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I have seen top 100 people with the highest reputation and the users with reputation > 10K. Surprisingly, I found those people have asked very few questions: 10, 20 or 30.

How do they solve their problems? Like every programmer they too should get stuck at some point of time.

Note : It will be helpful to get answers from users having reputation > 10K.

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    Because they like to answer more than they question.
    – Hanky Panky
    Nov 2, 2013 at 16:46
  • Imagine they asked enough questions to get 10k reputation. We would drown in questions.
    – just lerning
    Nov 2, 2013 at 16:47
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    they too should stuck at some point of time: That's why they ask only some questions.
    – Hanky Panky
    Nov 2, 2013 at 16:49
  • Any upvote on an answer is 10 rep. On a question? 5. Having one of your answers accepted is 15 rep. Accepting an answer to a question you asked is just 2 rep. Questions are less likely to be upvoted than answers. And, those that are familiar enough with the website to have earned so much rep know that their question almost certainly has been asked before.
    – nhgrif
    Nov 2, 2013 at 16:49
  • After all, StackOverflow just went over 6 million posted questions. Most of these are answered.
    – nhgrif
    Nov 2, 2013 at 16:50
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    They nailed it: I'm not one of the top users, but answering is fun and helpful, and I know answers to more questions than I know questions I can't find an answer to.
    – Amadan
    Nov 2, 2013 at 16:52
  • Very well said Amadan
    – Hanky Panky
    Nov 2, 2013 at 16:52
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    Jon Skeet doesn't need to ask: he is THE ANSWER. :-)
    – LorenzoDonati4Ukraine-OnStrike
    Nov 2, 2013 at 19:08

4 Answers 4

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There are many different kinds of users on StackOverflow. Some are motivated by a need to solve a problem: they ask a question, get an answer, go back to what they really do all day.

A strange minority can't stay away. They don't ask much, because they know how to search, but they answer. Boy, do they answer. They also edit, flag, and help to keep the site clean. These people get a lot of rep because answers earn more rep than questions. Also, when people Google and are led to a good answer on SO, they often upvote the answer but some may forget to upvote the question too. I continue to get rep from questions I answered years ago - because those answers are still being found helpful.

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  • I find that most of the questions I have have already been asked and answered, which is why I rarely ask questions.
    – jmort253
    Nov 2, 2013 at 23:05
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    That's just as true for everyone - but only some of us recognize it and search first :-)
    – Kate Gregory
    Nov 3, 2013 at 0:59
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    I have no facts to back this up, but I suspect most of our top users don't have rep from questions because they understand that if they have a question, someone else already asked it. Truth be told, I get excited when I get to post a question no one else has asked yet! Makes me feel like I've just created something great and amazing.
    – jmort253
    Nov 3, 2013 at 1:02
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Because they like to answer more than they question, usually.

Like every programmer they too should stuck at some point of time

That's why they ask only some questions.

P.S: You can really feel the difference, your question earned you some down votes, but the same question has already started getting up-votes for answers. That's as close to a practical demonstration as it gets.

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These superusers are oracles endowed with wisdom from the heavens, and are unlike us foolish mortals. Out of the overflowing generosity of their hearts, they labor late hours by answering questions to bring light to our darkness. Because of their all-knowing wisdom, they have no need to consult anyone else for help.

(Obviously, this is a factitious answer.)

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  • Totally true, that.
    – Pollyanna
    Nov 2, 2013 at 17:28
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You gain more reputation Answering the questions than asking questions

That's how they do, which obviously implies they are great repositories of knowledge

They Answer more and Question less

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