Telling people to search instead of answering their question...

If I ask a question, I expect a detailed and direct answer - regardless of the fact that it may have been answered in previous threads and/or posts. It's as simple as that.

 

It really ticks me off when I'm told to do a search in reply to a question. First thing that comes to my mind is "well DUH! Don't you think I already tried that?!?!?!?"

But then I have to remember that there are some people who are just lazy and will ask instead of seaching.

But I always search first. Asking it the last thing I'll do, simply because I don't want to look stooopid.

 

That's a good point. That can get a bit... frustrating. :mad2:

 

For the most part I just don't answer questions that I know have already been answered. I'm not going to be snide and tell them to search but on the other hand I'm not going to reward their laziness by looking up a link or posting the answer all over again.

 

It gets even worse when you search, find your answer and have a question to extend. So you ask it in the thread you found - i.e. "I tried this but now I'm getting 'this' error. Now what?" and then you're told to start your own thread and/or not to bump old threads. Either way, you're usually bound to get some sort of remark from somebody.

 

For the owner of the forum, you'd think people creating a new thread to ask a question, even if maybe it was recently answered, is boosting your actively and you'd want that.

If there was only one thread that kept getting bumped every time someone had a similar question on that topic, that would probably be one confusing thread.

 

However on the flip side it can become rather annoying to answer the same questions over and over again, I have in the past told people to do a search or point them to a sticky thread, which I seem to notice never hardly get read anyway.

 

As someone who's been around forums for a few years, I can clearly see why mods/members would give the blunt redirect, but for a new member, this is extremely frustrating. People need answers, and most often, they need them fast, and they don't see a forum as google, where you type your question into the search field and the very first result is your answer.

Most often than not, the search feature can make things even more difficult as it can bring up really old threads, or pretty much EVERYTHING pertaining to the subject, making it very difficult to pin point your answer.

I personally just answer the question and that's that, I know how frustrating it is for both parties, so I try and keep it as friendly as possible.

 

Sure you can, but if there's already a thread regarding their question, why can't their lazy butts just search for it?

 

Instead of telling people to just "do a search", I try to give them the search term to use that will give them the results they want. On the forum I mod, I used to always just do the search and post the link, then I would find the same users asking over and over again and I realized I was not doing them (or me!) a service by doing the search for them. I have had users get pissed that I do that, but I'm not the search engine - they can learn to use search themselves.

 

Well said.

 

Lynne, I think this is the best approach; I love how you do this on the .org.

 

It's as good as spam, I don't like it.

 

More often than not people will just post without trying to search (I can understand people/supporters) being ticked off continuously asking when a simple search would have sufficed.

However, I always point the person to a solution (tedious as it may be) it gives maybe the next person with a similiar question a better chance of viewing the thread and actually reading what the solution is.

Funny thing is, over at the org when I see people posting their questions the links and solutions to their query is shown and answered in the "similar/related area" feature.

Sometimes people need to help themselves and in return they have a higher chance of helping others. You stick a silver spoon in their mouth day in, day out they will rely on being lazy.

on the otherhand, common sense should be taken on board. On large sites where members are well known and fluent with the system and are long serving members show a higher chance of searching so it would make sense in directing them to a solution rather than guide them to it (and what I mean by that) refraining yourself from giving them a "mood" "sniper" termed solution which doesn't help anyone other than the helper trying to make the person asking for help look and feel stupid.

 

Let me google that for you

 

However a member is encouraged to search, it is always politely and supportively. A snide "do a search" to a new member is intimidating. It sounds like an insider's place - "we are all so smart in here and you aren't - why are you here asking asking questions all of us already know the answers to?"

Part of the introduction material to my forum, especially to hobby beginners, is a poliste request to search first, then ask. As a hobby site, newbies do ask many of the same questions.

I also created a stickied links thread in each of the main hobby-topic forums. The links are to threads with good answers to frequently asked questions. Occasionally I see a particularly good thread on common topic and add it.

We have a Beginner's forum where newbies can ask the tired questions once again. Many of them do search first, having been encouraged to do so, but don't understand the answers they found.

Outside of Beginner's repetitious questions aren't that common. If they do crop up some kind soul will do what's been suggested ... post a link and mention searching.

 

Bingo. Giving a newly registered member the cold shoulder is not only an intimidating gesture, but also a bit rude.

 

I think that is an very good thing to do, I have never done the search for them because it is there problem and I shouldn't have to waste my time everytime they need an search done.

 

I hate that when people tell me to use search engines. Usually I'll ask a quick question if I don't have time to look things up or whatever. But to just jump in and say, "use the search engine". is wrong in my opinion, and it's rude.

 

Yes I agree I to can think its a little rude to just post that but if you post a new thread about something that have been discussed in many threads already then i don't really think anyone should post an new one unless the other one is closed and you want an little different answer.