I was thinking something similar today regarding this simple post I saw on Reddit. So there was a post about the owner cuddled up to its elderly dog downstairs at night because the dog has a hard time going up the stairs now. It was a cute pic and that should be it, but it made me irrationally mad when someone asked, “why can’t the dog sleep upstairs”. Like stfu dude, there are plethora of reasons, but would getting your answer really change the perspective of this post in any way?

Y tho?

I feel like in a lot of cases the context is also sometimes important to differentiate between a real-life idiot and someone who is “Just Asking Questions.”

The trite disclaimer is one thing, but explaining how you came to the specific question you’re asking helps me trust that it’s worth giving you an actual explanation rather than the dismissal that some folks want so they can post it on wherever the new home is for “so much for the tolerant left” bullshit.

IMO the proper thing to do is to answer the question and make damn sure the poster isn’t falling for the XY Problem.

Sometimes the weird solution is justified by a weird context, and we gotta treat people like adults. But also, you’re probably asking the wrong question.

Like, I can tell you how to disconnect your bike’s brake lines, but if you’re asking how to do that with no context I would most definitely like to know what problem you think you’re solving.