Back when I worked as a consultant (not Perl, unfortunately) I considered helping my clients find the right questions to ask a very important part of my job. If I just assumed that they knew what they wanted to know I knew I was likely to end up with an unhappy client in the end.
I think we can apply that same notion to answering questions here within reason. I also think that it makes sense for monks answering questions to use their judgment based on the context. While I'm only just getting involved in this community (I've lurked for some time), I've spent a lot of time asking questions on email lists, newsgroups and bulletin boards. Generally, if I mostly know what I'm talking about, I try to provide that context to avoid getting the "try this different module" type of answer. When I get that, I know that either I wasn't clear enough in my question or I really don't know what I'm looking for :)
I think it might also come back to crafting questions well. For example, if I'm confident I know what I'm doing or I'm bound to use a specific module for some reason, then say so to avoid getting useless answers. If you're open to alternative solutions, say so. I think that would go a long way towards helping those trying to help you.
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