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Be clear with your antecedents when formulating your question

This is a corollary to Don't forget to ask your question: When you finally get around to asking your question, make sure it's clear what your question is.

When I do X and then Y, and then click Z, the Z doesn't happen and instead I get the error message in the attached screenshot. Is this in Product Q2?

What exactly is "this"? Are you saying that you're encountering the error message when running Product Q2 and want to verify that the problem is coming from the product itself and not from a plug-in? Are you saying that you're encountering this problem with Product Q1 and are wondering whether it's fixed in version Q2? Are you asking whether the product you're experiencing is a known problem in the Product Q2 defect tracking database?

When you ask your question, make sure your antecedents are clear.

Published Thursday, November 08, 2007 7:00 AM by oldnewthing
Filed under: ,

Comments

# re: Be clear with your antecedents when formulating your question

Thursday, November 08, 2007 12:14 PM by J

An easy way to make sure your antecedents are clear is to make your pronouns demonstrative adjectives or just the original noun itself (or more importantly, the noun you _really_ meant).  I hate ambiguous bug reports and technical documentation.  For example,

Ambiguous:

Program XYZ is popping up an odd window and then it freezes, but when I click OK, then it starts responding.  Is that a known problem?

Pronouns replaced:

Program XYZ is popping up an odd window and then [the main window] freezes, but when I click OK [on the odd window], then [the main window] starts responding.  Is [that freezing behavior] a known problem?

Ahh, much better.

# re: Be clear with your antecedents when formulating your question

Thursday, November 08, 2007 11:35 PM by JamesNT

This has got to be one of the biggest problems I face with my clients.  Pronouns without antecedants.  

All to often have I had clients call me up and use the word it in a string of five sentences with no antecedant whatsoever.

"I had opened it up when it said this error and I thought I had done it wrong but maybe it was just being buggy."

And then they get pissed off when I tell them I have no idea what they are talking about.

JamesNT

# typo

Friday, November 09, 2007 12:43 AM by al

s/product you're experiencing/problem you're experiencing

# links for 2007-11-09 : Bob Plankers, The Lone Sysadmin

Friday, November 09, 2007 1:17 AM by links for 2007-11-09 : Bob Plankers, The Lone Sysadmin

# re: Be clear with your antecedents when formulating your question

Friday, November 09, 2007 2:04 AM by Jason

That's what she said! <a href="http://xkcd.com/174/">http://xkcd.com/174/</a>

# re: Be clear with your antecedents when formulating your question

Friday, November 09, 2007 3:32 AM by Jim T

I love posts like this, now I have a vague idea what an antecedent is, and, consequently, an anaphor.

# re: Be clear with your antecedents when formulating your question

Friday, November 09, 2007 8:01 AM by Ian

> And then they get pissed off when I tell them I have no idea what they are talking about.

If you have no idea what person X is talking about, the chances are that person X doesn't know either. Far too many people just blather on in vague terms rather than simply admit that they don't really understand something.

# re: Be clear with your antecedents when formulating your question

Friday, November 09, 2007 9:08 AM by JamesNT

Ian,

Sometimes that is the case but in others the person is just talking to fast or making assumptions (or doesn't want to take the time to type out a well-formed email).

JamesNT

# re: Be clear with your antecedents when formulating your question

Friday, November 09, 2007 10:48 AM by Bryan

The worst is when you get some kind of problem report and it consists of "When I try to do X, it doesn't work".

ARRRRRGGGGHHHH!

It's obvious it doesn't work.  If it worked, you wouldn't be calling!  What isn't obvious is why it doesn't work for you!

# re: Be clear with your antecedents when formulating your question

Friday, November 09, 2007 12:43 PM by James Schend

Ian,

A big problem in computing is that a lot of users don't know the terminology. Imagine trying to describe a problem in Word's UI if you don't know the terms "toolbar" or "icon."

# re: Be clear with your antecedents when formulating your question

Wednesday, November 14, 2007 11:04 AM by poochner

"What is it doing that's different from what you expect?"

# How to not get a question answered

Tuesday, June 17, 2008 6:43 PM by Fabulous Adventures In Coding

Raymond has had lots of great posts over the years on how to not get a question answered. Some of the

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