It's Not You, It's Your Question
30 Jan 2025There are no stupid questions, I promise!
We’ve all been there. You’re sitting in class, listening to your teacher drone on and on and on and… Wait, what did they say? Whatever it was, it did not make a lick of sense. You were paying attention, you swear! You’re just confused, and—uh oh. It’s going to be on the exam? Why is everyone else nodding along like they understand? Like this concept is a piece of cake, carbs and all? Are you really the only fool in sea of geniuses? Obviously, you can’t ask for help now or else everybody will think you’re a total—!
Someone raises their hand. They ask the dreaded question burning in your mind, and you have your answer. (Your eyes fill with happy tears.)
That’s pretty much what Stack Overflow is for.
Stack Overflow: the website “every programmer has a tab open to.” It’s a platform meant for sharing technical knowledge by asking questions and sharing answers. On Stack Overflow, you’re there to learn, and millions of other people are more than happy to help. You’re not a fool in a sea of geniuses! Or, eh, well…
I broke my promise
Contrary to what they say, it’s totally possible to ask a “stupid” question—hey, hey, lower the pitchforks—but it’s not needing help that makes someone look “dumb.” It’s the way they designed their question.
This is an example of a (now removed) “bad” question. The user, wanting a tutorial on how to build a certain tool, writes:
How create API for remove background application using python
how to create an API for a remove background application using Python. Need step-by-step guide covers everything from setting up environment to deploying the API, making it easy to build a powerful background removal tool. Perfect for developers and beginners alike!
Now, let’s go over where they went wrong:
- Not enough information: what they want to create is unclear
- Too general: asks for a walkthrough instead of insight on specific challenges
- Essentially, “Can you walk me through every step of my project?”
See what I mean? A question like that earned them nothing but a single downvote. These questions don’t attract answers.
Be smart about it
If you want answers, you need to ask smart questions. This is an example of a smarter question. Here, a user asks for an explanation on JavaScript closures:
How do JavaScript closures work?
How would you explain JavaScript closures to someone with a knowledge of the concepts they consist of (for example functions, variables and the like), but does not understand closures themselves?
I have seen the Scheme example given on Wikipedia, but unfortunately it did not help.
So what did this user do well?
- Shows effort: the user tried to find the answer on their own before turning to Stack Overflow
- Specific and answerable: prompts clear, direct responses
- Relevant: relevant to common learning issues faced when studying JavaScript
This question is much, much better. Other Stack Overflow users seem to think so as well. It has gained over 7.5k upvotes and 86 answers, with the top response being an in-depth but user-friendly explanation. This, by the way, is a good example of a smart response.
Notice how this user’s question has a lot more upvotes than responses. That shows that it’s relevant, intriguing, and helpful to loads of other users. Smart questions don’t just help you; they help others as well. A well-crafted question has a lasting impact because it addresses common problems and offers a starting point for useful answers.
Well, there you have it, folks. Think harder, ask smarter.