First - google, then - ask?
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charlieg wrote:
Most of the time when people ask me a question and I don't already know the answer - I say, "Google is your friend."
I agree with the points made in this thread, but I wanted to throw out a kind of counterpoint. I've seen people on some Usenet newsgroups ask questions only to be met with the "Google is your friend" response. Sometimes it's appropriate, but other times the question being asked is unique enough, or the person is interested specifically in the opinions of the regulars, that responding by telling them to look it up on Google comes across as patronizing. So while I agree that many posters need to do more research when posting, I hope the "Google is your friend" doesn't become a cliche. By the way, sometimes when I'm researching an issue and I'm searching through Google's Usenet archives, the first hits on a search are posts where the response is to use Google to find the answer. It strikes me as funny because that's exactly what I'm trying to do. Feels like running an empty loop when that happens.
The problem is that a big portion of questions asked are not "researching an issue", but are very general questions on basic programming tasks.
------------------------- Don't worry, be happy :o)
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Hi everyone! One big thing that annoys me in CodeProject forums is that most (newbie) posters don't even search for the subjects of their questions. They post a question, and wait for someone to bring them the solution. 99% of answers I give on "Web Development" and "VB.NET" forums are a series of links fetched through the Google - and these links are, usually, 1st, 2nd and 3rd link Google gives to my request. Shouldn't the "How to get an answer to your question" begin with: "1. At first try to ask your question to the search engine like Google or Yahoo. 2. If search engine gives nothing of interest, ..." ?
------------------------- Don't worry, be happy :o)
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I think it should be: 1. Inside posting form; 2. AJAX thing that shows 10 top sites that Google gives to the keywords in {question subject}; 3. Posting form should have "Cancel" button. What if a newbie finds Google's answers ok? :-)
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Dmitry Khudorozhkov wrote:
shows 10 top sites that Google gives to the keywords i
Careful what you ask for. I dread to think what the keywords "access friend member" might display in the Forum.:-O
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
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I think it should be: 1. Inside posting form; 2. AJAX thing that shows 10 top sites that Google gives to the keywords in {question subject}; 3. Posting form should have "Cancel" button. What if a newbie finds Google's answers ok? :-)
------------------------- Don't worry, be happy :o)
Dmitry Khudorozhkov wrote:
What if a newbie finds Google's answers ok?
I am not sure how they could find this[^] helpful. But then, they are newbies...
We are a big screwed up dysfunctional psychotic happy family - some more screwed up, others more happy, but everybody's psychotic joint venture definition of CP
My first real C# project | Linkify!|FoldWithUs! | sighist -
Hi everyone! One big thing that annoys me in CodeProject forums is that most (newbie) posters don't even search for the subjects of their questions. They post a question, and wait for someone to bring them the solution. 99% of answers I give on "Web Development" and "VB.NET" forums are a series of links fetched through the Google - and these links are, usually, 1st, 2nd and 3rd link Google gives to my request. Shouldn't the "How to get an answer to your question" begin with: "1. At first try to ask your question to the search engine like Google or Yahoo. 2. If search engine gives nothing of interest, ..." ?
------------------------- Don't worry, be happy :o)
Theres always that 5% that want it done for them. In college I worked in the schools computer room as an aide and then as an operator and you could tell when there was assignment due cause the place would be crammed and all these young kids would be asking the stupidest questions that hey should have learned in class. But about 5% of these people asked there questions in such a way as they more or less expected me to do there work and I refused. It didn't end there all through my career I have coached and taught these grads in the market place and did it for a while but got disgusted because they didn't want to learn they just wanted it done for them! Sorry for the rant...Whew got that off my chest. Thanks Mike
You can do anything you want but you pay for everything you do!
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Most of the time when people ask me a question and I don't already know the answer - I say, "Google is your friend." It amazes me how many blank stares I get.... I sort of expect this from my in-laws and those less technically inclined, but for those of us that love CP and/or use the internet every day, there just is no excuse. Poster has a good point, and so does mr. chen :)
Charlie Gilley Will program for food... Whoever said children were cheaper by the dozen... lied. Yeah, whatever....
charlieg wrote:
Most of the time when people ask me a question and I don't already know the answer - I say, "Google is your friend."
or just GIYF :)
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Hi everyone! One big thing that annoys me in CodeProject forums is that most (newbie) posters don't even search for the subjects of their questions. They post a question, and wait for someone to bring them the solution. 99% of answers I give on "Web Development" and "VB.NET" forums are a series of links fetched through the Google - and these links are, usually, 1st, 2nd and 3rd link Google gives to my request. Shouldn't the "How to get an answer to your question" begin with: "1. At first try to ask your question to the search engine like Google or Yahoo. 2. If search engine gives nothing of interest, ..." ?
------------------------- Don't worry, be happy :o)
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Hi everyone! One big thing that annoys me in CodeProject forums is that most (newbie) posters don't even search for the subjects of their questions. They post a question, and wait for someone to bring them the solution. 99% of answers I give on "Web Development" and "VB.NET" forums are a series of links fetched through the Google - and these links are, usually, 1st, 2nd and 3rd link Google gives to my request. Shouldn't the "How to get an answer to your question" begin with: "1. At first try to ask your question to the search engine like Google or Yahoo. 2. If search engine gives nothing of interest, ..." ?
------------------------- Don't worry, be happy :o)
I've seen this too. Personally I don't think I've EVER had a question that couldn't be answered by doing research on my own, whether it took me 2 minutes or 10 days. The problem is the kids who are growing up in an age of instant gratification don't have any idea how to do something for themseleves, so they want someone else to do it for them. Sorry to sound so negative, but thats the way I see it. In an aside, the most frustrating thing for me is to spend 2 days looking online for really esoteric reasons for why my code doesn't work when I KNOW its right.. and it turns out to be some stupid mispelling or the like on my part.
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I've seen this too. Personally I don't think I've EVER had a question that couldn't be answered by doing research on my own, whether it took me 2 minutes or 10 days. The problem is the kids who are growing up in an age of instant gratification don't have any idea how to do something for themseleves, so they want someone else to do it for them. Sorry to sound so negative, but thats the way I see it. In an aside, the most frustrating thing for me is to spend 2 days looking online for really esoteric reasons for why my code doesn't work when I KNOW its right.. and it turns out to be some stupid mispelling or the like on my part.
mnvkng76 wrote:
I don't think I've EVER had a question that couldn't be answered by doing research on my own
You've apparently never tried searching MSDN. It's usually faster and more relevant to search on Google, and let that service find what you need on MSDN or TechNet.
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
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mnvkng76 wrote:
I don't think I've EVER had a question that couldn't be answered by doing research on my own
You've apparently never tried searching MSDN. It's usually faster and more relevant to search on Google, and let that service find what you need on MSDN or TechNet.
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
