Among the many banes of any subdivision of the internet that get a reputation as a place to go for help are

1. Repetition of the same questions over and over again
2. People who are happy to suck up the sites resources of helpfulness without limit because they can't be arsed to think for themselves

The requirement to show some work isn't there is make a bad question a good one, it's there to keep you from asking a bad question at all by helping you to find the answer without asking it.

Further it is helpful with respect to #2 exactly because the laziest cases find it frustrating to have to work---even the weest little bit---for what they get.

So, it's all upside as far as I can see.

Among the many banes of any subdivision of the internet that get a reputation as a place to go for help are

1. Repetition of the same questions over and over again
2. People who are happy to suck up the sites resources of helpfulness without limit because they can't be bothered to think for themselves

The requirement to show some work isn't there is make a bad question a good one, it's there to keep you from asking a bad question at all by helping you to find the answer without asking it.

Further it is helpful with respect to #2 exactly because the laziest cases find it frustrating to have to work---even the least little bit---for what they get.

So, it's all upside as far as I can see.