Is it possible to ask a Question you already know and answer it

Question

After reading this question: Ought one to answer one's own question? what happens in the case that you know several questions that will further help the community but you want to make the question instead of waiting for someone to make and answer it. For me i find it a little unethical but there has been several questions that i get asked from my students that come up a lot but i have not found the question here and i know the answer.

What happens in this case where you can make the question and the answer in a sense that helps the community and the site. one case is 2 students that came to askubuntu and did not find the question they were looking for. Of course they did not create the question instead they left. But from a point of view, creating and answering a common question that has not yet been asked could help in the search for users of ubuntu in finding a reference to askubuntu about that specific question or problem via google and other search engines or even the askubuntu search box.

This are just some thoughts about my doubt about this subject. With all the respect to everyone in the askubuntu board.

Answer 1

The FAQ says:

It’s also perfectly fine to ask and answer your own question, as long as you pretend you’re on Jeopardy: phrase it in the form of a question.

Also I tend to ask and answer my own questions when I am trying to figure something out and I find the results on google to be horrible or out of date, so I self document here. Here's an example where it took me a long time to find the answer so I just put it here to spare everyone the 2 hours it took me to solve that problem. :-/

On a related note, Jeff's blogged about asking question on other people's behalf too.

Answer 2

If it's a good question (fits our scope, well worded, enough detail, etc) and it's something that might help somebody else, we want it.

The ethics side of it is handled by the points system. You won't get the +15 for having your own answer accepted and you won't get the +2 for accepting your own answer. If people vote for your posts, that's just fine too.

One thing you should remember is to come back and accept your own answers (which you can't do for 48 hours, IIRC). As long as you don't litter the site with technically-unanswered threads, we're happy!

Answer 3

If the answer has mass appeal I guess it's ok. But even then not entirely comfortable with it.

What I don't like is when a programmer using some fringe language has already solved his problem of the day and feels he has to share it with the world so he asks the question: "how do I make variable x react when y = z on Sunday"? when he already knows the answer.

He wasted a lot of my time investigating his question only to learn (with exasperation) he's just answered his own question 43 minutes later. The comment I was about to post seeking clarity (after 43 minutes investigating his fringe language) is now irrelevant.

I feel like an unwilling listener to a soapbox nutbar on the corner I can't escape until the walk light engages. Then I double down blaming myself for not wearing my earbuds that day, ie I should have known it was a fake question in the first place and the OP already knew the answer.