Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!henry.jpl.nasa.gov!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!zardoz!dhw68k!genisco!dav
From: dav@genisco.uucp (David L. Markowitz)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: How to tell a good question (was: how to tell a wizard)
Message-ID: <1989Oct27.162015.27210@genisco.uucp>
Date: 27 Oct 89 16:20:15 GMT
Organization: Genisco Technology Corp.
Lines: 20


A friend of mine (with a previous employer) mailed me a question.
After fielding the umpty-thousandth question of my long career, I
replied to this comment:

> 	Just curious.  And gleefully interested in asking you insidious little
> questions...  ;^)

Insidious little questions have a way of leaving insidious residues
which build up over time...  these residues can eventually block the
thought pathways of the Unix guru, leaving him/her unable (or
unwilling) to answer questions any more.  They may even cause him to
change jobs.  We call these "bad questions" (tm).

On the other hand, interesting, well thought out questions can cause
thoughts to flow at such a high speed and volume that it can clean out
those passages.  These are called "good questions" (tm).  You will know
when you have asked one of these, because the answer will start with
"That's a good question".  You will know when you have asked a bad
question when the answer starts with "Well, that depends...".

-- 
	David L. Markowitz
	Genisco Technology Corporation
	dav@genisco