# Why Do People Answer Other People's Questions? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 26, 2002, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203 "2002-03-26T16:55:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203/1 "2002-03-26T16:55:49Z")
Why do people on message boards answer other people’s questions? What’s in it for them?? Why do they bother??? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203/2 "2002-03-26T17:59:54Z")
I’ll tell you. For five bucks… ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203/3 "2002-03-26T18:47:40Z")
What was there to do in Gobbler’s Knob before the internet? ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203/4 "2002-03-26T18:50:17Z")
Not much. ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203/5 "2002-03-26T19:01:55Z")
Wait…we’re not getting paid? ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203/6 "2002-03-26T19:09:40Z")
I would guess that is why it is called a question. If some put up a post that said “The sky is blue.”, would that get any responses? Probably not. But if someone asks “Why is the sky blue?”, someone will give an answer and another 20 will throw in their 2 cents worth. I would also guess that the few hundred or so that visit this forum daily have nothing better to do. I am currently on my lunch break at work and we can’t look at porn on company computers. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![NE\_Texan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@NE\_Texan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NE_Texan)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203/7 "2002-03-26T19:32:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by racer72 \* > **If some put up a post that said “The sky is blue.”, would that get any responses? Probably not. But if someone asks “Why is the sky blue?”, someone will give an answer and another 20 will throw in their 2 cents worth.** **But** , if someone puts up a post that says, “The sky is green with purple stripes”, you’ll get 50 posts saying the sky is blue, 10 of which have cites, 15 of which explain in detail the physics of the sky being blue, plus 5 posts saying don’t feed the troll, a moderator warning, 17 jokes, and 5 requests to know exactly what you are on. OP: Because they can. In other words, for some, there is a certain amount of ego involved (in a good way) in knowing the correct answer. Just read a few threads and you’re bound to find someone who posted “Drat! \_\_\_ answered first!” or words to that effect. Also, boredom, and an interest in spurring on further conversation. A factor for others (and probably a prime reason for newsgroups and message boards) is a sense of community building. A lot of people get something out of these boards, and then feel that they ought to put something back (kind of an obligation), so they try to be helpful back. It doesn’t really matter that everyone does not feel that way, or even if most don’t; once there is a critical mass of a certain number of people that will answer, it feeds itself. That, and our fingers need the exercise. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203/8 "2002-03-26T19:46:10Z")
I’ve always been under the impression that someone was keeping score. ---
**Author:** ![jmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmonster)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203/9 "2002-03-26T21:04:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > What was there to do in Gobbler’s Knob before the internet? Torture rodents? ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203/10 "2002-03-27T09:24:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Surreal \* > \*\*Why do people on message boards answer other people’s questions? What’s in it for them?? Why do they bother??? > > Thanks. \*\* It’s a great ego boost. Every question I answer reaffirms my superiority and dominance over other people. And a lot of people here also have a great fondness for Cecil and have taken up his cause, the fight against ignorance, and the easiest way to do that is to answer other people’s questions making the questioner slightly less ignorant. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203/11 "2002-03-27T17:52:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Munch \* > \*\*I’ve always been under the impression that someone was keeping score. \*\* \<— Psst! look to the left. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203/12 "2002-03-27T18:04:54Z")
1. I find it entertaining. It’s the same reason I do crosswords or solve other puzzles, but here you have an appreciative (sometimes) audience and (often) positive feedback. 2. Sometimes I learn something myself in looking up answers I don’t know off the top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203/13 "2002-03-27T19:14:33Z")
Hey Terminus Est…LET’S GO RED!!! (Cornell Alum, now working in Barton Hall…I’ve probably seen you on campus) ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203/14 "2002-03-27T19:26:43Z")
Because I’m an attention ho. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203/15 "2002-03-27T19:39:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jman \* > \*\*Hey Terminus Est…LET’S GO RED!!! (Cornell Alum, now working in Barton Hall…I’ve probably seen you on campus) \*\* Hey, a fellow Cornellian! I work _ahem!_ in Bradfield Hall, myself. I wonder how many of us there are on campus? ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203/16 "2002-03-27T19:45:08Z")
There must not be much to do at Cornell University either. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203/17 "2002-03-27T20:08:00Z")
I love this board. I love reading the answers other people post. If I don’t also answer questions, that makes me just a leech. “We’re living in a society here!” ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203/18 "2002-03-28T02:08:52Z")
I see it as simply being polite. People answer my questions, so I feel something of a moral obligation to answer their questions, if I can. Well, maybe “moral obligation” is a little strong, but that’s the gist of it. ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203/19 "2002-03-28T05:30:38Z")
Sometimes I’m about to post and I wonder why the hell I feel compelled to share my opinions and ideas with strangers. I agree with **Colibri** - it can be a useful educational exercise. Sometimes I know something about the subject, but forcing myself to check the information and formulate a reasonably articulate response helps me learn. ---
**Author:** ![cerebrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3da27b/32.png) [@cerebrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerebrum)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203/20 "2002-03-28T12:24:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Legomancer \* > \*\*Wait…we’re not getting paid? \*\* You mean you’re NOT getting paid?:eek: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-answer-other-peoples-questions/100203.md?page=2)