How to Ask Good Questions as a Web Developer

Asking good questions is a skill, and one of the most important tools in a developer's toolkit.

We all know how to ask a question. It's one of the first things we learn to do we gain the ability to communicate as children. It's OK to ask "bad" questions.

Asking any question is better than keeping them all bottled up inside!

Ask!

But, asking good questions means that you've put some thought into asking and will often lead to better answers.

Julia Evans wrote this wonderful article about asking good questions. Julia also creates delightful comics about challenging topics for developers:

Julia's steps for asking a good question are:

find a good time
state what you know
ask factual questions
choose who to ask
do some research
profit

Research is critical to asking a good question. It shows a deeper respect for the person you are asking, increases your own understanding of a topic, and provides valuable context for a conversation.

Don't skip the research!

Zell Liew recommends this structure for a good question:

A good question is specific.
A good question is clear and concise.
A good question shows you've put some work into it.

Again the work you put into understanding what the question is and making sure it is good only has positive upside. Being specific and keeping it brief will lead to better answers to your questions more often than note.

Asking great questions is a skill that every web developer can improve.