Does it bother you when someone answers a question by asking the asked why he/hedge asked the question at all?

Sometimes more information helps people to answer the question better. It all probably comes down to how the person questions the question. It is not always that the validity of the question is questioned. Sometimes people ask for clarifications.

Ugh, I messed up on the question, I know it. I hate trying to correct the question on the touch. Anyway, the question was meant to read, “Does it bother you when someone answers a question by asking the person who asked the question why he/she asked the question at all?”

No. Some of the questions here are suspect and from the Borat imitators and kids who don’t like doing homework or meant for a different forum, according to Fluther guidelines.

Silly questions (or non-questions) have sent some smart and well-informed people packing.

It only bugs me when the asker seems to have ulterior motives when asking the question, i.e., they are not seeking opinions, they are merely trying to advance an agenda. When an asker has a strong opinion about a subject and is asking to see if others agree or disagree, they should make that statement in the question. If they do this, answerers who may disagree with said asker will know this prior to answering the question and will therefore be prepared for a potential upbraiding by the asker.

I have been to other Q&A websites. Some do not have any specific guidelines for asking questions. Some – like Fluther – do have some guidelines. On Askville you can ask pretty much any question you want. Askville doesn’t discourage people from asking any questions they want. But in Fluther they have specific guidelines. They have a section in their guidelines for “Asking Great Questions”. There is nothing like that on Askville.

I have seen a lot of questions on Askville that the answer can be obtained by a simple Google search. In fact a lot of times reminding the asker of the fact that your question is “Googleable” (if it is in form of an answer) is subject to punishment by the community, but here in Fluther those sort of questions are discouraged! Of course over there in Askville a lot of people remind others that the answer to those questions can be obtained by a simple Googling but they keep to discussions for that purpose.

Or this kind of “non-question” question.

Nope, I often respond by asking probing questions…..either because I want more info before I answer – or in an effort to lead the asker towards the answer to his/her question.

why would you ask a question like that?

:)

No, why do you ask? :^> Aw, muddyh2o beat me to it.

Why would that bother you? Think of it as a way to improve asking your questions in a way that will get you some answers. If you’re getting a lot of those types of responses maybe you could think about what in your question might bring on that type of response. Is there something you can be doing to communicate more effectively?

It does not bother me. I have done it.

Some questioners do not provide enough context to give a meaningful answer.

I have also done it if it appears to be a disingenuous or self-serving question such as one in which the questions “asked” the question in order to browbeat answerers who did not agree with the questioner’s point of view.

“Does anyone share my opinion on…”

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