In software engineering, it’s super common to run into problems where you need help from other people. Whether you’re stuck on a bug or don’t understand a concept, asking questions is a big part of the learning and development process. A lot of software engineers turn to sites like StackOverflow to get answers, but the way you ask your question can make a huge difference in the kind of help you get.
In his essay How to Ask Questions the Smart Way, Eric Raymond explains how to ask questions that actually get good responses. He says things like doing research first, being clear and specific, and giving enough details about your problem are all important when asking for help. In this essay, I’ll compare two questions from StackOverflow—one that’s a good example of a “smart” question and one that’s not so smart. I’ll show how asking questions the right way can lead to better answers and help you improve as a software engineer.
Link: How can I prevent SQL injection in PHP?
This is a great example of a smart question. The user asks, “How can I prevent SQL injection in PHP?”, which is super clear and specific. SQL injection is a serious problem in web development because it can lead to major security issues. The person asking this question includes some of their code and explains exactly what they’re trying to fix. You can tell they’ve done some research and already know a bit about the topic—they’re just looking for a detailed solution.
The question got a ton of upvotes and responses, which shows that it was well-written and interesting to the community. The answers were really detailed and helpful, which probably made it easy for the user to solve their problem. This question stands out because it was written in a straightforward way, included enough details, and showed that the person asking it had already put in effort to understand the issue.
Link: Making the text clickable inside the input field
This is an example of what NOT to do when asking for help. The user asks how to make text in an input field clickable, but the title and description are super vague. They don’t explain what the problem is or what they’ve already tried. All they say is, “I have tried it, but my code is not working,” without saying what exactly isn’t working.
There’s no context, no errors mentioned, and no specific details about what they expect the code to do. One of the commenters even pointed this out, saying, “‘My code is not working’ is not particularly helpful for debugging. Does it do anything? If so, what, and how does that differ from your expected result?” This shows that the person asking the question didn’t put in much effort, and it made it really hard for anyone to give them a good answer.
From these two examples, it’s easy to see that smart questions get way better responses. When you put effort into your question—like being specific, providing context, and showing what you’ve tried—people are more likely to want to help you. On the other hand, vague or lazy questions just make it harder for others to understand what you’re asking.
Asking smart questions is actually a really important skill in software engineering. It’s not just about getting answers—it’s about learning how to communicate effectively and think critically about your problems. By asking better questions, you’ll get better answers, and get better as a developer.
At first, asking questions might seem like a small thing, but it’s a big deal in software engineering. The way you ask a question can make or break the kind of help you get. If you follow the tips from Eric Raymond’s essay—like doing your research, being clear and specific, and showing effort—you’ll make it easier for others to help you.
It’s important to remember the power of smart questions. It’s a simple change that can make a huge difference in your learning and problem-solving journey.