[Air-l] writing effective questions to lists

[Alexis Turner]

I don't think Abigail approached the question incorrectly at all.  By throwing a 
vague question at a list of people who purportedly study the subject at hand, it 
allows a very broad take on the question.  This sort of approach, I would hope, 
is regularly used in academia.  Perhaps we would recognize it more easily by 
its common name - brainstorming.
-Alexis


On Mon, 11 Dec 2006, Paul Teusner wrote:

::Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2006 11:46:00 +1100
::From: Paul Teusner <paul.teusner at rmit.edu.au>
::Reply-To: air-l at listserv.aoir.org
::To: air-l at listserv.aoir.org
::Subject: Re: [Air-l] writing effective questions to lists
::
::Hey Abi,
::
::I support Tom's comment. Please don't be discouraged from asking questions.
::As a fellow grad student I've found lots of support from people on this
::list. But sometimes typing text can sound harsher than we mean it to be.
::
::paul teusner
::-----Original Message-----
::From: air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org
::[mailto:air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Thomas Nicolai
::Sent: Monday, 11 December 2006 11:41
::To: air-l at listserv.aoir.org
::Subject: Re: [Air-l] writing effective questions to lists
::
::Abi!
::
::In fact you can never be doing it the right way. Mailing
::lists are sometimes like search engines:
::
::"[...] the User needs to know what he wants to search for"
::
::Probably you will struggle on the first "Try to find an
::answer...." thingy! So if you don't know how and what to ask
::for you need a starting point and that's always hard if
::you're a newbie to an issue as you can't ask more specific.
::So ever heard about the term "mutability"? No, go and ask
::someone on a medical mailing list. They will probably start
::the same discussion.
::
::I know how hard it is to be on research for your own without
::"intensive" help from your advisors so keep posting, abi!
::
::-Tom
::PhD Student
::Developer ScientificCommons.org
::
::-----Original Message-----
::From: air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org
::[mailto:air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of
::Abigail Groves
::Sent: Monday, December 11, 2006 12:44 AM
::To: air-l at listserv.aoir.org
::Subject: Re: [Air-l] writing effective questions to lists
::
::Hi all,
::I have been a member of this list for several years and as
::an unpublished 
::graduate student, have lacked the confidence to contribute
::to discussion.  This 
::was, in fact, the first time I have posted.  Being informed
::that my post was 
::a 'good example of how not to ask questions' on a discussion
::list (!?!) is not 
::likely to encourage my further participation.  Thanks to
::those who responded to 
::my query, which was deliberately broad.  Your suggestions
::have provided a 
::useful reading list for my as-yet-unformed research into
::this subject.      
::Abi
::
::
::
::Quoting Barry Wellman <wellman at chass.utoronto.ca>:
::
::> I'm gearing up to write a book on writing for the social
::scientists.
::> 
::> I want to put in something about how to write in
::listservs, chat groups,
::> IM, etc.
::> 
::> I was struck this week by Abigail's Q (see below) which I
::thought was a
::> good example on how NOT to answer a question, because it
::was so broadly
::> framed: what is it about time that Abigail is interested
::in? (dissertation
::> advising manta).
::> 
::> Yet, I have been struck by how much interesting discussion
::Abigail's Q has
::> evoked. For one thing, there ain't much on time (altho did
::anyone mention
::> Evitar Zeruvabel?), so anything might be worthwhile.
::Second, the broadness
::> of the Q seems to have served as a projective test --
::evoking a variety of
::> responses.
::> 
::> So, I am lead to wonder and to ask: what tips do people
::have for posting
::> to lists?
::> 
::> My quick guide is:
::> 
::> 1. Be specific as to content and need.
::> 
::> 2. Lurk on the list for a while to get a sense of its
::style.
::> 
::> 3. Try to post something else first, so that you are
::contributing as well
::> as asking for information.
::> 
::> PS: I'd like to endorse Frank Thomas' request for evidence
::on Virillo's
::> conjectures.
::> 
::>  Barry Wellman
::>
::____________________________________________________________
::_________
::> 
::>   Barry Wellman   S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology
::NetLab Director
::>   Centre for Urban & Community Studies          University
::of Toronto
::>   455 Spadina Avenue    Toronto Canada M5S 2G8
::fax:+1-416-978-7162
::>   wellman at chass.utoronto.ca
::http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman
::>         for fun:
::http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php
::>
::____________________________________________________________
::_________
::> 
::>  On 12/7/06, Abigail Groves wrote:
::> >>
::> >>> Hi all,
::> >>> I am writing about the internet and its effects on
::time. I was
::> wondering
::> >>> if anyone could suggest some readings on this topic?
::> >>>
::> >>> Thanks,
::> >>>
::> >>>
::> >>> Abigail Groves
::> >>>
::> >>> PhD Candidate
::> >>> National Centre in HIV Social Research
::> >>> University of NSW
::> >>> http://nchsr.unsw.edu.au
::> 
::> 
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::
::
::-- 
::Abigail Groves
::phd candidate
::National Centre in HIV Social Research
::UNSW
::Sydney 2052
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