Please phrase your LinkedIn question in the form of a question

by billso on Saturday, 17 May 2008

I enjoy using LinkedIn, especially the Answers section of the web site. Users can post questions there, and get answers from other LinkedIn users who have an informed opinion on the topic.

How hard can it be to ask a simple question?

Some LinkedIn users post statements instead of questions. How does anyone answer items like these?

European Business Improvement Network
Local governments in NYC, Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston, Washington, Tampa / St. Petersburg, Baltimore and St. Louis
I am forming a concept fast food restaurant, based on Asian Street foods. I appreciate any comments, critique and inputs
Any Excel Experts Out There
If you are out there and cant get your book published, just send me a email. james
Where can i get cheep laptops.

I’ve seen questions that look more like headlines:

Contract or Nothing?
Silverlight video player error
Best job for travelling the world?
Resumes & Online Gaming
For you mortgage professionals out there
Motivating People
MBA in Finance Management
Christine Johnson - Seeking Employment

Of course, there are users who post their support questions, instead of reading the FAQ or help pages:

importing contacts
invitations
How do I manually add email addresses
who has viewed my profile
How do I find groups to join?
How can I best use Linkedin to promote me service

My favorite question:

How to edit a question if it is posted wrong?

In the current version of the site, users cannot edit their LinkedIn question once it has been posted. This is probably a safety feature, to keep users from completely changing their question after a few answers have been posted. The user can either close their question, or add a clarification to the questions.