I remember my first forays into question-asking at the CS colloquium in my first semester. John Riedl told me to have a question ready for every single talk and, if no one else has one, ask it, no matter how good you think it is. This was pretty scary for someone with a music ed undergrad from Ohio State and a fine, but professionally oriented, CS masters from James Madison. So I felt ill-prepared for deep thoughts on talks about phase transitions in the difficulty of 3-SAT problems or statistics questions for Bob Kraut.
But I made the questions, and I asked the questions, and as those who have seen me at conferences can attest, I continue to do so. I’m glad John made me do it; here’s why*.
First, paying enough attention to a talk to make a good question means that I’m actively engaging with the ideas and with the speaker. This, in turn, means I’m not checking e-mail, working on my own slides, making mildly amusing comments on Facebook, or other things that we regularly criticize our students for in the classroom that take us away from the moment and the speaker.
Second, thinking hard about topics, especially ones that aren’t in my comfort zone, can lead to new ideas. I try to go into talks (and papers) with a “what’s in this for me” attitude–what can I learn or use from this talk? When I do that, almost any talk or topic is interesting, even if I have to do translation work to connect topic X to my own interests**.
Finally, questions are love in academia. I’ve had talks when I’ve gotten two questions, and although I try to tell myself it’s because I’m full of blinding insight, that statement is full of something else. Asking a question says “I cared enough about your work to think hard about it.” We can all use a little more love.***
So, spread the love. Pay some attention and ask some questions. It’s part of being in the community.
A couple of quick notes for new question askers. First, don’t make the question about you. It’s okay to ask hard questions^, and asking good questions can help you be more visible^^, but don’t ask a question just to demonstrate that you’re smart. We’re all smart. Second, don’t make the question about you. Some questions are thinly disguised opinion pieces and/or self-promotion, and we don’t need any more of those. Third, don’t make the question about you. If you’re taking the ideas into your domain, help bring them back out for the speaker and the audience so they make sense.
On question style, be more like an interviewer than a lawyer. Lawyers often ask yes-no questions, leading questions, and questions where they already know the answer. Usually, those lead to boring answers. So do questions where the answer is likely to be about details that are in the paper but that (probably correctly) got left out of the talk for space^^^.
Instead, shoot for more open-ended questions that give the speaker room and context to breathe and be creative. I don’t have a lot of canned strategies for this, but folks with some humanities/critical/philosophical background often ask nice questions by bringing the topic up an abstraction level. For example, at a talk on how recommender interfaces change opinions, someone asked whether this was a good or bad thing, which was an awesome question that got at the heart of what recommender systems do. It can be fun, done with care, to call attention to an aspect of the topic that’s not focused on in the talk. In the HCI/CSCW world, asking about social implications or compelling applications of technology/systems papers is a common model, as is asking about technical or design implications of experimental or observational studies. Asking about how the ideas fit nearby, related domains or ideas can lead to nice chats. Finally, asking about unexpected things that happened during the study can lead to interesting insights.
Here’s hoping I ask fewer questions at CSCW next week because you pass this on to students and other folks who carry the torch. Thanks for reading and let everyone know if you have strategies (or alternate opinions) around good question-asking.
—
* A few other folks who have written about this, with extra detail and somewhat different takes, for folks who want to think more about question-asking goals and strategies:
- http://www.ethomaz.com/2012/10/01/asking-good-questions-at-conferences/
- http://blog.1degreebio.org/?bid=60
- http://scientopia.org/blogs/science-professor/tag/asking-questions-at-a-talk/
- http://sliscon.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/conference-asking-questions-resource.pdf
** I really like dodging outside of my topic areas. Although there’s value in and pressure to be deep and a little narrow in academia, there’s also value in being broad and establishing intellectual trade routes.
*** Questions can lead to longer-term conversations later. My first encounter with Jofish Kaye and Janet Vertisi was asking a question at their CHI 2006 talk on personal archiving. Little did I know I’d be hanging out with them at Cornell shortly thereafter, and having gone, thought about their topic, and asked the question paved the way for natural interaction later.
^ Best done gently. I remember someone basically calling someone else a fraud at a machine learning conference once, which put a damper on things.
