# Idiotic Questions/Posts **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 26, 2004, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298 "2004-10-26T20:17:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298/1 "2004-10-26T20:17:52Z")
Seems to be a lot of questions posted by either lazy guests or newbies with no concept of how to use search engines to find their own answers. Then posts which amount to aksing how far they can go in “walking on the edge” without actually committing suicide. Some old timers have a record of as many as 1+ PPD with inane questions. Trying to set a record? or What? ---
**Author:** ![Avenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@Avenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avenger)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298/2 "2004-10-26T20:26:06Z")
> [@](#): > > Seems to be a lot of questions posted by either lazy guests or newbies with no concept of how to use search engines to find their own answers. GQ forum would be a bit sparse if people didn’t ask questions that they could probably find out their own answers to. You don’t have to answer. Or even read them. > [@](#): > > Some old timers have a record of as many as 1+ PPD with inane questions. Trying to set a record? or What? I’ve no idea what that means, might go and ask in GQ, see if anyone knows… ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298/3 "2004-10-26T20:36:25Z")
Often people will ask here the sorts of questions that they **could** find answers to by using Google (or another search engine) simply because the answers they’re looking for may be buried in a bunch of opinion, bloguesquery, asshattery, tinhattery, and similar less-than-valuable material. In short, someone who **actually knows the subject** will provide them with a brief (or maybe not), coherent answer to a potentially odd question that doesn’t get into the Mysteries of the Great Pyramid, the DaVinci Code, the latest statement from the Republican National Committee, the scholarly researches into homosexuality of the Family Research Council ( :rolleyes: ), and other things-best-left-disregarded. ---
**Author:** ![Avenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@Avenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avenger)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298/4 "2004-10-26T20:40:02Z")
Yes, I remember the time I tried to use Google to answer a nagging question I had about how to tell the sex of goats. Nasty, nasty business :eek: ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298/5 "2004-10-26T20:40:23Z")
What seems idiotic to you be a perfectly reasonable question for someone else. I have had brain farts of astronomical proportions that I couldn’t find answers to via google etc. Posting them here on the board elicited responses that showed me how my original premises were plain wrong, so it was little wonder that google couldn’t point me in the right direction. And as **Avenger** said, the place would be quite a lot duller than it already is without dummies asking stupid questions. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298/6 "2004-10-26T20:43:44Z")
Seems to also be a lot of boring-ass Pit threads started by people too lazy to delve into specifics or supplement their rant with handy links to illustrate their feeble point. I hate that. Maybe I’ll start a Pit thread about it… ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298/7 "2004-10-26T20:47:52Z")
Thanks for your replies. Just trying to vent some frustrations. Currently struggling with a temporary case of paralitic ileus with a lot of gas and not much else, not even the USP M.O. yet. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298/8 "2004-10-26T20:49:22Z")
I swear - I see more self-righteous posters _bitching_ about people asking questions than I see actual questions. So you know about Google - what do you want? A big sloppy wet kiss? If you don’t like the questions people are asking, stay out of the mother-fucking thread and get on with your life. ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298/9 "2004-10-26T21:05:21Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > Seems to be a lot of questions posted by either lazy guests or newbies with no concept of how to use search engines to find their own answers. FYI wisened old-timer-Guests who have not decided to pay for membership to the Dope yet do NOT get access to the search function. So how can “lazy guests” search? Dumbass. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298/10 "2004-10-26T21:09:15Z")
> [@GaWd](#): > > FYI wisened old-timer-Guests who have not decided to pay for membership to the Dope yet do NOT get access to the search function. So how can “lazy guests” search? Dumbass. Because by “search engine”, the OP is referring to Google and other engines. Dumbass. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298/11 "2004-10-26T21:11:01Z")
