Smart Questions, Better Results
08 Sep 2022
The Power of Asking the Right Questions
“There’s no such thing as a stupid question.” This is a statement which I’ve heard being thrown around countless times throughout my life. It wasn’t until recently I’ve realized the way we ask questions generate a specific response from others. From our tone, use of language, accessibility to ask/answer questions, and even to how explicit we are regarding the subject matter, etc. Depending on the questions we ask, it determines the information we receive back. Asking questions at random with no thought will not necessarily benefit a person. We may receive answers which we had not intended to hear or that are off topic. The quality of questions asked will affect the quality of the response given.
“Smart” Questions!
StackOverflow has been a great resource to many programmers. It allows for fellow programmers to ask and answer ones’ question regarding a specific concept or sample of code. In the following example, we will analyze a proper way to ask a question.
Question: What is the difference between call and apply? Click on this link to view.
This question sounds very simple. However as you can see in the picture below, they provided the specific details needed to solve their question. The user was very specific by showing exactly how the example function are properly called and inquired two more specfic questions regarding the topic. If you click on the link above you’ll be able to see all the amazing answers in reponse to this question. From simple, concise, and detailed questions this user was able to obtain more information than the inital one asked for. Other programmers and even offered additional coding examples.
“Stupid” Questions?
There are many questions asked, which may leave people dumbfounded and lost depending on how obtuse a question is. Without proper direction a question is open to interpretation and that is exactly the questions that people tend to avoid answering. In the following example, we will analyze how questions may lead to unresolved understanding when asked without proper thought.
Question: Is it possible for my app to be hacked by overriding JavaScript functions? Click on this link to view.
The question being sounds like it could be answered with a simple “yes” or “no response, but the person had not included any significant details which would help another programmer to answer their question properly. They had not explained what “project” they’re using in their code. It would have have been beneficial if they had provided an example of the code for others to view. You are able to see from the image above, this post has been “closed” on the StackOverflow site. What does this mean exactly? It means other users have viewed it as a question that doesn’t fit on the site itself, due to lack of clarity. This is a very interesting feature on this site, as it allows proper feedback to not only those who answer questions but to those who ask.
Conclusion
We gain valuable knowledge from questions we ask those with greater expertise. The way we ask question can shape our understanding of concepts. With proper judgement in the questions we ask, we will benefit so much more. It is especially important for software engineers to ask smart questions. When coding there’s a lot of variables that play a part into a project. It is very important to get a second opinion to not only get the correct answer out of it, but to see another’s perspective. There are so many which we can code a single program and when we get insight from another person it opens our perspective to the other possible ways to code. As we exposed ourselves to new experciences in coding we become better programmers.