Are there really any intelligent people out there who can answer a good question and without sounding dumb?

Question

Why is it that some people will ask a serious question only to get a really ridiculous answer? Do I get the impression that only stupid questions will get the most answers?

Answer 1

People will sometimes forget that they would not say something on here that they couldn't say in real life. It's like trying to give advice to a friend...if you don't know the answer to the question, you simply tell your friend that, instead of giving out a ridiculous answer that you know nothing about...

***Edit

To "Pathogen", YES, it is possible for people to say something on the internet but wouldn't actually say in real life. To say that that doesn't happen is ignorant of you. Obviously I do not speak for everyone, all I'm saying is that it happens, and there is no "contradiction" there. Don't start being politically correct on me. I've come across probably only 1 rude person in a day in real life, compared to 10 rude people in a day on the Internet. Seriously, you don't see the big difference? How pretentious of you to think not many would act differently on the internet. So be it if you're rude in real life and on here, if you didn't fit my observation why get offended then?

Answer 2

In some cases, people do not give themselves credit, so when a question seems so obvious to them they sometimes classify it as a stupid question. Realizing that we were all ignorant once can add the respect necessary to simply answer a question that seems simplistic to you. Another good way is to imagine if the person was your family member. How would you answer a child who was asking a question about basic addition, but was in kindergarten. This area often times is a recognition of compassion to those can simply assist without smart comments. In the last respect, I believe some questions are posed from serious categories, but offered to under qualified people. Examples of this are how many people joke about politics, but truth be told, there education level is not adequate to properly answer a question. Hope I helped a little.

Answer 3

Yes.

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Sorry, did that sound dumb?

ADDED: mystique_dragon4: I don't really understand why anyone would care that much how many points they have, especially on a site like this, where you get 2 points just for answering any old answer.  Yes, sometimes I do just answer a question without leaving a thoughtful reply, but all the same it's not for the points.

Farina: Um, that's not true.  I'm rude to people on here, and I'm just as rude in real life.  But even for people who are ruder on the internet than in real life, so what?  There is nothing you "cannot" say in real life: you are physically and mentally capable of saying whatever the **** you want.  And saying people "forget that they would not say something on here that they couldn't say in real life" is a contradiction. If you do something, it's not something you wouldn't do.  Stop being so condescending.

Answer 4

Most people on yahoo answers are probably only doing it for the points instead of giving people advise they could use. To them it is an easy two points.

Answer 5

Stupid questions get stupid answers. People ask the most retarded questions and expect serious answers.

Answer 6

Don't judge.  Some answers are obviously meant to be stupid, and so obvious that it shouldn't bother you.  Stupid questions are easier to answer, but that doesn't make the answerer stupid.  More mature questions may get less answers, but that is because a much smaller proportion of users care about those questions.  Some answers are incredibly stupid, but it shouldn't bother you because they are meant to be stupid.  

Answer 7

Perhaps people only ask serious questions, so that they get an obvious answer. They might have already been leaning towards what they knew the answer was, and just needed a bit of confidence in their choice or decision.

Stupid answers get the most answers, because they are easier to answer and more people can come up with the answer for them. Haha. There is also a possibility that the question is asked by someone wondering about doing something stupid, and the people who respond are trying to prevent them from doing it.

Hope this helps. And, whether or not your question was rhetorical, serious or just for fun, I enjoyed answering a seriously titled question once, instead of all the rubbish that's usually on this site nowadays.

:)