^^ Especially if you announce your name and institution, which should be a conference norm. At most talks most people won’t know most people, and it’s good for community to announce.
^^^ Methodology questions often have this flavor. If you have a deeper question that depends on method info, go for it, but conversations about big ideas are usually more fun than those about p-values, Krippendorph’s alphas, or algorithm parameters.
Hey, this day is too much good for me, since this time I am reading this enormous informative article here at my home. Thanks a lot for massive hard work. patricklyster.net
You understand your projects stand out of the crowd. There is something unique about them. It seems to me all of them are brilliant. thebdsauto.com
I would like to say that this blog really convinced me to do it! Thanks, very good post. BUNGA 189
https://blogbuz.co.uk/the-revolutionary-integration-of-psychology-and-nutrition/
The human mind possesses extraordinary potential that often remains untapped due to the traditional compartmentalised approach to mental health and cognitive performance. A groundbreaking revolution is emerging in the field of mental wellness—one that recognises the profound synergy between psychological interventions and nutritional optimisation. This integrated approach doesn’t merely address mental health disorders; it unlocks the brain’s capacity for enhanced cognitive function, emotional resilience, and peak mental performance.
Whilst conventional approaches to mental health have focused primarily on treating dysfunction, the integration of psychology and nutrition opens doors to cognitive enhancement and mental optimisation. This paradigm shift recognises that the brain, like any high-performance system, requires both psychological training and optimal fuel to reach its full potential.
The brain’s remarkable plasticity allows for continuous improvement throughout life, but this potential can only be realised when both psychological and physiological needs are met. Mental training through therapeutic techniques develops neural pathways and cognitive skills, whilst targeted nutrition provides the biological foundation necessary for these improvements to flourish.
Consider elite athletes who combine physical training with precise nutritional protocols to achieve peak performance. Similarly, individuals seeking to maximise their mental capabilities benefit from combining psychological techniques with brain-optimised nutrition. This approach enables enhanced focus, improved memory, greater emotional stability, increased creativity, and superior stress resilience.
https://blogbuz.co.uk/the-revolutionary-integration-of-psychology-and-nutrition/
The human mind possesses extraordinary potential that often remains untapped due to the traditional compartmentalised approach to mental health and cognitive performance. A groundbreaking revolution is emerging in the field of mental wellness—one that recognises the profound synergy between psychological interventions and nutritional optimisation. This integrated approach doesn’t merely address mental health disorders; it unlocks the brain’s capacity for enhanced cognitive function, emotional resilience, and peak mental performance.
Whilst conventional approaches to mental health have focused primarily on treating dysfunction, the integration of psychology and nutrition opens doors to cognitive enhancement and mental optimisation. This paradigm shift recognises that the brain, like any high-performance system, requires both psychological training and optimal fuel to reach its full potential.
Unlocking the Mind’s Full Potential
The human mind possesses extraordinary potential that often remains untapped due to the traditional compartmentalised approach to mental health and cognitive performance. A groundbreaking revolution is emerging in the field of mental wellness—one that recognises the profound synergy between psychological interventions and nutritional optimisation. This integrated approach doesn’t merely address mental health disorders; it unlocks the brain’s capacity for enhanced cognitive function, emotional resilience, and peak mental performance.
Whilst conventional approaches to mental health have focused primarily on treating dysfunction, the integration of psychology and nutrition opens doors to cognitive enhancement and mental optimisation. This paradigm shift recognises that the brain, like any high-performance system, requires both psychological training and optimal fuel to reach its full potential.
