much as i hate labels, i'm forced to conclude that i'm a geek.
and one thing that geeks hate, are people who refuse to seek answers for themselves.
there are days when i'm asked a question, and my answer is "why don't you google it?", and refuse to tell the answer even though i know it.
why?
well, first (but not most) of all, efficiency. you're the one with the question, you're the one who needs to recieve the answer, and you have the means to get at it. i don't see what value i'd add by finding the answer and passing it on to you.
but most of all, it's because i'd rather teach you to fish than give you a cooked one for lunch.
it may seem funny (and almost contradictory to the efficiency point above) that i usually actually google the question myself before asking someone to google it. after all, i don't want to mislead or make you run around in circles. but i do want you to run for yourself.
ps: post inspired by a conversation with ankita and harshad, and eric raymond's post on how to ask questions, that i read long ago and so completely identified with :)
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1 comment:
Not much to add to this, but yes… I prefer most people find their own answers. Some good friends get leeway, because I know they can find it themselves, but this is just a reason to talk more ;-)
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