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How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
- RiderOfGiraffes 16y agoPrompted by the discussion and submission here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1994998 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1994998 I've realised that most of the material there is already present in Raymond's essay, albeit more abrasively written. There's also a lot in common with Carnegie's "How To Win Friends ...", and several other older essays that I've seen. There's a common theme - do the work first, only ask the question after you've demonstrated that you've put in the effort. This is very like the "Proof of Work" spam avoidance idea - make someone prove they're serious by dedicating some CPU for every recipient. The same is true of CVs I receive. They claim all these wonderful skills and personality traits, but offer very little proof of their claims. They say "Work well in a team, or when self-directed." without showing any evidence. Show me the money! Where's the beef? Show me you're serious, and I'll take you seriously.