If You Have to Ask the Question...
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This came up a few weeks ago when talking about trying to explain technical details to executives. My boss brought up an old saying that really stuck with me. "If you have to ask the question, you wouldn't understand the answer."
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I wouldn't ask a parachuting question on Mango Lassi. By the time Scott and Dash are done arguing about some trivial point compleltey unconnected to my question I'd have hit the ground and died.
I wouldn't bother posting anything other than a very specific technical question on here, because so often you have to spend days justifying your entire career before some posters will even answer the question. If I have a Windows error, I don't want to have to write a 10,000 word dissertation justifying why I'm running Windows instead of Linux and why I'm not, actually, a complete idiot, I just want to fix my Windows error and move on with my life. I still enjoy reading other people's threads though
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@Carnival-Boy said in If You Have to Ask the Question...:
I wouldn't bother posting anything other than a very specific technical question on here, because so often you have to spend days justifying your entire career before some posters will even answer the question.
That's because we are trying to fix the problem, not the symptoms.
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I know why you're doing it, I'm just saying it's not my thing. I may be unique, or there may be other people who are put off from posting questions. I'm just making an observation.
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@Carnival-Boy cant upvote this enough!
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but i understand Scotts point
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Even in a small community / forum like this, the real conversations can quickly get lost in trying to get the background story... "Why are you doing it this way? Have you considered doing it another way, the other way, or my brother's way?"
I try to not just give somebody an answer straight up (at least here on ML)... but enough information to make them think for themselves or get them pointed in a direction that may lead to a solution. Some folks like the approach I take to the question, and others don't... and with all of us giving advice, etc, etc, it's easy for the original question to be lost in the noise.
There's no such thing as a stupid question... If you have a question to ask, then ask it... But make sure it provides us enough details to be able to provide thoughtful insight into our replies to your topic.
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@Carnival-Boy said in If You Have to Ask the Question...:
I know why you're doing it, I'm just saying it's not my thing. I may be unique, or there may be other people who are put off from posting questions. I'm just making an observation.
It's not like trying to find a root cause takes away from band-aiding a proximate issue. You get both, rather than someplace like StackOverflow that gets only the proximate.
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@Carnival-Boy said in If You Have to Ask the Question...:
I know why you're doing it, I'm just saying it's not my thing.
I'd be interested in specific examples. The reason that I say that, is that I think that there is a good way to ask a question when you want a discussion and a good way to ask it when you want to avoid one. So often when there is a big discussion it is either because someone really wanted one (or really needed it) or was prompting for it to happen.
For example, if you use RAID 5 on WD Red drives and post a question about it without prefacing that you understand the risks and such, you are either desperately in need of that data or you have incited the discussion but leaving it out. The same as if you said that you were driving without a seatbelt - if you don't make it absolutely clear that you truly understand the risks involved and have considered them, people are going to try to save you.
There is a good way to ask technical questions that would rarely prompt the broader discussions.
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@scottalanmiller said in If You Have to Ask the Question...:
@Carnival-Boy said in If You Have to Ask the Question...:
I know why you're doing it, I'm just saying it's not my thing.
I'd be interested in specific examples. The reason that I say that, is that I think that there is a good way to ask a question when you want a discussion and a good way to ask it when you want to avoid one. So often when there is a big discussion it is either because someone really wanted one (or really needed it) or was prompting for it to happen.
For example, if you use RAID 5 on WD Red drives and post a question about it without prefacing that you understand the risks and such, you are either desperately in need of that data or you have incited the discussion but leaving it out. The same as if you said that you were driving without a seatbelt - if you don't make it absolutely clear that you truly understand the risks involved and have considered them, people are going to try to save you.
There is a good way to ask technical questions that would rarely prompt the broader discussions.
TL;DR; answer: You word people to death Scott.
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I see where he is coming from. Asking a question on this forum can be intimidating. For me personally I love it, I like being proven wrong, I like going to head to head. I have never won a debate with @scottalanmiller, and I like that, I learn from it. From what I have gathered in life a vast majority of people don't like this feeling, and take it personally.
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@s.hackleman said
I see where he is coming from. Asking a question on this forum can be intimidating. For me personally I love it, I like being proven wrong, I like going to head to head. I have never won a debate with @scottalanmiller, and I like that, I learn from it. From what I have gathered in life a vast majority of people don't like this feeling, and take it personally.
Same here.
In fact, there was a little bit where I slowed in asking questions, because of the BS some people posted against me.
But that didn't last long. I said "F IT" and just posted what I wanted to. I'm here to learn and grow, and if people don't like it, they can ignore me.
Most people here are happy to help.
