The vast majority of people who write the most common low-quality questions are not going to read this page at all.
I think the people much more likely to read this page are those, especially graduate students, who are very nervous about asking a question on MO. They need some encouragement and some advice on how to present a question to ensure it is well-received on MO.
In particular, if you are not sure if your question will be well-received, some of the best things you can do to improve its chances are to explain how the question came up, and explain what you have tried so far.
I think this advice, and any other helpful advice along similar lines, should be near the top.
Attempt at a new draft of the beginning of this page:
What kind of questions can I ask here?
MathOverflow's primary goal is for users to ask and answer mathematical questions related to current research in mathematics. If, while attempting novel research in mathematics, you came upon a question which you couldn't solve, but suspect other mathematicians can, then we want your question here.
Your question is most likely to be well-received if you:
- Begin my stating a precise mathematical problem
- Follow up by providing some additional context -- Where did this problem come from? Are similar results already known?
Definitions which you expect some, but not all, mathematicians to know, ideas you've tried which don't work, and strategies which you think might work are also helpful to put after the main question.
What kind of questions shouldn't I ask here?
Mathoverflow is not for homework questions. Mathoverflow is also not for questions that could easily be homework in classes such as calculus, precalculus, differential equations, linear algebra, algebra, or real and complex analysis that are commonly required for a Bachelor's degree (B.A. or B.S.).
However, Mathoverflow is for questions asked by students preparing to do research while pursuing a PhD, as long as they have thought seriously about them and haven't solved them, just as much as it is for questions from advanced PhD students, postdocs, and mathematics faculty. If you are outside academia or in a different field of academia, you should use your best judgment about where your question fits. If you're not sure where your question falls here, you can explain the context and background in your question.
Mathoverflow is not for questions based entirely on opinion. This is especially true for questions whose answers are likely to hurt or offend someone, and questions with no clear purpose. Asking for interesting applications of a current research area might be a good question, even though it has an element of opinion, because the answers would help motivate mathematicians in their studies, but asking for the best person working in that area would not be. When in doubt, you can wait on asking these questions until you have more experience of Mathoverflow's culture.