5 April 2015
Asking Good Questions
As you continue your growth in the development world, you will often find yourself relying on a vast online community of web developers and programmers to answer different questions you may have. As a result, a key skill to master early is knowing how to write good questions.
Having seen typical answers and responses on sites like StackOverflow, I can definitely see common characteristics of good questions. For one thing, good questions are usually specific but concise. Askers will provide the details of what they are trying to accomplish and often will even give examples of what they want their code to look like but are also careful to avoid writing a whole novel. In many ways then a key characteristic of good questions is that the askers are usually very considerate of everyone else's time. They ask questions that are concise but also provide enough information so that anyone can respond with the least possible effort.
Providing snippets of code is also always highly recommended when asking why your code isn't working the way you want it to. It's one thing to describe a problem but for viewers of your question to be able to see the code themselves is extremely useful. Code is a common language that unites us all, so be sure to include it whenever possible!
Other characteristics of good questions I've noticed, include: descriptive titles to draw people in, a lack of grammar or spelling mistakes, and a demonstration that you as the asker are knowledgeable, determined, and grateful. Nobody wants to do all the work for you, but there are plenty of people who are willing to guide you down the correct path, especially if they think you're a decent human being.
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