Tips for finding interesting questions?

Question

Please post your personal tips, ticks, and best practices for finding interesting questions to answer.

These can be tags to watch, searches you do (even for really old questions, even for old, answered and accepted questions), anything at all.

Answer 1

In order to avoid affirmation bias (the illegitimate cousin of confirmation bias), I attempt to answer most every question I read...in my head. The most interesting questions are often those which initially I find least engaging, but which, once engaged, unfold (okay, blossom) to reveal unsuspected depths and challenges.

The legitimate cousin steps in and starts a brawl when I read only the likely questions, that is, questions about phrase-origins, etymology, linguistic history, slang, and etc.

The question title may prompt me first, either to scoff (a challenge I make myself) or become curious. After that, the more well-defined the question the happier I am.

I tend to avoid guessing game questions. What did Stein say about television? Anything?

Answer 2

This is my tip

Have you recently seen a good answer by a user? Is that user a veteran by any chance? Check their answer history and visit their most upvoted posts, they will probably have posted answers to questions they have found interesting.

In no particular order of preference, a very subjective list of users whose answers I nearly always find interesting. The following users tend to be selective (picky?) about questions, and it's worth mentioning their best posts are usually not their most upvoted ones.

• Araucaria
• tchrist
• J.R.
• KarlG
• Kosmonaut
• Colin Fine
• Shoe
• Jon Hanna
• Janus Bahs Jacquet
• nohat
• ShreevatsaR
• Snailboat (check out their questions, too)
• F.E.

Among the many answers, you're bound to read dozens of good questions, when you do, visit that OP's history. If they have posted one solid and intriguing question, chances are they have done likewise with their other posts. You might even find that hidden gem that no one has posted an answer to!