A smart question is not easy to have if you do not know how to ask. When someone asks a problem, people usually want to find an answer for it. However, because of the way they ask, the question may be ignored. Taking a look at the Stack Overflow website, which is a significant resource for solving technical and other issues, there are so many questions were asked but most of them are being ignored. The problem with this issues is the way asking questions is not correct to get attention and the right answers.
According to Eric Raymond in “How To Ask Questions The Smart Way,” there are two types of questions that are “stupid questions” and “smart questions.” An example of the “smart question” is “a,b = b,a in python vs std::swap() in C++”. The title is meaningful, specific subject header. The question is precise and informative. In the description, the author uses words like “from research” and then explain what he or she found about the problem. The description also shows that the author described the problem’s symptoms in chronological order, no guessing. The question “How do both operations compare in terms of speed? “ shows the author’s goal, not just a small step. The question can be retrieved at here . The results for asking “smart questions” leads to both efficient and effective help. The question above got five answers and a lot of comments. Each answer is very detailed and rich information. Moreover, the author edited the post to thank everybody and give a conclusion to the question.
For the “stupid questions”, there are so many in the Stack Overflow website. Most of the “stupid questions” are being ignored. To find “stupid questions” demonstrates the “not smart way” leads to wrong answers is not easy. Finally, I found one “What is the role of probability in machine learning software? [closed]”. The question is so general, and the subject can be found with a lot of information when search by Google. The result will be the answers not lead to both effective and efficient help. “Sorry, but this doesn’t look like a programming question,” “Agree - I’d recommend removing from SO and posting over at Cross Validated “ and “The programming relevance of the original question was unclear.” are the examples of the wrong questions lead to wrong answers. The question can be retrieved at here e.
For an engineer, self-study is one crucial skill to become a successful engineer. Before asking a question, research is a requirement. The study will show that you already tried to find an answer, but you can not see the solution. It also shows that you are not lazy, and tried everything before asking for some help.