Since March 2020, a modal window with some basic information is shown to a user who is asking their first question, see here: The new ask page is now live on the network! This replaced the older /ask/advice page, which was shown to such users: Show “how to ask” advice before a new user asks a question.
It is great, that Mathematics Stack Exchange already has a customized version rather than the generic text used on most sites:
To improve chances of your question getting an answer make sure that it:
- Uses MathJax formatting for math formulas
- Has an interesting, specific title that summarizes the question
- Describes what you know and what you don't understand (don't just copy a textbook problem!) Here are some additional tips:
Before you post, search the site to make sure your question hasn’t been answered
- Summarize the problem
- Provide details and any research
- When appropriate, describe what you’ve tried
Suggestion. The link in the text "search the site" goes to the built-in search. I would suggest to replace it with link to this post: How to search on this site?
One reason why I think it might be useful is that searching for mathematical expressions is often a bit different from a generic search on Internet (or on a Stack Exchange site). Moreover, since we already have a community-maintained FAQ on searching, it might be useful to link to it in various places, to make it more visible to users of the site. (I will add that it is already linked in the help center.)
I will add a screenshot showing this modal window. (The screenshot was taken a few month ago, but it seems unlikely that the text has been changed since then.)