

How To Ask Questions The Smart Way - RiderOfGiraffes
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

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RiderOfGiraffes
Prompted by the discussion and submission here:

<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.

