Because AstLinux is centered around Asterisk, most people will also have questions or problems that are actually Asterisk specific, and have very little to do with AstLinux. WIth over 10,000 subscribers you can tap into a wealth of Asterisk knowledge with a single post.
The Asterisk mailing lists can be a pretty rough place for newcomers, so much so that Digium recently updated their website with this warning:

NOTICE: The Asterisk mailing lists are completely unmoderated. The language used in the forums may be offensive to some. The views expressed are not necessarily the views of Digium or the greater Asterisk community.

Each mailing list user is expected to use self-control when posting and should "self-moderate." The person originating the post is wholly responsible for his or her own post and the language and views expressed therein. Profanity, name-calling, and "flaming" is not acceptable behavior. Users who commit libel or violate contracts or non-disclosure agreements within the Asterisk mailing lists will not be defended by Digium or anyone in the Asterisk community. Digium reserves the right to exclude users who cannot abide by these basic rules.

Before posting to the mailing lists, make sure to research your problem and attempt to find an answer on your own. Most of the time, someone else before you has experienced the same problem you are, and the answer can be found using Google or other search engines. The Asterisk-Users mailing list archives are a wonderful resource for all of us. To search them using Google, try the following syntax:

[query] site:lists.digium.com

For example, if Asterisk is giving the error "Registration Timeout", you might want to try the following Google searches:

"Registration Timeout" site:lists.digium.com

You may also want to try removing quotes, common mis-spellings, etc.