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Nobody Expects an Inquisition! - A Programmer’s Guide to Asking Questions by Amanda Quaranto What was the last question you asked someone? Did you actually care what the answer was? Did it improve the conversation? Did it start an interesting discussion? Did it start an argument? Like many programmers, I’ve relied on deductive reasoning to avoid asking questions - fearing that someone would find out I didn't belong. At the start of this year, I made the decision to change all that. This talk will evaluate tools which improved my professional and personal life. Let’s learn how to rely less on being intuitive and more on being inquisitive.
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In the talk "Nobody Expects an Inquisition! - A Programmer's Guide to Asking Questions," Amanda Quaranto emphasizes the importance of asking questions in programming and professional environments. She reflects on her past experiences of avoiding questions due to fears of being perceived as an imposter and how this hinders both personal and professional growth. Quaranto provides a guide to transform the act of questioning into a valuable tool for learning and connecting with others. Key points discussed in the talk include: - **The Importance of Questioning**: Quaranto encourages the audience to embrace inquiry instead of relying solely on intuition. She shares how many interactions, even casual ones, often lack genuine curiosity. - **Self-Reflection on Questions**: The talk involves an interactive element where attendees write down questions they ask and those they don't, prompting them to consider their motivations behind these questions and the outcomes. - **Five Actionable Points**: Quaranto outlines five practical strategies: - **Don't be content with not knowing**: Embracing ignorance and view it as a learning opportunity. - **Ask one leading question per conversation**: Engage others with questions that promote further discussion. - **Find a subject matter expert**: Identify individuals with deeper knowledge to enhance learning experiences. - **Care about the answer**: Approach questions with genuine interest to foster meaningful exchanges. - **Be concise, precise, and deliberate**: Craft questions thoughtfully to ensure clarity and effectiveness. - **Examples and Anecdotes**: Quaranto shares anecdotes from her own experiences and quotes from notable figures like Neil deGrasse Tyson, illustrating that being wrong can be a path to new learning. - **Networking and Learning**: The discussion highlights how asking questions can lead to better networking, deeper knowledge, and can aid in professional growth by challenging the status quo during meetings or discussions. - **Negotiation Skills**: Quaranto also touches upon the importance of asking questions in the context of negotiations, particularly regarding salary and benefits, highlighting how a lack of inquiry could result in significant long-term financial loss, particularly for underrepresented groups. - **Wrapping up**: Quaranto concludes by encouraging attendees to not only ask questions but also to be better at answering them, emphasizing understanding and patience in communication. Overall, this insightful session aims to empower programmers to utilize questions as a transformative tool for personal and professional growth.
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