How to Ask Smart BI/Analytics Questions

Many people rush when posting a “how-to” question on a software vendor case, a LinkedIn group, or some other web forum, as well as when sending an e-mail question to associates.

Many people rush when posting a “how-to” question on a software vendor case, a LinkedIn group, or some other web forum, as well as when sending an e-mail question to associates. Getting a good answer to the question can be dramatically improved by first properly structuring the request.

For a great article on how to ask smart questions, see author Eric Raymond’s article on that topic. Eric has written several well-known books on open-source software and the Linux operating system, one of his most famous being “The Cathedral and the Bazaar.”

Eric advocates that “Google is your friend” and you must always search before asking for help.

He recommends that, before posting a question in a web forum, you try to find the answer yourself by going through these steps:

Search the archives of the forum to which you plan to post
Search the web
Read the manual
Read a FAQ
Inspect or experiment
Ask a skilled friend
If you’re a programmer, read the source code (e.g., the WebFOCUS JavaScript engine)

Eric also makes the point that “All diagnosticians are from Missouri,” meaning that the people reading your answer will ask you to “Show me your problem’s symptoms in chronological sequence.”

Following Eric’s advice should help you get answers to your BI/Analytics questions.

Have you been frustrated by people asking for help (or perhaps, have you found yourself guilty of asking vague questions)?