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My experience is that if you are in an environment where you cannot ask the
stupid or dumb question, then, whether you realize it or not, you are really
in an environment where you can't ask any questions. I will add one caveat,
which is that you shouldn't ask the same stupid question more than once IF
you got a reasonable answer the first time.
Wally Glassett
Tech Doc-It, Inc.
wallyg99 -at- home -dot- net <mailto:wallyg99 -at- home -dot- net>
(707) 769-9418
jgarison -at- ide -dot- com wrote:
> There is no better way to
>alienate information sources than to ask uninformed questions.
Hear! Hear! [or is it "Here! Here!"? And where would I look that up ;-)]
Yesterday someone posted in this thread the bromide, "there is no such thing
as a stupid question." I beg to differ. We may wish to apply that precept to
the way we treat children in the primary grades, in order to avoid damaging
their fragile (yeah, right) self-esteem. And perhaps up through middle
school a case could be made. But when we are dealing with adult discourse,
we can categorize questions as we see fit. One category is _silly_ ("ask a
silly question, get a silly answer"). Another category is _stupid_.
Individuals may differ on how to categorize particular questions, but
denying the existence of stupid questions is an act of self-delusion. I say
that within the bounds of polite discourse, it is fair to call 'em as we see
'em.
Dick
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