The Smart Questions Are The Right Questions
12 Sep 2025How to ask Questions
Asking a question seems simple, we’ve been asking questions our entire lives. But to really get help with whatever you are asking it’s better to ask a question the smart way especially when it comes to questions on software engineering. I am going to show two examples of questions taken from stack overflow. One is an example of what a smart question is and how we should be asking questions as developers. The other is a not so smart question and showcases what not to do when stuck.
The Smart Question
The smart question is a question that is clear, simple to udersatnad and gets straight to the point. In this question the user was asking how to delet a Git branch locally and remotely. They also went on to provide their failed attepts at deleting a remote branch. You can see the smart question here.
They were very clear with questions describing where it was happening. They even included what they were trying that was not working. This is a great example of a smart question
The not So Smart Question
A non-smart question is not going to be clear, it probably has spelling errors as well as grammar errors. In this question the user is asking about two individual matrixes side by side. He explained how he built his matrix with little detail as to the structure of it all making it unclear what he actually did. This question is also not formulated well and does not include another information such as where he is working and what he is actually working with. You can see the question here
The Smart Question is The Right Question
The smart question has gotten zero replies and activity while the smart question has gotten plenty of engagement. This shows how critical it is in asking a question the right way is. Especially when you are trying to get help with something that you are doing. To recap smart questions should be clear and concise, short and straight to the point and well thought out. All of this makes it easier for someone to want to even try to help you.