.
- Personally I do NOT keep an "online library" of this data. I actually look it up every time someone asks and I post a response. Do you have any idea how many hours/week I spend looking this stuff up and typing in/cut and paste (only in some cases) this info? Sometime ask Deena how many hours/day I'm on here!
Yes, Len, I am fully aware of how much time it takes, I do it myself in the PDA forum I moderate. I've got a little program called
Clipmate on my machine that I keep snippets of info in so I can easily answer frequently asked questions without putting myself out too much. I've collected quite a few blurbs, it helps out immensely.
- I don't always have the time to dig up the info and want to do what I can to make others realize that they should "look first and ask later" only if it's not already been covered here dozens of times. Teach to fish vs. giving a fish?
You're not teaching anyone to fish, you're helping them out with some serious info that if they missearch on, could cause them severe trouble.
It has irked me for years that people in forums, mailing lists, newsgroups, whatever, get upset when someone asks what they consider is a rudimentary question - especially when that person has said they tried to search and were unsuccessful. If you don't want to answer, then don't. It just seems churlish to insinuate that the poster is too lazy to search, etc. rather than realize that a: I know the answer b: I learned it from somewhere once, when I was new at things and c: It was awful nice of that person to take the time to help me learn.
Yes, the search function is thorough (11 pages is, however, too thorough), and well worth exploring - but again, if the search has been fruitless why not just answer the question, or if you know of a way to hone the question to get more concise answers, suggest that, rather than the blanket "Search for your own answer" that so often is offered.
Sorry, Len, but this is something that really bothers me, you just pulled my string, nothing personal meant. I'll climb down now.