarification on how to use the library or how to achieve something in particular with it, including if you are inexperienced with C++ or with fixed point arithmetic in general.

The provision of answers will be subject to the availability of people, time and suitable knowledge.

Please bear in mind that questions are generally easier to answer when more details are provided.

Discussions asking questions should be placed in the "Q&A" category.

Sharing Your Projects

If you have a project that uses the FixedPoints library, please create a discussion mentioning your project. The more projects there are making use of this library, the more its existence is validated and the more reason I have to keep it maintained.

Discussions sharing a project should be placed in the "Show and tell" category.

Sharing Ideas

If you have an idea that may be pertinent the FixedPoints library but aren't sure if it's pertinent enough to create a proper feature request, feel free to discuss the idea here.

Discussions sharing an idea should be placed in the "Ideas" category.

What not to use discussions for

Idle Chitchat

GitHub might like to throw the word 'community' around, but this isn't a forum, this is a repository for a library, so if it isn't pertinent to the library then this isn't the place to say it.

That isn't to say that nothing 'off topic' should ever be said, merely that a discussion should aim to be relevant to this library and that no discussion should be created if its topic is not relevant to this library or fixed point arithmetic in general.

Bug Reports

If you've found a bug and can confirm the circumstances under which it occurs, please create a proper bug report as an issue.

However, if you think you've found a bug but can't confirm the circumstances under which it occurs then you may mention the problem here in case it leads to something more concrete.

Feature Requests

If you'd like to request a feature and have a definite use-case for the feature or a suitable reason for requesting said feature, please create a proper feature request as an issue.

However, if you have an idea for a feature but aren't sure if it's sufficiently suitable to be included in the library (e.g. maybe you think your idea would be "cool" addition but aren't sure what it would actually be useful for) then it may be suitable for an 'idea' discussion.

Other Rules/Guidelines

Stay on topic

There's no problem with the odd lighthearted joke, witty remark or interesting fact, but please try to remain on topic.

In particular, avoid language wars and politics; these things have nothing to do with the development of this library and do not belong here.

Stay Civil

Stay civil and stick to logical arguments. Discuss ideas, not the people proposing them.

Ad hominem attacks typically weaken the point of your argument. Insults of any kind severely weaken your respectability as an individual.

Try to avoid words which may be considered pejorative. Conversely, if someone says something you find offensive please assume that they did not intend to cause offence until proven otherwise.

Under no circumstances should you criticise someone for not understanding something, no matter how 'simple', 'basic' or 'obvious' you may believe it to be.

Assume Less Knowledge

Prefer to assume that your audience has less knowledge rather than more.

The rationalisation for this is that generally people who have less knowledge of a topic become intimidated when someone assumes they know more than they actually do, and they may become too embarrassed to admit they don't understand.

This sometimes has the useful side effect of helping people who have misunderstood something realise their misunderstanding and is generally useful for ensuring mutual understanding of an idea.

Prefer Specific Terminology When Possible

Prefer to use specific terminology if and when you are able.
E.g. aim to differentiate between a 'using declaration', a 'using directive' and a 'type alias declaration'.

In particular, prefer to use C++ terminology when discussing the library's source code.
E.g. prefer the C++ term 'member function' to the non-C++ term 'method'.

The less ambiguity involved in discussion, the easier it is to keep everyone on the same page.