This article is an appealing wealth of useful informative that is interesting and well-written. I commend your hard work on this and thank you for this information. I know it very well that if anyone visits your blog, then he/she will surely revisit it again. rdxh2o.com
I exactly got what you mean, thanks for posting. And, I am too much happy to find this website on the world of Google. KOIN 555
I think this is an informative post and it is very useful and knowledgeable. therefore, I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this article. slingshotmodels.com
Wow! Such an amazing and helpful post this is. I really really love it. It’s so good and so awesome. I am just amazed. I hope that you continue to do your work like this in the future also https://comparelowrates.com/
Its a great pleasure reading your post.Its full of information I am looking for and I love to post a comment that “The content of your post is awesome” Great work. suraipp.com
Took me time to read all the comments, but I really enjoyed the article. It proved to be Very helpful to me and I am sure to all the commenters here! It’s always nice when you can not only be informed, but also entertained! GEBI 189
I like your post. It is good to see you verbalize from the heart and clarity on this important subject can be easily observed… fullversionacrack.net
When your website or blog goes live for the first time, it is exciting. That is until you realize no one but you and your. MAFIABOLA77
I have read all the comments and suggestions posted by the visitors for this article are very fine,We will wait for your next article so only.Thanks! https://www.chateaudeboucard.com/
I definitely enjoying every little bit of it. It is a great website and nice share. I want to thank you. Good job! You guys do a great blog, and have some great contents. Keep up the good work. situs hoki178
여성전용마사지 전문 사이트 입니다. 여성전용마사지는 대한민국 여성들에게 힐링 마사지를 제공하는 고품격 출장 서비스 입니다. 다양한 분야에서 활동하는 멋진 사이트의 토닥이를 이용해보세요! 여성전용마사지
Took me time to read all the comments, but I really enjoyed the article. It proved to be Very helpful to me and I am sure to all the commenters here! It’s always nice when you can not only be informed, but also entertained! edward snowden
Thanks for a wonderful share. Your article has proved your hard work and experience you have got in this field. Brilliant .i love it reading. star24security.com
That is really nice to hear. thank you for the update and good luck. https://www.godrejgolflinks.com/
I recently found many useful information in your website especially this blog page. Among the lots of comments on your articles. Thanks for sharing. myflikled.com
This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I love seeing blog that understand the value of providing a quality resource for free. tablesinthyme.com
Took me time to read all the comments, but I really enjoyed the article. It proved to be Very helpful to me and I am sure to all the commenters here! It’s always nice when you can not only be informed, but also entertained! BASKARA 89
Loto188 là một trong những nhà cái hàng đầu về lĩnh vực lô đề và xổ số trực tuyến tại thị trường Việt Nam. Nền tảng này nổi bật với tỷ lệ trả thưởng hấp dẫn, cao hơn đáng kể so với hình thức truyền thống, mở ra cơ hội kiếm lời lớn cho người chơi. Ngoài lô đề ba miền, Loto188 còn cung cấp đa dạng các loại hình xổ số siêu tốc, keno, và nhiều trò chơi cá cược khác như casini trực tuyến, thể thao, mang đến trải nghiệm giải trí toàn diện. Hệ thống giao dịch nạp rút tiền nhanh chóng, minh bạch cùng đội ngũ hỗ trợ khách hàng chuyên nghiệp 24/7 là những điểm cộng lớn, giúp người chơi yên tâm tận hưởng đam mê. Loto188 cam kết bảo mật thông tin tuyệt đối, tạo môi trường chơi game an toàn và công bằng.
Betvisa là nhà cái trực tuyến uy tín, mang đến một thế giới giải trí cá cược đa dạng và phong phú. Nền tảng này ghi điểm với người chơi nhờ kho trò chơi khổng lồ, bao gồm cá cược thể thao với hàng ngàn trận đấu mỗi ngày, casini trực tuyến sống động cùng các dealer thật, và vô số trò slot game nổ hũ với giải thưởng Jackpot hấp dẫn. Betvisa luôn chú trọng đến trải nghiệm người dùng, với giao diện thân thiện, dễ sử dụng trên cả máy tính và thiết bị di động. Các chương trình khuyến mãi, ưu đãi thường xuyên được cập nhật, mang lại giá trị gia tăng cho thành viên. Betvisa cam kết bảo mật thông tin cá nhân và tài chính của người chơi bằng công nghệ mã hóa hiện đại, đảm bảo môi trường cá cược an toàn và công bằng.
