Don't just say "It works for me"

You press your face into your palms as your skin crawls with frustration. This stupid problem (a bug, configuration issue, error or otherwise annoying hiccup) has been driving you nuts for the past [Insert period of time]!
You've scoured through various Reddit and forum threads, manuals, blog posts and SEO-bait Medium shitpieces and nothing has helped you thus far. You decide to sign up for a forum and post a thread, explaining the issue as best you can in the vain hope an angel comes along and carries you out of your dark pit of despair. A notification appears on the webpage!
Finally, I might finally have this burden lifted from my shoulders!
You click that promising notification icon and...

Yeah, good for you buddy...

This response is probably the worst thing you can say reply with to a thread or post, aside from maybe "RTFM" or "Just read the Arch Wiki"
Not only does it do nothing to contribute to the conversation and waste the time of both you and the original poster, but it is dismissive of their issue.
It makes them feel like they are the only ones in the world with their issue, and that there is no hope for a resolution. It encourages them to give up.
Furthermore, it discourages everyone who may see your response from asking questions of their own about rare issues out of fear that they too will be dismissed and ignored.

So if you don't have anything else to say besides "It works for me" or "It works on my system,"
then don't say anything at all and keep scrolling.
You spare yourself the time of responding and the OP from the false hope and subsequent disappointment of not being any closer to their solution.

What Should I Say Instead?

If it does work on your system, start by describing what your system looks like and specify things like:

What operating system/distro are you using?
How did you install it or set it up?
Did you perform any modifications or fixes to iron out issues you ran into?
What resources did you consult to help you solve issues?

Encourage the person to respond with their own details to help narrow down the issue and tackle the problem. Try to subtly show them what it means to ask questions the smart way so they are more likely to get a good answer.

Doing this instead shows geniune interest in actually assisting them and encourages healthy contribution, where others may share their own experience with a technology.

Also check out:

If someone has sent this, don't take it super personally, okay?

Inspiration from It Works For Me So You're a Moron! by The Linux Cast

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