Is it too much to ask that people actually read the whole question before posting an answer?

Answer 1

lots of people read the whole question but dont really understand what is being asked, they fail to see what is said between the lines. i`m hoping you can grasp what i`ve written


i`ve gotten some best answers that weren`t the first answer posted

Answer 2

No, it isn't, but there are people that will anyway.

However, if your answer is three pages of a detailed attack on someone's beliefs, I can tell you I am not going to read the whole question, I will just write my reply right away because the details don't matter; all attacks have the same flaw.

But if it is any fairly meaningful question (or even something meaningless like in the polls and surveys category) then of course people should read the whole thing! Otherwise you will end up giving a stupid answer. I've done that a few times... results never good. So I make sure to read the whole thing now.

Answer 3

I was looking for more to be added to this question but couldn't find anything, so I suppose that's it, huh? Okay, I'm going to answer it now, so don't accuse me of not reading everything first.

Yes, it is too much to ask of some people to read the entire question first before posting an answer. Sometimes it's too much to ask of them to read the question at all. That's just the way they are.

Answer 4

No, not too much to ask at all. What the penguin says is true - sometimes people ramble on in their questions and end up asking a completely different question than they started with - so different that a "no" to the subject line is actually interpretable as a "yes" to the detailed question.

Edit: oooo, attention span of a flash bulb...I like that.

Answer 5

lol I AGREE! I posted something so many times and people go off on tangents telling me about something I didn't ask for. That's why I try not to make my posts too long, some are lazy and some like me wish the person would get to the point already.

Answer 6

I don't think it's too much to ask. I think it's common courtesy. If they don't want to read the whole question, they shouldn't answer. Also, answers that do not pertain to the question (the whole question) really bug me. People just trying to get points.

Answer 7

Yes, it is, if the question is filled with spelling errors, filled with proselytizing, or obviously copied and pasted. I don't need to see a yard of background material before the question. And, most of the time, the question has the answer in it already, or at least the answer that the asker most wants to hear.

Answer 8

Sometimes that's true! In a rush to answer. I posted a question and got it turned around. Silly. I try to read them. Some are really hard to understand what they are trying to say.
Bret A is a genius!

Answer 9

Most answers I get have nothing to do with the question. I end up deleting many of my questions because no one really answers the question I asked. I am with you on this one.

Answer 10

Yes, it's too much to ask that I stop my drinking! I love to drink, and I'm not hurting anyone. I don't drink and drive, and I'm not pregnant. It's none of your business, and I wish you would just leave me alone! Oh...I just finished reading your question. Sorry about that. Just ignore that other stuff I said.