I've noticed the quality of GAG questions has plummeted recently so here's the unofficial guide to asking great questions
Make sense.
All too often I'm not sure I'm reading a GAG question or the Times cryptic crossword. If people can't understand your question they won't answer.
Make use of the comments section.
If you can't be bothered to fill this in, people can't be bothered to answer. Give some background and share your opinion.
People love to rant.
Tabloids have long known people love to rant over articles. Facts aren't important, they just get in the way. It's not hard to find a politician who's said something stupid or a funny. It doesn't have to be a world major event, just something that triggers people.
Real Example. There's a push to reduce speed limits here from 30 to 20mph in all residential areas and from 70 to 50mph. You can imagine that's angered and divided a lot of people so ask how would feel if it happened in your country.
Think local, ask global
Seen a local newspaper article that makes you smile. Use it as inspiration for a question. Those quiet no news days when they report on little things are a gold mine of inspiration
Real Example, "dog owner horrified as pet roles in human poo", this could inspire "what's the worst thing your dog's rolled in? Or "yellow snow, did you learn the hard way?"
Let idioms inspire
Every country and region has a wealth of wisdom encapsulated in their idioms. Problem is to outsiders they don't make sense or don't translate well and that makes them great questions
Eg
Fel there mewn pot jam "Like a fart in a jam jar"
Llyncu mul "Swallow a donkey"
So you can ask "what's your version of..." or "what does...mean?"
For best effect throw in your own warped interpretation eg "a great sin can enter through a small door. Does this mean God wants me to have anal sex"
GAG is a global site
I'll often start questions with "Here in Wales...." now I know you don't give a shit about a tiny country so why do I do it? Simple, it's because I know different countries around the world have different values, foods, culture, weather etc and it gives people a chance to express that. A person living in London will face different problems to a guy living in the Florida everglades, an Indian will have a different diet to a Mexican.
Example. Wales is a bilingual country and all signs by law are in Welsh and English. Why aren't American signs in both Spanish and English?
The definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over and excepting a different result.
So stop asking the same question over and over. If didn't get any replies the last, 20 times you won't this time. Also if a questions been asked a lot by others what's the point in asking again?
The secret is to come at it from a different angle.
Example "does penis size matter?" (Yawn 😫)
Better question "should joking about a guys dick size be viewed in the same way as making racist jokes?" In this example we compare the use of racist jokes to devalue blacks and promote discrimination with the use of dick size jokes to emasculate men.
Be a Knocker not a Troll
knockers or Coblynau are mythical gnome-like being in celtic folklore that helps miners by tapping on seams and guiding them to the best spots. Many of these creatures migrated to America where miners still believed in them until very recently. When one large mine closed in 1956 and the owners sealed the entrance, miners circulated a petition calling on the mineowners to set the knockers free so that they could move on to other mines. The owners complied.
My point is just because something looks like a Troll it doesn't mean it is. Be playful, cheeky, even push a few little buttons to trigger people but don't be a hate monger remember it's fun to fart in an elevator but not to take a dump.
Why is the most important question?
Why, is the question that most allows you to express an opinion rather than a fact. Let's take 2 questions as examples
What breed of dog do you have?
Why did you choose your current dog breed?
Both are similar but the second invites more than a list of one word answers.
A triangle has 3 sides.
This is an accepted fact by most but remember half of GAG thinks that's just something liberals brainwash kids into believing at those mind control camps they call school and we should discount thousands of years of science because of a video they found on YouTube by a guy who knows the truth and screams free speech a lot. The fact is people are idiots whose opinion are more about showing loyalty to their political party than strength of evidence. Think of questions that challenge political or cultural beliefs with logic.
Example. A judge can't sentence someone to death for theft so why do gun owners claim they're armed to protect property? Or I fly off the handle and throw stuff when I've got pmt, Why do you think I can be trusted with a gun?
Finally, most are just here for fun so have fun.
A wiseman once said "a conspiracy theorist is like a blind man with a machine gun. He'll spray bullets in all directions all day long and when he hits something will claim he's a marksman." Hmmm this inspires a question "Should blind people be allowed to carry guns for self defence?"
See it's easy.
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