On SO when you click "ask a question", the subject "placeholder/overlay" is:
What's your programming question? Be specific
How about having something on the question textarea too? It must be simple, or the type of people this is mostly aimed at wont read it.
Proposal
I suggest in the question textarea the "placeholder/overlay" be something like:
To get a good answer, remember to provide (where applicable):
Clear explanation of your exact issue;
What you've tried, what happened;
What you want to happen;
Any relevant code;
Reason for Proposal
In PHP/MYSQL/HTML I often see questions without basic info. No code, not clear what they're asking, no indication they've tried anything, etc.
Not sure about other tags, I'm sure it'll be a similar case - it never hurts to remind people anyway.
Some people will always post what they want, regardless, but reminders/prompts in the question textarea before they type might help enough to warrant it being implemented.
Potential Improvements
At the minimum it could potentially catch the forgetful, and those who are tired/busy/unaware we need certain info to help/etc.
Even prompting only a few people now and then to provide one more thing that they otherwise wouldn't have is another comment someone doesn't have to post asking for info, which in turn allows more time on something constructive, and would reduce frustration from seeing it happen regularly.
As well as making answering easier, it also helps questioners by likely getting their questions answered quicker. Some people will not bother with a bad question at all, not even commenting or coming back later, so the questioner loses that one view, + all others who think like this.
A good question is also more likely to obtain a concise answer.
EDIT to add a slightly revised proposed message for the placeholder (just food for thought, I'm sure there's better ideas waiting to be suggested):
Good questions get decent answers, and quickly.
Poor questions and duplicates get downvotes and slow or no answers.Good questions require a minimum of:
Clear explanation of your exact issue;
What you've tried, what happened;
What you want to happen;
Any relevant code;
placeholder = "small blurb"
goes right on the element and that is it. – Travis J Oct 23 '13 at 17:21