Smart Approaches For Smarter Results
30 Jan 2025
Are questions just as important as the answer?
In the world of software engineering, knowing how to ask questions is just as important as knowing how to solve problems. Eric Raymond’s essay, “How to Ask Questions the Smart Way,” provides helpful advice on how to ask clear, effective questions, for example, in online communities like Stack Overflow. By asking questions the “smart way,” software engineers can get better help, learn faster, and positively contribute to a productive community.
What makes a question “smart”?
StackOverflow is an online community where developers can ask questions, share knowledge, and get help with programming-related issues. While looking in this online community I found an example of a smart question:
A user asked about how the size of a Variable Length Array (VLA) is stored in C when it’s on the stack. They explained that from their understanding VLAs are arrays whose size is decided while the program is running, not when it starts. The user wants to know if the size of the array is stored somewhere at runtime, and if it is, where exactly it’s stored. They also asked how the program knows how much to reduce the stack pointer when the array is no longer needed. Additionally mentioning that question also applies to alloca. This is a good example of a smart question because it demonstrates that prior research was done, the question was clear, specific, and detailed.
This user received four thorough answers, complete with multiple examples, within the same day of posting their question. Quick and helpful answers were given by providing the proper tools for developers to answer the question.
Link to smart question: here
An example of what not to do:
A user asked about connecting to a remote MySQL database, which has over 60,000 views but no answers. The question is too vague, lacks necessary details like error messages or setup information, and does not explain any troubleshooting steps already taken. The user’s request is unclear and has no specific context, making it difficult for developers to provide proper help. This shows how asking a more detailed, specific question is essential for getting effective responses.
Link to not smart question: here
What I’ve Learned
From these examples, it’s clear to see that asking questions the “smart” way makes a big difference. It is an essential skill for software engineers as it helps you get better answers faster and makes online communities like Stack Overflow more productive. The big picture is that high-quality questions get you high-quality answers. It’s almost like the golden rule that you are taught as a child, “Treat others how you want to be treated,” the same thing applies to questions: ask a “smart” question to receive a “smart” answer.
Link to Eric Raymond’s essay: “How to Ask Questions the Smart Way”