There's no Such Thing as a Dumb Question... Or is there?
06 Sep 2018
Asking Smart Questions
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/52214496/i-need-help-on-making-my-javascript-check-if-the-exe-is-running
In my opinion, while this DOES violate some of the guidelines set by Raymond’s essay, I think that this is a smartly asked question. The subject matter is very simple, and the problem is stated clearly. Yes, the developer could have taken the time to search for similar articles or have taken the time to do more homework and research about servers, but the question was simple enough to be answered with virtually no issues at all from a third party. While not entirely related, the contributor also lists the purpose of his inquiry, in order to provide a background and perhaps a platform in which other users may provide their own useful insights and solutions.
Asking Not So Smart Questions
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/52211303/java-rock-paper-game-loops-too-many-times
In this example, the developer does not take the time to simplify their code or even run test cases in order to attempt to debug the code themselves. They paste whatever their current code stands as and asks the community to answer the problem for them. According to Raymond, one of the fundamentals is being precise and informative about the problem. And in one of those bullets in that same section, also states that there should be diagnostic steps taken in order to fix the problem before asking the question. In the post, the developer does neither of these practices. The code is very lengthy and shows a lack of effort taken in order to solve the problem for themselves.
Smart Questions, Smart Software
Smart questions make processes flow more smoothly. When doctors diagnose their patients, they ask the appropriate questions in order to gather the necessary information in order to help them recover. The practice is the same for software development. When debugging or collaborating on a certain issue, asking smart questions as directed by Raymond in the essay can illicit a smarter response. It should be commonplace to have the courtesy to make it as convenient and concise as possible when asking for a solution. One important point Raymond brings up is that “Grovelling is not a substitute for doing your homework”, which is completely true. Instead of pointing out that your knowledge is not as broad or complete as it should be on the subject matter, it could be beneficial and very time-efficient for both parties in order for the one asking questions to take the time to do research and learn more about their inquiry.
Wrap Up
All in all, smart and ‘not so smart’ questions both exist. It really depends on the premise of the question itself, and how much information and time the person asking the question has provided the community with. When asking smart questions, we’ve observed that there is plenty of background provided, with little question and content volume to make it easier for the community to absorb the information in order to improve the quality and conciseness of their answers. With other questions, the question is presented almost seemingly like another problem with no attempted solutions or without any prior knowledge of the content provided within the question. Raymond brings interesting guidelines to the table when set forth and applied to questions found on the internet, where most of the issues that he describes take place. All it really boils down to is how much time and effort people put into answering their own questions before asking them.