"Do a Search" mentality

[Ashore]

It must be time to go outside and throw a stick for the dog...

To save searching for a stick for the dog I usually keep one near the back door
However if I go to the park a tennis racket and tennis ball will give him a better run



I smile because I 't know what the hell is going on.

[silentC]

hope you enjoyed playing with the dog

No, I couldn't find the stick. The dog looked at me as if to say "well, search for it". I said "don't you start" and came back inside..... Is it beer o'clock yet?

[B.J.Honeycut]

To put it bluntly I dislike it when peoples only reply is: DO A SEARCH....there have been a few in the past. The board whent through a couple of weeks of that a while back.

I've only been a member for a few weeks and so perhaphs my view was skewed by this. But as the Poll currently stands, I'm obviously not alone. That doesn't change the fact that I still think this is one of the most informative and helpful forums I have ever been a member of.

I'll have one of those beers too SilentC, it might shut me up

[craigb]

So what's rhe alternative?

The people that have been hanging around here for ages, know that the info is on the board. Perhaps they've even contributed to the topic in the past.

However, they might not feel like repeating themselves ad nauseum so they perhaps suggest that a search might turn up the information the person is after.

Now they know that if the profer that advice then they are going to get howled down. So what are they going to do? Not answer the post perhaps?

Then the next whinge will be "How come none of you people that have been around so long ever respond to newcomers posts?"

You can't win.

And I think that there have actually been very few occasions that anybody has ever been rudely told to "Do a Search"

[silentC]

I've just spent a couple of minutes over my afternoon cuppa looking at some of the threads turned up by a search on "do a search" (with the quotes). I picked a few at random and could not find a single one that I would consider to be dismissive in any way shape or form. In every case, it was along the lines of this one, which was typical:

I never got to use a lathe at High School, but my first turning was a mallet also.

I found a bit of laminated 4x4 pine near a house going up, and that mallet gets used for everything! It's probably the most used tool I own.

Do a search on here, as there are a few other discussions about mallet design, and a few other pics as well.

I turned a (large) mallet for my (large) Tongan brother-in-law a few weeks back, out of a chunk of Jarrah, as he's into doing "native carvings". I'd guess the handle is about the same diameter as the head of your mallet )

Look forward to seeing your 2nd, 3rd, and so on ... turnings.

Now can anyone see anything wrong with that?

[B.J.Honeycut]

So what's rhe alternative?

And I think that there have actually been very few occasions that anybody has ever been rudely told to "Do a Search"

I don't think telling someone to "do a search" is rude, it's just not very helpful.

[Sturdee]

So what's rhe alternative?

The people that have been hanging around here for ages, know that the info is on the board. Perhaps they've even contributed to the topic in the past.

However, they might not feel like repeating themselves ad nauseum so they perhaps suggest that a search might turn up the information the person is after.

Now they know that if they proffer that advice then they are going to get howled down. So what are they going to do? Not answer the post perhaps?

Then the next whinge will be "How come none of you people that have been around so long ever respond to newcomers posts?"

You can't win.

And I think that there have actually been very few occasions that anybody has ever been rudely told to "Do a Search"

In the past I've been accused of being unhelpful by telling newbies to "Do a search" even pointing out that the FAQ shows how to do it. In those cases I thought I was being helpfull as even a rudimentary search would have found the answer immediately as I knew that it was answered less than 2 weeks previously.

Often we also see 2 or 3 threads running side by side on the same subject when a quick search would have avoided that.

So now I only answer new questions or the question indicates that a search was done and there are aspects that need clarification.

BTW Silent I agree with you.

Peter.

[Driver]

I was going to answer "Yes" to Darren's question when I read his first post on this thread. However, having now read through the rest of the posts, I've changed my mind.

With occasional exceptions, the majority of questions people ask on this BB are answered comprehensively and helpfully. Those rare posts that dismiss the question with a "Do a Search" response and no further help are most often outweighed by the helpful responses.

If I thought that this BB was populated by a bunch of elitists who turned their backs on people looking for advice, I wouldn't bother being a member. In fact, I'd probably summon up the Mother Farcquar to sort you all out - preparatory to picking up my jar of MFKL and going home!

Col

[Sturdee]

.........picking up my jar of MFKL and going home!

Col

And for those who don't know what a jar of MFKL is, please do a search and all will be revealed.



Peter.

[TassieKiwi]

So now I only answer new questions or the question indicates that a search was done and there are aspects that need clarification.

BTW Silent I agree with you.

Peter.

Me too. If the post starts with...'I did a search and ....." that's cool.

This seems to polarise people enough to warant a line or two in the "BB Rules" - I think that novices just don't think to do a search, so maybe "Notice to newcomers - please do a search on the BB on a new subject before asking numbnuts obvious questions" would help. ?????

As to why people get upset either way, well search me.

[Eastie]

I did a search and found that I've used the phrase 0.8% of the time, or around 1:100 posts. Do a search and you can work out your "Do A Search" rating. Draft rating scale as follows:
<1:100 = although you haven't use the term often - are you really offering all the help you could?
1:100 - 1:50 = quite good (up there with Eastie!)
1:50 - 1:10 = acceptable, but only if used in conjuction with other more helpful phrases in most of your "Do a Search" posts.
>1:10 = have you tested your blood sugar levels lately?

[JackoH]

I don't think that it is unreasonable to ask/expect people to do a search when they have got a specific question about a specific problem. There is a wealth of info in the archives. However should they not be satisfied with the answers they find, then by all means ask the question. One also has to realise that what is said here in print may not exactly represent the query/answer that is desired. We are not all Professors of English 'as she is spoke'!
I can't believe I said that! :eek:
I voted 'No' as well!

[Sturdee]

Draft rating scale as follows:
<1:100 = although you haven't use the term often - are you really offering all the help you could?
1:100 - 1:50 = quite good (up there with Eastie!)
1:50 - 1:10 = acceptable, but only if used in conjuction with other more helpful phrases in most of your "Do a Search" posts.
>1:10 = have you tested your blood sugar levels lately?

Eastie, my rating is <1:100 and I still got told of.


Peter.

[Gumby]

Sometimes suggesting that people do a search is just as, if not more, helpful than answering the question. I do not however, agree with the 'grumpy' approach of telling a newbie to do a search and that's it. I give some a advice and also suggest a search. If you don't tell them to do a search, they will miss out on lots of other important information. IT ISN'T RUDE TO SUGGEST IT !!!!
This is exactly what Silent did in the thread which started this stuff again. He got stomped on for being helpful and that was VERY poor form.

[Justin]

Gotta agree with you there Gumby, it's all in the delivery. Rudeness would be to just say "do a search" and that's it, but wrapping some additional information around it and also pointing to the archives is, IMHO, good form.


Cheers,


Justin.