A lot of the worst disasters in history were caused by people being too embarrassed to own up to not really knowing what they were supposed to be doing. Good examples include Alexander the Great, whose mum sent him out for some milk, or Moses, to whom the LORD sent a burning bush with no instruction manual and pretty much left him to it (I refer you to the Book of ERRATA ;)
Most of us can own up to this. I am particularly good at asking stupid questions to which I should already know the answers, often asking two or three in the space of one working breath. However, for some people (particularly clever people, for some reason), the stigma of owning up that you don't actually know anything is too terrible to contemplate.
Hence, National Dumb Question Day. Everybody writes down all the stupid questions they've been wanting to ask for ages on a post-it note and they attach it to the Dumb Question Sandwich Board Man, a noble volunteer from your workplace who goes through the place all day reading other people's stupid questions and shouting them out. Answers can then be shouted back. It is important that this be done at the loudest possible volume, so that the original Dumb Questioner hear the answer. The DQSBM also writes down the answers, but it's better to be safe. Therefore, volume. (Dumb Question Number 1: Is the DQSBM allowed to be a woman?)Sheesh. Chances are, you won't be alone. By getting everybody to come out with all the dumb questions they have, then hopefully the potential for embarrassment is minimized.-- moomintroll, Feb 03 2006 Absolute Write Water Cooler http://www.absolute...m/forums/index.php?A real life version of this, where you can ask your dumb questions about writing [ldischler, Feb 03 2006] Actual poster hanging in my office http://www.despair.com/cluelessness.html [theircompetitor, Feb 04 2006] Two dumb questions: If it's anonymous, why do you need the day to begin with, and, why does only one person answer the question, for doesn't every dumb question have half a dozen answers? (Okay, that's three questions, but I only used one question mark.)-- ldischler, Feb 03 2006 There are no stupid questions, only stupid people.-- ato_de, Feb 03 2006 [ato]: Or better, "there are no dumb questions, only dumb statements with question marks attached."
and [ld] we need the day because some poor fool would otherwise spend their entire working life wandering through the office, shouting stupid questions. Actually, that sounds almost attractive.
And anyway, how many stupid questions have you *got*?
//Why does only one person answer the question// that's one of its good points. If it's a really dumb q, you can all shout the answer in unison. And if there's lots of answers, then it's at this point that you find out that you didn't really know the answer after all! Hopefully we should start a few fights this way, too. Get more of a festive feel going.-- moomintroll, Feb 03 2006 I'm sorry, what's the idea here?-- Shz, Feb 03 2006 Is that... no. Okay. Well, the idea would be to have one day a year when a member of the workforce puts on a sandwich board, and everybody gives him a list of all the questions they need to know the answers to but were too embarrassed to admit they didn't know already, and then the sandwich board person wanders round shouting these dumb questions at the top of their voice and anyone who knows the answer can shout it right back.-- moomintroll, Feb 03 2006 ;) I liked the first answer better. ;)-- Shz, Feb 03 2006 I like this - I have loads of dumb questions...
at the moment - my question is - hey, is this my job? but thats another question.
can cows walk down stairs?-- po, Feb 03 2006 If all you have is a dumb question that can be asked anonymously, then set up an anonymous e-mail address and e-mail your co-workers. I think NDQD should be saved for the special questions you can't ask anonymously, like "Is this my desk?"-- Worldgineer, Feb 03 2006 Aw, [Shz], you totally got me. Curses.
[po] How did you get the cow upstairs in the first place?-- moomintroll, Feb 03 2006 saucer of milk...-- po, Feb 03 2006 Can rabbits have pierced ears?
What is my favorite color?
Can you tell me how to dance?-- Jscotty, Feb 03 2006 Do cows drink milk [po]?-- wagster, Feb 04 2006 Is asking "is this a stupid question", asking a stupid question ? +-- xenzag, Feb 04 2006 What if the stupid question got a stupid answer?-- Ling, Feb 04 2006 [ling] Did you expect a good answer?-- the fiddler, Mar 02 2006 + hey, why did I vote for this? Does the sandwich board have ham and cheese? Am I done?-- xandram, Mar 02 2006 random, halfbakery