[Haskell-cafe] *GROUP HUG*

[Jacek Generowicz]

On 2011 May 24, at 09:37, Juan Daugherty wrote:

> Every computing culture is different.
> Being in the habit of asking questions you should be able to answer  
> yourself
> is not a good idea. Why did you ask a question which you yourself  
> characterize
> as "ignorant"?

I would guess it is because he was attempting to reduce his ignorance.  
That, to me, is one of the more noble reasons for asking questions.  
What would be the point of asking a non-ignorant question, unless it  
is a rhetorical one?

It is tempting to infer from what you wrote above, that you believe  
all ignorant questions are ones which you should be able to answer  
yourself. I respectfully disagree.

Then there is the whole class of questions which you could answer  
yourself, but the effort required to do so can be reduced by many  
orders of magnitude with some external input. Another good reason to  
ask questions.

If you ask questions, and then stubbornly ignore good advice that  
people give you, then you shouldn't be surprised if they turn hostile.  
But if they are hostile merely because you asked an ignorant question,  
then I do find that surprising.

Signed, an ignoramus who is constantly trying to chip away at his own  
ignorance (and that of others).