Unless of course, you meant search engines in general, not the SDMB search engine. THen you’re just riding around on your high-horse expecting everyone to know what you know or how to find the information. Not everyone is comfortable with search engines or the internet. Sometimes they prefer to get their questions answered by a community they trust. Sam ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298/12 "2004-10-26T21:12:31Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Because by “search engine”, the OP is referring to Google and other engines. Dumbass. 🙂 Hey, bite me ass-Munch. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298/13 "2004-10-26T21:18:11Z")
> [@GaWd](#): > > Hey, bite me ass-Munch. 😉 I swear, March 2000 just wasn’t a good month for the SDMB, was it? Just a bunch of fucking putzes signed up during that period - they must have been giving accounts away for free that month. ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298/14 "2004-10-26T21:23:33Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > I swear, March 2000 just wasn’t a good month for the SDMB, was it? Just a bunch of fucking putzes signed up during that period - they must have been giving accounts away for free that month. Post-“millenia” meltdown hangover. It’s not my fault, I was dropped on my head as an adult! Sam ---
**Author:** ![smartini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@smartini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smartini)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298/15 "2004-10-26T21:29:50Z")
Sometimes the “dumb” questions are the most fun. Some of us have enough angst and drama IRL and come here to goof off amongst people of wit. Knowing, of course that if we have a serious question/problem the same people will give us support and good advice. Lighten up and just enjoy being here…life is short. 🙂 On preview – “people of wit”? Hmmmm…I kinda like that. I think I may start checking “other” on those pesky forms that seek to divide and just write in “people of wit” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298/16 "2004-10-26T21:30:25Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > I swear, March 2000 just wasn’t a good month for the SDMB, was it? Just a bunch of fucking putzes signed up during that period - they must have been giving accounts away for free that month. Yeah, those guys were tools. Thank og we came along and cleaned the place up. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298/17 "2004-10-26T21:32:22Z")
> [@Troy McClure SF](#): > > Yeah, those guys were tools. Thank og we came along and cleaned the place up. 😛 Clever **Troy** , very, very clever. ---
**Author:** ![sangfroid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@sangfroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sangfroid)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298/18 "2004-10-26T23:56:48Z")
> [@Avenger](#): > > Yes, I remember the time I tried to use Google to answer a nagging question I had about how to tell the sex of goats. Nasty, nasty business :eek: Heh. **Avenger** hit it on the head. Try typing something like "pain, balls, both feet’ into your engine of choice. A legitimate question about foot pain yields a flood of, um, questionable results. I admit to asking one or two questions I probably could’ve searched better for myself, but believe it or not, I actually _value_ the opinions, snarky or not, of this interesting and diverse group of prickly pears. I tend to lurk more than I post because there seems to be a bit of an elitist air about some of the more tenured posters, and it’s easy to get jumped for some relatively minor transgression. Plenty more really good folks than ‘bad’, though. You need all sides for a good discussion to work. Besides, I paid my damn 15 bucks; if I want to ask a dumb question, I will. I know I’ll hear about it though…😉 ---
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298/19 "2004-10-27T02:03:33Z")
HEY! I paid $4.95 for you guys to answer my stupid questions…DAMMIT! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298/20 "2004-10-27T02:21:39Z")
Good great googly-moogly, **Springears**. I was just thinking of a question I had this very morning. Yeah, it was “stupid”, I guess (I can’t remember it now). And I did not post it due to fears that some “prickly pear” such as yourself would give me grief about it. But you know what? It’s a helluva lot more interesting and enlightening to post it here. It’s almost like asking questions to real, live people! And often the answers I get are more informative and expansive than what I would find on a g-damn search engine. But, I guess that I should be appropriately chastised. In the future I will never, ever again ask a question in any form, to anyone, flesh or virtual, that I can’t find on Google. I was going to ask my BIL how to hang a heavy mirror, but I guess I can look that up. I was going to ask my sister how to make a tasty roast, but I guess I can look that up. I was going to ask my brother about how to fix a running toilet, but I guess I can look that up. Yipes, the pleasantries of human interaction are annoying and I _didn’t even realize it_! Thank you for contibuting to my personal growth. I go foward a better human bean. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-questions-posts/271298.md?page=2)