Anyone else find it annoying...

[Meerkatdawg]

when answers can be easily found in a google search without posting? There are many questions on here that are worthy of posting and I love a good head scratcher, but when I see full lyrics posted and someone's asking what the song is, would it be that difficult to find out with an online search instead? Maybe I've been bitten a bit online. I hate being told to go research after posting a query on an unfriendly foum. Answerbank is so friendly that you'd never be told off and sent packing which is great, no such thing as a stupid questions after all...but still. You know what I'm getting at surely?

[Meerkatdawg]

It's not hard though is it? If people manage to copy and paste here, then surely you could do that on Google. And when you post a complete song, I doubt if it's going to change anything to suit itself.

[Buenchico]

I don't find it annoying but I do sometimes wonder why someone would want to wait for an indefinite period for an answer here, rather than use Google for an instant 'reply'!

I've also found that the effort required to provide an answer is inversely proportional to the likelihood of getting any form of response from the questioner. When I post an answer that took me about 10 seconds to google I nearly always get profuse thanks - but if I stay up all night to research a complex question I never even find out if my answer helped the questioner. (The AB member I helped by giving him a guided tour of Paris only gave me the briefest of thanks and ignored me online thereafter).

Oh well, c'est la vie!

[stewey]

There used to be a person on here who, if you asked a question which could be "looked up" would send you to a Google page that said something like "See how simple this is", and your question would appear on Google with a little arrow and the statement "See how easy this is". It was was quite infantile and grossly condescending. As you say, it's much more interesting to ask "real" people.

[Buenchico]

Stewey:
I think I know the site that you're referring to. I do use it here myself but only to help people learn how to use Google properly. For example, if I wanted to show someone how to restrict Google to searching a specific website I would post a link like this:
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=stewey+site%3Atheanswerbank.co.uk

[stewey]

It appears, Chris, that you were trying to be helpful; however, this other individual had the attitude of "How stupid are you".

[baza]

I think I know the individual you mean!!!

[Svejk]

Some people probably just want to 'join in'. Most, who can, enjoy giving answers as well.

[Maydup]

Equally, when I ask a question I sometimes find it annoying to be given a link which is the result of a simple and first hit google search. Thinking - yeh I can do that, what I wanted was real life advice or experience.

Luckily, as you say, AB is friendly and all manner of answers are available in the end.

[boxtops]

It's annoying sometimes - other times I think "I'd like to know that too" - but I still have to google myself to find the answer and post it on here.

[naomi24]

I try to find answers before resorting to posting questions - but perhaps some people just like to join in and have a chat, so find something to talk about.

[Hopkirk]

Hey Stewey, I used your lmgtfy link, and look what came up

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Answerbank-Suggestions/Question389604.html

[ummmm]

No, I don't find it annoying. Then again, I don't go into Q&P's.

[Dee Sa]

the crossword sections are the worst, people post questions that you have already looked up in Google so you know they could do it too.
Also same section why on earth dont they ask for a Spellchecker for xmas ? be a lot quicker than typing it out or use One Across which does it for you ?

[boxtops]

It should be made more clear (for Crosswords and Q&P) that there is a Search function - sometimes the same clue is asked several times, a search would throw up the answer

[nannybooby]

when you know the answer all questions look silly! No I dont find it annoying ,most of us have days when we need things explained slowly by an adult!

[Bluestone]

But if everyone did do that, then there would be no AnswerBank, or Yahoo Answers... and all the others.
I think asking questions on here, to real people, is a bit like asking a friend or a work colleague something. You know you'll get good, honest advice... most of the time.
The idiots that post the "see how easy it is" links just make themselves look stupid. What's the post of being on a Q&A site if that's your contribution?

[Mosaic]

I think much depends on how the question is phrased. It is quite simple to add a phrase that is inviting people's specialised knowledge. When you get an obvious and rather blunt posting of an assignment title, I regard a link to lmgtfy as an appropriate answer.
Like Chris has said, occasionally you assist a poster quite extensively and receive little or no acknowledgement from them.
If a poster feels aggrieved by an answer, to me it makes sense to state as much in the thread.

[Old_Geezer]

It bemuses me. But I guess it never hurts to ask where you trust the answers ;-)