Q:

Is it ok to ask for help getting started

I'm a software engineer who works for a small unnamed company, however the firmware department has all quit together over a dispute about wages in the company(mainly because the marketing guys earn more).  now I'm needing to write an EEPROM and I'm not sure if I'm allowed to ask on this site for tutorials and help in what certain things mean on the data sheet but like on SO these questions may not be allowed so I thought better ask here first before I post on the main site

A:

This really depends on how you ask your questions. 
If you ask

How do I design [insert large, complicated system here]? 

then your question will probably be too broad.  If the answer would look more like a chapter from a book, then it's probably off-topic. 

If you ask 

I am designing [insert large, complicated system here] and I am stuck on [specific thing].  What does this line from the datasheet mean? 

then you're fine.  Just make sure that your questions are small and self-contained.