What Do You Want to Know?

What Do You Want to Know?

For many years I held that question in mind, as it was my business to write, edit, and see into publication a number of works of reference, whose purpose was to inform persons who desired to know something. At one time, perhaps temporarily insane from having taken some courses in marketing, I even urged, in vain, that the company I worked for use that question as its advertising lead.

Its merits as a marketing hook aside, I never had any reason to doubt the utility or the propriety of the question itself. Now I'm beginning to wonder if the question is permissible at all.