Tobet88 là nhà cái trực tuyến uy tín, chuyên cung cấp các dịch vụ cá cược thể thao và casini trực tuyến chất lượng cao. Với một danh mục cá cược thể thao phong phú, Tobet88 bao gồm tất cả các giải đấu lớn nhỏ trên thế giới, từ bóng đá, bóng rổ đến quần vợt, mang đến tỷ lệ kèo cạnh tranh và nhiều loại hình cược hấp dẫn. Ngoài ra, sảnh casini trực tuyến của Tobet88 cũng rất được ưa chuộng với các trò chơi Baccarat, Roulette, Blackjack được truyền trực tiếp từ các sòng bài chuyên nghiệp. Giao diện trực quan, dễ thao tác cùng hệ thống giao dịch nhanh chóng và an toàn là những ưu điểm nổi bật. Tobet88 cam kết mang lại trải nghiệm giải trí đẳng cấp, công bằng và bảo mật tuyệt đối cho mọi thành viên.
33WIN đang nhanh chóng khẳng định vị thế là một trong những nhà cái cá cược trực tuyến hàng đầu, thu hút đông đảo người chơi nhờ vào sự đa dạng trong sản phẩm và cam kết về uy tín. Nền tảng này mang đến một thế giới giải trí phong phú, từ các trận đấu thể thao kịch tính với tỷ lệ kèo hấp dẫn, đến những sòng casini trực tuyến sống động cùng dealer người thật.Bên cạnh đó, 33WIN còn sở hữu kho trò chơi nổ hũ khổng lồ với đồ họa bắt mắt và cơ hội trúng Jackpot lớn, cùng các game bài truyền thống quen thuộc. Giao diện thân thiện, dễ sử dụng cùng hệ thống bảo mật tiên tiến là những yếu tố giúp 33WIN tạo dựng niềm tin vững chắc. Quy trình nạp rút tiền nhanh chóng và đội ngũ hỗ trợ khách hàng chuyên nghiệp 24/7 đảm bảo mọi trải nghiệm của người chơi đều diễn ra suôn sẻ và hài lòng.
Rikvip từ lâu đã là một cái tên quen thuộc và được mệnh danh là cổng game bài đổi thưởng đẳng cấp số 1 tại Việt Nam. Nổi tiếng với sự minh bạch và uy tín, Rikvip mang đến một sân chơi công bằng, nơi người chơi có thể yên tâm thử sức với nhiều thể loại game bài phong phú.Bạn sẽ được trải nghiệm các trò chơi quen thuộc như Tiến Lên Miền Nam, Phỏm, Tá Lả, đến những game casini hiện đại như Baccarat, Roulette. Đồ họa sắc nét, âm thanh sống động cùng hệ thống tính năng thông minh giúp trải nghiệm chơi game trở nên chân thực và cuốn hút. Rikvip cũng được đánh giá cao về tốc độ nạp rút tiền siêu tốc và dịch vụ chăm sóc khách hàng chuyên nghiệp, luôn sẵn sàng hỗ trợ người chơi mọi lúc, mọi nơi, khẳng định vị thế dẫn đầu trong làng game bài đổi thưởng.
789CLUB nổi lên như một thiên đường giải trí cá cược trực tuyến, thu hút hàng triệu người chơi nhờ vào sự kết hợp hoàn hảo giữa đa dạng trò chơi, giao diện đẳng cấp và cam kết về sự minh bạch. Là một trong những cổng game hàng đầu, 789CLUB cung cấp đầy đủ các sản phẩm cá cược từ casini trực tuyến với các dealer quyến rũ, cá cược thể thao với vô vàn kèo cược, đến các trò chơi slot nổ hũ, bắn cá đổi thưởng và game bài truyền thống.Giao diện được thiết kế hiện đại, dễ thao tác, mang lại trải nghiệm mượt mà trên cả máy tính và thiết bị di động. Hệ thống bảo mật thông tin tối tân cùng quy trình nạp rút tiền siêu tốc, tiện lợi là những điểm cộng lớn giúp 789CLUB xây dựng lòng tin vững chắc trong cộng đồng người chơi, khẳng định vị thế là điểm đến lý tưởng cho những ai đam mê giải trí trực tuyến.
