[sokoloff]

It can be a matter of interpretation. Suppose two "highly competent" programmers A1 and A2 and two "moderately competent" programmers B1 and B2 are together.

If A1 asks those questions to B1, I suspect that A2 would view them as perfectly normal, appropriate and helpful, while B2 might view them as aggressive or "trying to show A1's superiority".

[aerique]

Perhaps, depending on B2's self-confidence. There's still that category of people that ask questions for other reasons than being interested in the answers to those questions.