Importance of smart questioning
10 Sep 2024
Is there such thing as a stupid question?
Stupid question are the question that are lack of reserach that shows no evidence of prior research or effort to solve the problem on its own but ask help for others. A stupid question could be simple ones that are easily found in online. The questions has unclear and lack necessary details not providing enough context nor specifying exact problem or failing to include relevant error message.
Smart question and how it helps software engineers
Smart questions are the ones where the asker has already put in effort into understanding the problem instead of asking questions that are really obvious and easy to figure out. This includes researching on the web, searching forums, and attempting to solve the issue independently before seeking for help. Smart questions are important for smart software engineers because it optimizes problem solving skills by identifying the root cause and exploring alternative solutions and refining approaches. Asking smart questions helps software engineers navigate complex projects, innovate effectively, and deliver higher quality work. Asking insightful questions encourages engineers to explore new concepts, technologies, and best practices, which contributes to their professional growth. Thoughtful questions promote better communication and collaboration with team members, stakeholders, and clients, leading to more effective teamwork and project outcomes.
Example of a smart and stupid question
Example of a smart question from a stack overflow would be : openapi-generator generates correct code, but incorrect documentation annotations in Spring Boot project. The question provides a clear context for the problem and it is not an obvious question as you could see how the asker puts in their effort. Asker clearly know the problem and describes the symptoms, not just guessing.
Example of a stupid question from stack overflow would be: Math.random doesn’t work. This question shows the writer’s lack of research nor any effort to solve the problem on its own and would simply just ask for help. From this we could already tell asker does not have a clear context on what the problem is and shows no evidence of prior research or effort to solve the problem. The problem lacks necessary details and is unclear failing for the reader to understand.