One reason why people ask questions in private is for fear of looking incapable and dumb. It's not an entirely unfounded fear when you consider that we're knowl

One reason why people ask questions in private is for fear of looking incapable and dumb. It's not an entirely unfounded fear when you consider that we're knowledge workers. Our worth and opportunities are heavily influenced by how others perceive us. Most people are probably aware of the benefits that others would get from asking questions publicly. The people that are not aware may pick it up when you publicly post the original question and answer yourself, e.g., "Someone recently asked me how to make a perfect soft boiled egg. Here's how I go about it."