You shouldn't lose XP over this, it's a legitimate question (although I disagree with you). I think that if a problem can be boiled down to a succinct question that can elicit a yes/no/link/url answer then run, don't walk, and ask it the chatterbox. I don't care if it's how can you tell if an raw egg is fresh (without cracking it open)^*. (later: which is not the same thing as testing whether an egg is raw).

Quite often a good answer will be provided, thereby avoiding the necessity of posting another node in Seekers of Perl Wisdom. I get much more annoyed by questions in SoPW that could have been easily solved in the Chatterbox.

It provides a very fast turnaround for simple questions. You either receive a response in 30 seconds, or you can conclude that no-one logged into the CB knows the answer. Either way, you don't have to wait for very long. And it's always interesting to follow the exchange, even if it doesn't directly concern you, or you don't have anything to contribute. You never know when the information will come in handy.

I still lament that there is no SQL equivalent of Perl Monks, but on the few occasions I've posted an SQL question in the CB I've always received good replies. I hope that never changes.

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* place the egg in a cup of water. If it floats to the top, it's not fresh (gas is forming inside).