Ask stupid questions and you'll get a stupid answers, was: Technological advantages over Linux

[Dave Hayes]

On Tue, 28 Jul 2020 12:40:08 +0200
Ralf Mardorf <ralf-mardorf at riseup.net> wrote:
> This is another stupid question! 

On a mailing list intended for questions, I find this statement quite ironic.

I'll note that, in my observation, "stupid" is an arbitrary subjective standard.
Over the years on the net, I've constantly experienced humanity's failure to
understand that intelligence is not a scalar measure but likely a tensor of
unknown rank... if it can be measured quantitatively at all. 

As I have observed, there are two ways to respond to "stupid" questions. 

If someone is in need of validation for their intelligence "level", then their
answer is usually (but not always) derisive and almost always condescending.

If someone truly wishes to help, they gently explain at the level of the
questioner's understanding what is wrong with the questioner's question and
enough context about what the subject of the question is so a more answerable
question can be asked. 

I haven't seen any other generalized response pattern. This does not mean they
do not exist. 
-- 
Dave Hayes - Consultant - Altadena CA, USA - dave at jetcafe.org 
>>>> *The opinions expressed above are entirely my own* <<<<

With a jar on his back, a blind man walked at night, holding
a lamp. A passer-by said: "What ignorance. Day and night is
the same for you and you're carrying a lamp in the dark!"

"The light is for blind people like you so that they won't
knock against me and break the jar."