Asking good questions

[Gorpomon]

I have two questions I want your opinion on.

1. What is a good question these days? In this age of Google and Wikipedia, I feel like asking questions is increasingly frowned upon. Generally when its a factual answer I go to the internet, but these days its seems I'm forced even further to just fake that I know something and secretly searching online for answer. Even if a question's answer can be found on the internet, I feel I'm losing all the context that a live engineer could provide. Also, especially with Wikipedia I don't think some of it can be trusted (basic info can be trusted, but I think not specialized articles).

This leads to question 2

2. What should you admit to not knowing and knowing? I'm a mechanical, and ALL non-engineers automatically assume I know how ANY mechanical device works instantly. Often I just say "I didn't get a degree in fridge repair" (or insert whatever device is broken) This is fine, but at work I sometimes feel bad when another engineer rattles off how a device works (very quickly) and I feel compelled to just nod in agreement and then... look it up on the internet later.

As a caveat to question 2, is it just me or does it seem the worse an engineer is at explaining something, the worse they are at understanding/accepting your need for a clearer explanation.

Any interesting takes on these issues appreciated

 

[photoengineer]

Don't feel bad. Ask any non-engineer how a jake brake works. Yes, we all know "it uses the compression of the engine to slow the vehicle", but then ask how. How exactly does it use the engine compression to slow the truck? And you'll get some very puzzled looks.

 

[rbulsara]

1. You need to have your expectations in line with what you are paying for.

Asking any question that obviously can be found by your own little research including an internet search engines or published book are the one generally gets frowned upon. Because it projects an image that you are lazy to do legwork on our own and want to take "advantage" of good Samaritans.

Yes, you can look smarter too if you do own research and come up with the answer or catch your own mistakes before someone else does. If you have noticed, most responders here posts the links, if they had found an answer through a web search. They are not trying to fool anyone.

Also too basic of a question, that clearly show that OP is out of its depth and should let professional deal with the issues are also frowned upon. OR Posters trying to solve a problem of great complexity and/or financial ramifications for which they clearly should be hiring a professional are also not looked upon very favorably. The list can go on..

2. There is no shame in admitting what you do not know. The same is in accepting an assignment that you have no idea about and then seeking others help for free to solve your problems. Also it is basic expectation that you know something about the areas you work in.

Most successful businesspersons are not the one who knows the most, but those who know how to find and engage services (and pay for) of people who knows.

3. No, I do not think the engineers not good at explaining things are bad engineers. This is like blaming teachers for failing students. Yes they are a factor, but not the sole factor. A lot depends on the student as well.

Rafiq Bulsara

http://www.srengineersct.com

 

[Twoballcane]

No question is a stupid question, grow a thick skin and learn as much as you can.

Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."

 

[msquared48]

What's a question?

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
Motto: KISS
Motivation: Don't ask

 

[BJC]

"The only stupid question is the one you don't ask"

 

[mauricestoker]

1. Can I borrow money? Usually that will prevent people from asking another question before they can get away.

2. Go off on wild tangents with pointless, unending stories. People will then not bother you with questions and you will not need to reveal any knowledge or lack. Grandpa Simpson is my role model. I think that giving unclear, convoluted and inexplicable responses may be a variation of the Grandpa Simpson approach.

 

[IRstuff]

Platitudes aside, I expect that any engineer, particularly here, perform his due diligence, before asking his question, particularly if it takes me less than a minute to find the answer on the internet. I won't call those questions "stupid," but they are definitely "lazy" questions.

I'm guessing you're relatively young; at those ages, the knowledge differences are quite drastic. But, you'll find that over time, the differences lessen; you get smarter, and some other people get dumber, once you've learned their secrets. This site is a good place to learn. Your forum choices are relatively narrowly focussed, and you might want to add forums that are outside of your discipline. I've done that, and oddly, I've learned enough on one forum to be considered, "what you might call an expert." (I love that silly phrase; it's stated at the beginning of each Mythbusters)

Learning is a life-long process, and you should be learning up to the day you pass on; that's what I intend to do...

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[Gorpomon]

In response to rbulsara, I didn't mean to say engineers who can't explain things are bad engineers, plenty of people are good at what they do but are hopelessly inarticulate.

Also to clarify, this is just a general discussion, and not based on any issues in my life or work. I think when I said in the original post I felt compelled to answer in certain ways, I should have clarified I'm not feeling distressed, just have noticed that's how the social currents seem to be taking me.

