Just taking your title without the gobbly gook in the explanation I can assure you that the Fluther moderators believe there are certainly bad questions and I believe it too ‘cause they told me I had many bad ones.

I used to believe in that “no question is foolish” philosophy. But then I ran into Yahoo Answers….enough said.

Hahaha, yahoo answers. I think this one is still stuck in my mind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_RaPOOVX1Y

Good comedy start, however. :)

Only on Tuesdays.
I have one and you are welcome to use it later.
Not today though because my goat ate it.

I don’t think there are invalid questions but they can be worded badly or have wrong assumptions within them or little internal logic making them impossible to answer in a coherent way.

@phoebusg That one’s classic…;)

Nice thoughts.
How can you word – the question about everything correctly? If not break it into infinite smaller questions?

Your reply hints on the fact that solidified questions are hard to answer, because often the question needs questioning. If you have no one to do that interaction with, you probably cannot salvage a badly formed question without further information.

I think that there can be stupid questions that are thoughtless and show signs of incompetence and laziness. I personally don’t bother to dwell on on them, to even answer. However, I do think that there is a difference between bad questions and questions that just show lack of knowledge. There are bad questions that show a lack of knowledge, but there are good questions to ponder that aren’t bad. This could make sense, or I could just be losing my mind.

If questions are the only way to attain ‘the truth’ and/or ‘perfection’, then the sharper they are – the better. Cutting away to the bottom of it. I certainly agree with questions that help us in that direction – in a re-evaluative fashion. Questioning what we know, don’t know in contrast with ‘bigger’ questions and how they connect to them.
They are tools for unearthing what is there, yet not seen.

On the lack of knowledge, can be very true. But we all have to start somewhere and move along, upwards/downwards – you never really know unless you constantly re- valuate.Then again, do directions make sense in the universe? – Depends on your reference point.

Keep it coming :)

There is a real person behind every question who could be any age and/or educational level.
For whatever reason, the question was important enough to ask. The person asking may not have the ability to express themselves in any other way. It’s not anyone’s right to judge the way a question is asked unless it’s an obvious troll troublemaker.

There are alot of bad questions..I wonder why?

No stupid questions, just stupid people.

I agree with jessica, and it’s always better to ask a question than not to.

I am especially interested in very broad questions that seem to become the main focus in a lot of people’s lives. I tend to think that, although it is good to ask those broad questions. It’s also very helpful to focus on other ones connecting up to them.

Daily questions such as, how do we solve the environmental problem – how do we solve social problems? Or even closer, how can I become happier (well it’s a decision) – which leads to how can I help others become happier? And so forth.

I’m concerned about the time people spend on questions we cannot ultimately answer in the next X eons. Which is why I find the answer 42 – comical and great.

Im sure hitler has asked some bad questions. Like ” Who wants to killz zis man forrr me?”

google “how is babby formed?”

Just like you tell you children.“there is no stupid questions.” not if somone wants to no the answer.

If the questioner is sincere, then no question they ask well is a stupid question.

@rottenit…....you need to get out more. Really you do.

I’m more likely to believe that there is no good question.

@thriftymaid maybe in the sense that no question can provide the right inquiry to fully uncover something?