What is more of a nuisance in my mind is that the questions are all very short.
One of the skills useful in gaining information is to ask short questions with just enough info to optimize the number and depth of responses.
This can be used for good at, say, an industry convention to find out what the other guys are working on (or just to be socially engaging):
Hey, isn't your company into magnetic lasers or something?
Oh, yes, we're investigation cellphone signal distortions caused by atmospheric electromagnetic phenomena, and we're trying to apply those results to coherent transmission techniques for interplanetary missions during heavy solar activity.
Or in the on the blacker side of social engineering:
[Your example here]
So short questions might be generated from a severe lack of what question to ask, or to let those of us who think we know what the unasked question might be to give an answer we think fits, without letting out too much info about what the original motivation is.
Update: Yes, effortless questions...perhaps they deserve effortless answers?
-QM
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Quantum Mechanics: The dreams stuff is made of
