Don't ask to ask, just ask

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

Foobar123:

Any Java experts around?

I understand asking questions like this; you want to make sure you're in the right place and that a question is appropriate. I used to ask questions like this too.

Unfortunately, these sorts of questions are less-than-ideal for a number of reasons.

Gatekeeping

Foobar123:

Any Java experts around?

This kind of phrasing excludes some potential question-answerers who don't feel confident enough to consider themselves experts, even if they might know the answer to your question.

Laziness

As a frequent question-answerer, it's frustrating when someone has obviously not even tried copy-pasting their issue into Google, and the first Stack Overflow post is the solution. If you provide details about the issue, like the exact error message and what you have tried so far, that shows me that I'm not your first recourse and that you respect my time.

I would rather spend an hour helping someone who came to me as a last resort than spend five minutes on someone who can't even bother to type out their actual question.

What is the actual question?

But laziness aside, this kind of question doesn't actually move anyone closer to helping you with your issue. Even if there is a Java expert, ready to help, the first thing they will ask you is "what problem are you having?". From a practical standpoint, you're much more likely to get help by providing relevant details that might pique the interest of people in the chat, rather than asking a vague meta-question as a precursor to discussing the actual problem.

Everyone is better off if you just ask the actual question first. Those lurking in the chat will have a better idea if they're equipped to help you, and consequently, you're more likely to get a useful response more quickly.

Summary

So, to summarize, don't ask

Foobar123:

Any Java experts around?

but rather

Foobar123:

How do I solve [problem] in Java? I'm trying to [exactly what you're trying to do and why]. I've already tried [attempted solution A] and [attempted solution B] to no avail.

and you're likely to get faster, higher-quality responses, and be a breath of fresh air to the support community.

Other similar problems: The XY Problem, No Hello. Further reading: How do I ask a good question?, or if you have more time: How To Ask Questions The Smart Way.