Is assuming intent in a question useful?

A lot of times, there just isn’t enough information in the question to provide a useful answer. So you either have to guess what the OP wanted, or ask them.

If you ask, then of course the OP’s answer will limit the discussion. It’ll be a more useful discussion, though.

If the question asks for an opinion, and the OP expresses one, I don’t see why that would suppress discussion. The OP isn’t necessarily right.

I try to stay out of my questions after asking them, unless folks are not going where I wanted them to go. I want the answer to be useful to me, not just to wander somewhat unfruitfully.

Although the mods try hard to avoid this, sometimes a question is meant to be leading or inflammatory. Asking what the OP is implying is a good way of drawing out their opinion on the question they asked to find out what they’re really asking.

If we were sitting around a campfire and someone asked a question or made a statement that gave rise to a volley of conversation you would find that at times there are derailments….these are productive at times. They expand on the original thought and in circular fashion can lead people to higher levels of discourse and realizations.
I’ve had people read into my questions (only once here but many times on another site). Sometimes they are way off base but it tells me alot about how that particular person things and sometimes they offer up something I hadn’t considered…even if it is off base. Shocking statements in my opinion sometimes help drive a point home especially when people are pussy footing around the proverbial elephant in the living room. As jarring as that tactic might be to some sensitive people for other people it’s a wake up call.
And of course some people are only looking for validation. They don’t want you to mirror back what you are reading and gleeming from what they have written however accurate you may be.

[mod says] Please do not give easily identifiable examples. Thank you.

Wow – that went awry quickly. I came back and the thread was gone! :-)

To be honest, I just post my answer and then come back to see if it got modded/GA’d or if anybody @‘d me. Was I helpful? Was I funny? Meh.

did you know that the “body” of these things actually contain the question’s context?!? boooring.

I think it can be useful, yes and because we are assuming, it can also be useful to ask the OP for clarification.

I don’t think that “assuming” an OP’s intent is at all useful or constructive but questioning and clarifying an OP’s intent? Is that useful? Yes, absolutely. Not only is it useful sometimes, but absolutely necessary sometimes. And sometimes whether or not a question needs clarification depends on the person wanting to answer it. Just because a question may be clear to one person or most people doesn’t mean that it will be clear to everyone.

@iamthemob You, at least you seem to me, to be a very linear thinker, I think. Not everyone is like that. I am, on the other hand, the kind of person who almost never thinks in a straight line; I tend to think of “everything at once.” We all need to be flexible and accommodate a certain amount of variation in other people think and the way other people communicate.

It might be useful when the people answering don’t quite understand what the OP is asking for, but when the OP asks everyone to answer the question as stated, I think we should respect the OP. I’ve seen new users leave because their question wasn’t being answered and I’ve seen older users get upset because their question was not being answered. Just yesterday someone had to come in to their own question and basically say “JUST ANSWER THE FUCKING QUESTION”. (maybe not in those exact word, but you get the idea)

A little respect goes a long way.

@jonsblond I had that problem once. I ask all my questions in the social section because I like the flexibility and because people, including myself can have a little more fun but I did once have to ask people, that as much fun as all the banter was that I really would appreciate if someone would actually answer my question. But sometimes it depends on the particular question and the particular questioner. This question/thread of @Jeruba’s actually ended up being kind of funny. Almost all of us completely misread and misunderstood her question but Jeruba was patient and polite, as always, of course. And in the end she said basically : “The answers are right, the question was wrong.” It was sweet :-)

@lillycoyote now I’m hungry! I missed that question. :D

For me, I find intent very useful and almost necessary.

I try not to assume intent ..If I don’t understand a question, I ask more questions of the uh question. I am the type of person to, perhaps, over think things. I rarely see a question as just that ..I see everything around it as well.

For many people, I think assumption of intent can be useful with certain types of questions. It depends on what the person asking the question is looking for in replies. But it can also be destructive as many can relate I’m sure.

Many times it also depends on the person and their question. And whether or not the person states that they just want answers and not actual discussion on the matter. In which case, that should be respected (unless of course you don’t understand the question ..lol).

I hope all that made as much sense as it did in my head :P

@PluckyDog – I agree that intent can be useful, even necessary – but I think in many cases it shouldn’t matter what the OP thinks if the point is to get a good answer. If the OP has an opinion, that’s great – but it may direct the conversation too much when you know what it is.

But if I am trying to figure it out, I may assume one thing, but try to ask as you describe. Clarification may very well be required, but for me I always feel my knickers twisting up when someone asks “So you’re saying that in every case” of “How can you think” – the kind of rhetorical questions that are meant to discredit rather than clarify.

@iamthemob Let me clarify ..by intent, I don’t mean opinion. I mean reason. I find it useful to know why the question was asked, how the person came about pondering it ..etc. It is useful for me because it helps me put myself in their place and gives me clearer view on the question.
Of course, this is not always useful ..again, it depends on the person and the question.

As for the clarification of a question ..I agree with the complete uselessness of asking “questions that are meant to discredit rather than clarify.” I think we’ve all done it though; it’s easy resort to that when it is a topic one has strong opinions in ..as we’re only human. But I try very hard not to ask those type of clarification questions :)