 

[rbulsara]

Why lament on people in general when you have no personal grief? Why on this forum?

Can you articulate what are you trying to convey?

Rafiq Bulsara

http://www.srengineersct.com

 

[ctopher]

A good question is when you make the listener stumble on the answer and force him/her to Google it.

Chris
SolidWorks 10 SP4.0
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion

 

[zdas04]

I have to take exception with the platitude "there are no dumb questions". There truly are dumb questions. They get asked here every day. Most of them fall into Pat's "Lazy" category, but they're still pretty dumb.

Last week I got a call from an "engineer" who works in a hedge fund. He said that he had been looking into CBM operations "all week" so he was mostly up to speed on a subject that I just barely understand after 30 years. He actually asked me, "I've heard that you would never frac a CBM well, so how would you complete one?" I said, "You heard that from an expert like Katie Couric right?". His question truly was DUMB for three reasons: (1) he was implying knowledge that he didn't have; (2) finding that virtually every CBM well is fraced would take 30 seconds in Google; and (3) he had zero chance of understanding the answer if he had gotten one.

You know, I can't remember the last time I answered a technical question with "I don't know". My answer is always "I don't know, but I'll find out and get back to you" which I use a dozen times a week. I don't have any problem admitting that the scope of my knowledge is both narrow and shallow.

I've found that as I've evolved into a "senior" engineer, the questions that find their way to me tend to be both harder and less black-and-white than they used to be. Where I would have once said "use the red pill" without hesitation, now I'm more likely to say "most of the time the red pill works really well, but I've seen it fail with catastrophic results so you should probably mitigate that risk by ...". Maybe I'm just getting garrulous in my old age.

David

 

[Gorpomon]

ZDAS04! Thank you, you have given me an opportunity to clearly demonstrate my quandary!

I don't know what CBM operations are. If this had come up in person-to-person conversation, should I ask you what CBM operations are? Would it make me look bad, would it be a dumb question?

It seems the corporate culture values people who would just nod politely and then run off and Google the term rather than reward people who would stop you and say "wait a minute, what are CBM operations?" I think the latter is far more valuable (imagine where our conversation could end up), but I can't help but feel the culture nowadays demands we feign being experts and then retreat to our iPhones for knowledge.

 

[rbulsara]

Who is we?

Rafiq Bulsara

http://www.srengineersct.com

 

[IRstuff]

Doesn't that depend on whether you're supposed to know what CBM is? Since it has something to do with wells, that's outside of my expertise, I have absolutely no problem with, "Hey Dave, what the bloody heck does CBM mean?

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[btrueblood]

I took about 5 seconds to Google it. I think it has to do with Convoluted Business Management, and given who probably does it, I would agree with Dave that you should drop a stick of dynamite in every hole you find there.

 

[zdas04]

Maybe Crazy Bastard Monkey's? Or possibly CoalBed Methane. I have had many engineers ask me questions along the line of "What the heck is CBM and why do people pay you so much to talk about it?". Sometimes it is as basic as what do the letters stand for, other times it leads to a discussion that always ends up being related to underground coal mining. A question aimed at acquiring information that you want to have is a good question. A "question" aimed at proving how bloody smart you are isn't. What seems like a fine line in abstract terms is a very clear deliniation in real-world terms.

David

 

[KENAT]

Sometimes I reckon it's best to ask the seemingly dumb question there and then.

Other times I think it's better to let it go, look it up in slow time and if you're still confused come back and ask for clarification.

There really are dumb questions, though as mentioned many are really lazy questions, a sign you didn't put your brain into gear before opening your mouth or a question you've already asked but didn't bother taking note of the answer.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[vanmorrison]

I have great respect for engineers, or anyone for that matter, who are honest with you and tells you that they don't know and will get back to you.

One of my pet peeves are people that knowingly or unknowingly BS you to give you the impression that they are all knowing and superior. That ruins one's credibility and people will not trust a word that they say.

Put effort into finding the answers yourself. Failing that there is no shame in consulting with a person who specializes in the area of your inquiry. They will probably be happy to direct you in the right direction and share their knowledge if you are stumped.

 

[SomptingGuy]

How does a Newton's cradle work? Why if I pick two balls and drop them do two balls rise from the other side? How does it know?

- Steve