tea.mathoverflow.net - Discussion Feed (Why do I answer poorly posed questions by anonymous users?) Sun, 04 Nov 2018 23:16:42 -0800 http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/ Lussumo Vanilla 1.1.9 & Feed Publisher Bill Johnson comments on "Why do I answer poorly posed questions by anonymous users?" (12883) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/925/why-do-i-answer-poorly-posed-questions-by-anonymous-users/?Focus=12883#Comment_12883 http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/925/why-do-i-answer-poorly-posed-questions-by-anonymous-users/?Focus=12883#Comment_12883 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 08:04:08 -0800 Bill Johnson
Done. Thanks, Willie. Careless of me not to check the link. ]]> WillieWong comments on "Why do I answer poorly posed questions by anonymous users?" (12881) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/925/why-do-i-answer-poorly-posed-questions-by-anonymous-users/?Focus=12881#Comment_12881 http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/925/why-do-i-answer-poorly-posed-questions-by-anonymous-users/?Focus=12881#Comment_12881 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 07:47:25 -0800 WillieWong @Bill: the link in your post above is open. For some reason (probably MarkDown being silly) the trailing period is interpreted as part of the link. Can you insert a space between the link and the period?

]]> Bill Johnson comments on "Why do I answer poorly posed questions by anonymous users?" (12878) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/925/why-do-i-answer-poorly-posed-questions-by-anonymous-users/?Focus=12878#Comment_12878 http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/925/why-do-i-answer-poorly-posed-questions-by-anonymous-users/?Focus=12878#Comment_12878 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 07:31:34 -0800 Bill Johnson Mark Meckes comments on "Why do I answer poorly posed questions by anonymous users?" (12874) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/925/why-do-i-answer-poorly-posed-questions-by-anonymous-users/?Focus=12874#Comment_12874 http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/925/why-do-i-answer-poorly-posed-questions-by-anonymous-users/?Focus=12874#Comment_12874 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 06:18:41 -0800 Mark Meckes Bill, I share your mixed feelings about what you should have done. But given that

  1. you've had the opportunity to share your answer to the better question; and

  2. the better question still only appears in comments, not in the post;

is there any good reason not to close at this point?

]]> Bill Johnson comments on "Why do I answer poorly posed questions by anonymous users?" (12870) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/925/why-do-i-answer-poorly-posed-questions-by-anonymous-users/?Focus=12870#Comment_12870 http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/925/why-do-i-answer-poorly-posed-questions-by-anonymous-users/?Focus=12870#Comment_12870 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:05:40 -0800 Bill Johnson
The original question, except for failing to include the obviously necessary assumption that the group is metrizable, is a not unreasonable one (as contrasted to being a reasonable one) for someone who does not have the requisite background. Since I could answer without thought, I did.

The follow-up

"Suppose Γ is a comapct Lie Group， G is its dual， then I want to ask what can we say about G? "

"Of course Γ and G should be Abelian"

by the OP annoyed me as well as Yemon. Still, I gave an answer. Why? Because the thread is read by people who might like to know about the result of Szarek's and I was glad to have the opportunity to bring it to their attention.

Should I have instead

1. Ignored the question, or

2. Voted to close?

I have mixed feelings. I do not want to encourage poor questions on the one hand, but I like to take advantage of the opportunity to "educate". ]]>