> StackOverflow is one of the few ways you can learn to [ask good technical questions] I partially agree. The fear of a withering dismissal does motivate many

> StackOverflow is one of the few ways you can learn to [ask good technical questions] I partially agree. The fear of a withering dismissal does motivate many people to carefully formulate questions. In fact, I've answered my own questions more than a few times by just starting to write out my questions on stackoverflow. It still pains me, however, to witness the persnickety behavior, close-votes, down-votes, and cold commentary that people get when they ask an earnest question. No one deserves that, not novices, not pros. It's never OK to be mean to someone even if they aren't abiding by the very long list of arbitrary and inconsistently enforced rules for asking a question. I am not hopeful that stackoverflow will change any time soon. There are factions which actually relish the gamification of the site and their own personal insanely rigid interpretation of the rules. Some even rage-quit a while back when the first steps were announced towards addressing inclusivity and rampant meanness.