My comment was one old-timer's advice, and manifestly not an
echo of list policy.
My advice, which I repeat, is that calling your question
"quick" is not helpful and is indeed likely to create the wrong
impression. After all, no one says things like "I have
a question one sentence long" or "... one paragraph long".
We can see how long a short question is!
Naturally, I am sure that often the intent is totally innocent
and that the poster is just "warming up", as it were. Many
people don't seem able or willing to ask a question
without a preamble or a postamble, and no harm in that
as such.
But my reaction, and perhaps it is shared by some others, is why
are you telling me this? Are you soft-selling or grovelling?
You needn't do that. A good question can stand up for itself.
Anyway, view this statistically, or decision theoretically.
The distribution has two categories. There may be some
like me who find it irritating, and some like Jeph, who
aren't irritated. The best strategy is still not to
do it.
"Quick" questions are not as bad as "easy" questions,
agreed!
Nick
[email protected]
Jeph Herrin
> I don't think "quick question" deserves quite this
> much discredit. In particular:
>
> 1. I would agree with you that just as simple question
> may have unsimple answers, quick questions may have
> unquick answers; but I don't see why one would
> therefore refrain from framing either as what
> they are.
>
> 2. "quick question" doesn't indicate to me either
> triviality (see 1 above) or apology.
> Nick Cox wrote:
> > Never say "I have a quick question".
> >
> > 1. If the question's quick, the answer may not be!
> >
> > 2. If you think your question is trivial, then don't ask
> > it. If you think your question is interesting, it needs no
> > apology.
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