A while ago a meta post clarified what we expect from members in the way of prior research. Armed with this very detailed and precise discussion I now vote to close questions if I think they show insufficient prior research. This has in the past raised some controversy, though more recently the site members have either come to agree with me or have got bored with telling me not to.
We all contribute our time and the sweat of our brows for free because we think it makes the world of physics a better place. In return all we ask is that questioners don't take the piss. When they do, their questions simply don't deserve to be on this site.
I don't apply this rule dogmatically because, well, we were all enthusiastic youngsters at one time and enthusiasm can lead you to post first and think second. I'm generally happy to answer a simple question if I think it's been asked out of a genuine interest in the subject.
