Why are there so many questions on the SMBD forums that the poster could find the answer for him/herself if they weren’t too lazy (or ignorant) to do a web search.
No more of looking up a web site to answer a question. At most a suggestion as to what to ask for in the search engine.
What say ye?
“Beware of the Cog”
The struggle against ignorance demands generosity.
'Cause it’s hard to find out stuff about Sado-Masochism, Bondage and Discipline on a web search without being bombarded with porno.
Uh, you did say SMBD forum, didn’t you?
Dude, Cecil manages to do it all the time…well, then again, he uses books…
I say ‘get bent’.
You’re too busy to answer the question, then don’t answer it. But don’t act high and mighty over those who ask. It doesn’t make you look smart, it makes you look like a prick.
Because getting your knowledge increased here is just so much more sociable and elegant!
Because
The SDMB is more accurate, and often faster, for stuff like that than a Web search.
This is a Web site. A Web search would just show you other Web sites. Why is this Web site any worse a choice to find the info than the other ones?
People like it here.
Plus, hell, the point of half the questions is to start the discussion.
Many questions may have many possible answers. It’s not like I’m seeing a lot of ‘What is 2 plus 2’ threads with flat factual answers.
Most of the threads lend themselves to answers from different angles. That’s part of the fun.
Because the answers one finds here are just so much more stylish than one finds elsewhere on the 'Net.
Where else can you participate in a discussion of whether or not God is a Homo?
A lot of the time when I open up a thread in GQ, it’s because the OP has a question I’d never even thought to ask. Where would I be if he’d decided to just do a web search?
Because easy questions give the rest of us a chance to look smart, too.
Yeah, especially since handy has been banned.
Isn’t someone going to make a 1920’s style death computers quip?
I like that! And I was looking for a new sig. May I?
This is usually why I open threads in GQ too. It’s why I love to browse in library stacks. It’s the thrill of the discovery.
Now I admit that there are some pretty stupid questions that get asked (and, despite what our elementary school teachers said, there ARE stupid questions) but generally the Teeming Millions can be depended on to mock the querent soundly.
And I have to admit that I’m damned near computer illiterate myself. If I just googled up a website, how do I know that it’s not being run by some complete idjit? I know and respect a lot of posters on thie message board. I know and DON’T respect a lot of others…but at least I know which ones are generally sound, and which are generally full of hot air.
The SDMB operates in a similar fashion to the Borg collective- many bits of individual intelligence, widsom, and experience come together to make a good thread. I think it’s more enjoyable to ask a question here, because you never really know where the answers will lead you.
The difference betwwen the collective and the SDMB is that each poster has a distinct personality whether they agree with the collective wisdom or not.
Besides, where else could you go to ask the tough and embarrasing questions without having to fight too many flames? If you don’t act like a jerk and phrase your question in the right way, you can ask about virtually anything- any subject, mundane or exotic.
Just look at the responses in this thread alone…
Isn’t someone going to make a 1920’s style death computers quip?
If you use google, you won’t run into the wonderful me!!!
(All Hail ME!!!)
EXACTLY!
Any time I’ve had computer trouble, I’ve come to the SDMB, generally, because I trust you guys.
And a lot of websites I look at confuse the hell out of me.