Don't Simply Ask Questions, Ask Good Questions!

26 Jan 2023

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If you have not heard of or used StackOverflow, then you are probably one of the smartest software engineers working for the FANG companies or simply a genius. For those who might be familiar with this platform designed for software engineers, StackOverflow allows anyone to post questions and receive responses. We are often told to ask questions either in the classroom or in the workspace. But, the most important thing is to ask the right questions. The purpose of asking questions is to establish communication and common ground.

What’s a smart question?

Asking a smart question is not the same as asking a difficult question. A “smart” question is often straightforward and easy to read. For example, Apuna12 asked a question on how to use Google API to obtain OAuth2 in Postman or Java/Kotlin. Providing a simple but descriptive title will not only increases the chances of getting a reply but a helpful answer. Apuna12 also included a more detailed explanation of the problem as well as his approaches to getting the reader quickly into the problem. The ability to explain the problem to people is also a necessary skill in the real world.

A counter-example of a “smart” question would be “Nightwatch.js - Use the same browser session” posted by Wallace Sidhrée. The title of the question was not specific enough for the reader to capture the problem. It is good to have a short title but they need to be descriptive and specific. If the reader cannot extract the main point in a few seconds, chances are the post will not be reviewed or get the desired answer.

Conclusion

Just like marketing a product, the main goal is to attract buyers. Asking a smart question will “attract” more viewers compared to those who simply ask for help but do not want to put in the effort to get the answer. There are no dumb questions!