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Naming and Shaming Bad Forums with Bad Ethics
f0dder:
Always open the book and show them the page. Always.-40hz (December 27, 2010, 11:28 AM)
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Yeah. "Google it" is such a lame reply - but showing a google query that gave you good results can be a valuable lesson :)
KynloStephen66515:
Therefore, rather than tell people to "google it" or "RTFM", IF I decide to assist them at all, then - and even if I think that I know the answer already - I nowadays usually google it, or check Wikipedia (say) or RTFM for them, and then send them the results or source links, with the suggestion that they could probably get even more useful information if they hunted around a bit more themselves or played about with the google search string. This is just helping people to help themselves.
-IainB (December 26, 2010, 11:23 PM)
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Agreed, the best course of action is certainly to look for a valid google search string, and possibly give some links to WHY thats the string they SHOULD have searched for.
The main reason behind me posting this, was the fact that I _HAD_ googled for the answer, and when I clicked on a few links and didnt find anything, I found that forum, which then directed the original poster, and of course, anybody else who had GOOGLED it to find that post, BACK to google, which was kind of frustrating, and not exactly helpful.
I ALWAYS check google first before asking anybody outright, and ONLY if I cannot find my desired answer, or I find the answer but am still not 100% sure, will I ask somebody about it.
Bamse:
The post does not mention which application or which irc clients you have looked at via Google. If you mention details it hints you are not clueless or just looking for others to do the work for you. Being vague is big warning sign and could be why that moderator spend a whole 10 seconds making a link from your very own words. 75% RTFM :) You don't need help using Google! Later you mention that you have tried link no. X but it did not work. This should be in first post, don't assume people know what you do. Low quality question with vague info get low quality answers. Link no. X should never be used, may be an idea to mention site/link instead.
If you did give details there is also less risk of getting caught by a postcount hunter or other fools. They will stay clear and opposite post might attract those who actually know something about the problem, have experience other than using Google. Also until you appear somewhat convincing, deliver details, the thing about "I have tried this" is not worth much. Did you really? or is the real question where did you screw up? Not that many like to announce they skipped 50% of a guide to solve something. I don't know that forum but on a typical tech forum declarations about what has been done is to be taken with a grain of salt. Often related to "I will find a faster way to solve this than..." There are several filtering mechanisms at work ;)
40hz:
If you did give details there is also less risk of getting caught by a postcount hunter or other fools. They will stay clear and opposite post might attract those who actually know something about the problem, have experience other than using Google. Also until you appear somewhat convincing, deliver details, the thing about "I have tried this" is not worth much. Did you really? or is the real question where did you screw up? Not that many like to announce they skipped 50% of a guide to solve something. I don't know that forum but on a typical tech forum declarations about what has been done is to be taken with a grain of salt. Often related to "I will find a faster way to solve this than..." There are several filtering mechanisms at work ;)
-Bamse (December 28, 2010, 01:39 AM)
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Of course, none of that would be necessary if the people that didn't want to answer a question - or didn't have enough information to answer it - simply didn't respond at all.
Unfortunately, there's a large number of self-appointed "forum police" types that seem to feel the need to post at length about why they will not answer a question being asked.
Interestingly, these same people never seem to do anything other than remonstrate and lecture people about the "proper way" to use what they seem to feel is their forum. You seldom see them actually provide answers.
Why anybody would want to waste the effort of 100+ words just to say "no" to a complete stranger is beyond my ability to comprehend.
barney:
Why anybody would want to waste the effort of 100+ words just to say "no" to a complete stranger is beyond my ability to comprehend.
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Demonstration of self worth?
A friend and I shut down a sailing forum shortly after we started it because of that. Something like ~80% of the posts were basically saying, "I am important," but had no content, helpful or not, to support that claim. Guess those folk just liked seeing their name(s) on the Web?
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