It is best not to ask a question in IRC unless we know we can be in there for the next hour at least. For one, responses and help and working it out from various people may take that long. Even if the answer is two words of brilliance, our unknown savior with just the right knowledge may only check into IRC an hour or more after we post, and answer then. It's dispiriting to our would-be helpers and rude of us to no longer be in the room when they check in, and many people read the backscroll of their IRC sessions every once in a while, rather than monitor it constantly.