99OK đang là một cái tên mới nổi đầy tiềm năng trên bản đồ cá cược trực tuyến, nhanh chóng thu hút sự chú ý của đông đảo người chơi. Nền tảng này cam kết mang đến một trải nghiệm giải trí tươi mới và hấp dẫn với kho sản phẩm đa dạng. Từ các loại hình cá cược thể thao với tỷ lệ cược cạnh tranh, đến những sòng casini trực tuyến sống động, 99OK đáp ứng mọi nhu cầu giải trí của người dùng.Bên cạnh đó, 99OK còn chú trọng vào trải nghiệm người dùng với giao diện thân thiện, dễ điều hướng và hệ thống bảo mật vững chắc. Quy trình nạp rút tiền được tối ưu hóa, đảm bảo tốc độ và sự tiện lợi. Dù là một cái tên tương đối mới, 99OK đang nỗ lực không ngừng để xây dựng niềm tin và chứng minh mình là một lựa chọn đáng giá, hứa hẹn mang đến những giây phút giải trí thăng hoa và cơ hội chiến thắng hấp dẫn.
I appreciate how well this piece is written. For those into online games, slot gampang menang might be worth trying. Simple yet exciting!
I think this is an informative post and it is very useful and knowledgeable. therefore, I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this article. olxtoto
Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love learning more on this topic. If possible, as you gain expertise, would you mind updating your blog with extra information? It is extremely helpful for me. https://www.painconsultants.org/
Hello I am so delighted I located your blog, I really located you by mistake, while I was watching on google for something else, Anyways I am here now and could just like to say thank for a tremendous post and a all round entertaining website. Please do keep up the great work. https://www.thesportstrove.com/
I would like to say that this blog really convinced me to do it! Thanks, very good post. AKURAT79
Someone Sometimes with visits your blog regularly and recommended it in my experience to read as well. The way of writing is excellent and also the content is top-notch. Thanks for that insight you provide the readers! SINGA 189
Great post, you have pointed out some fantastic points , I likewise think this s a very wonderful website. BIDURI 189
Στο Techvortex.eu, το κορυφαίο site για προγράμματα free, θα βρείτε χρήσιμους οδηγούς και προτάσεις για τις καλύτερες δωρεάν εφαρμογές για smartphones και υπολογιστές. Ανακαλύψτε ποιοτικά προγράμματα για παραγωγικότητα, ψυχαγωγία και βελτίωση της απόδοσης της συσκευής σας – όλα εντελώς δωρεάν!
Took me time to read all the comments, but I really enjoyed the article. It proved to be Very helpful to me and I am sure to all the commenters here! It’s always nice when you can not only be informed, but also entertained! f4pik.com
I have read all the comments and suggestions posted by the visitors for this article are very fine,We will wait for your next article so only.Thanks! ipototo slot
Thanks for the blog filled with so many information. Stopping by your blog helped me to get what I was looking for. Now my task has become as easy as ABC. JHON 77
Wow, this is fascinating reading. I am glad I found this and got to read it. Great job on this content. I liked it a lot. Thanks for the great and unique info. AKURAT 79
A very excellent blog post. I am thankful for your blog post. I have found a lot of approaches after visiting your post. AKURAT 79
Remarkable article, it is particularly useful! I quietly began in this, and I’m becoming more acquainted with it better! Delights, keep doing more and extra impressive! MAFIAJUDI 77
I’ve been surfing online more than three hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It’s pretty worth enough for me. In my opinion, if all webmasters and bloggers made good content as you did, the web will be a lot more useful than ever before. MAFIAJUDI 77
Awesome and interesting article. Great things you’ve always shared with us. Thanks. Just continue composing this kind of post. VIRAL 365
Very informative post! There is a lot of information here that can help any business get started with a successful social networking campaign. BANDIT78
Really I enjoy your site with effective and useful information. It is included very nice post with a lot of our resources.thanks for share. i enjoy this post. ZUMA78
Thanks for sharing the post.. parents are worlds best person in each lives of individual..they need or must succeed to sustain needs of the family. VETERAN 78
Wow, What a Excellent post. I really found this to much informatics. It is what i was searching for.I would like to suggest you that please keep sharing such type of info.Thanks alexistogel