# Let Me Google That for You **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 1, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006 "2009-05-01T19:11:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006/1 "2009-05-01T19:11:16Z")
Do you constantly find yourself linking information that could have easily been looked up by the people you’re responding to? I give you: [Let Me Google That for You](http://lmgtfy.com/). You input a Google search, and it provides you with a link that will first (a) demonstrate how to execute the search and then (b) provide the results. An example LMGTFY link: [Oh, you have no idea what Let Me Google That for You is?](http://lmgtfy.com/?q=%22let+me+google+that+for+you%22) ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006/2 "2009-05-01T19:23:02Z")
Haha that’s funny…but hits home too well cuz I could google about 90% of what I ask here. (I like the human contact) ---
**Author:** ![JackofHearts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8c91f0/32.png) [@JackofHearts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackofHearts)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006/3 "2009-05-01T19:26:50Z")
While this is pretty funny the first time someone links it, I’ve seen way more people use it to give smartass answers to legitimate questions. It IS useful but should be reserved only for the most obvious, inane questions, or you just end up looking like a douche for answering with it… ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006/4 "2009-05-01T19:39:47Z")
Well, seeing as it only really works for answering questions that people should have been able to look up on their own, I’m not sure where the problem is. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JackofHearts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8c91f0/32.png) [@JackofHearts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackofHearts)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006/5 "2009-05-01T20:08:24Z")
Let’s just say that I think some people, mostly on certain other message boards, have a strange definition of “things people should have been able to look up on their own” and are a bit quick on the trigger with the LMGTFY nuclear option… ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006/6 "2009-05-01T20:45:46Z")
Well, hopefully we can trust people here to use it wisely. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2009, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006/7 "2009-05-02T03:46:38Z")
Thankfully we’ve grown out of the “Google is your friend” meme. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2009, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006/8 "2009-05-02T15:40:11Z")
I like this one 'cause it still gives the information, but hopefully in a condescending enough way that they just do their own research next time. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006/9 "2009-05-02T15:58:29Z")
I understand (and share) the frustration at people asking questions that could easily have been Googled, but you have to remember that not everyone has the brain power to wield a search engine. Never underestimate the power of human stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2009, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006/10 "2009-05-02T16:19:11Z")
If they’re not smart enough to use the search engine, they won’t be smart enough to get the smack upside the head implied by the LMGTFY link. So, no harm, no foul. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006/11 "2009-05-02T17:14:57Z")
This created a minor blip in GQ like a year ago. I think one or two people used it then stopped. ---
**Author:** ![bink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/439d5e/32.png) [@bink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bink)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006/12 "2009-05-02T17:20:07Z")
It especially bothers me when the word in question is unique and extremely Googleable. Me: “I’ve been checking out Shovelglove lately; it looks really cool.” Them: “Shovelglove? What’s that?” Me: LMGTFY I mean come on. When a word is that unusual, you can probably type it into the location bar and get something useful if you’re too dense to use Google. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006/13 "2009-05-02T17:55:59Z")
And when a question is REALLY stupid, one can always give them [a link to the answer.](http://justfuckinggoogleit.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Satellite\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Satellite\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satellite_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006/14 "2009-05-03T01:57:53Z")
[I beat you to this one.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=506787) S^G ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006/15 "2009-05-03T02:10:07Z")
> [@JackofHearts](#): > > While this is pretty funny the first time someone links it, I’ve seen way more people use it to give smartass answers to legitimate questions. It IS useful but should be reserved only for the most obvious, inane questions, or you just end up looking like a douche for answering with it… If takes being a douche to teach someone to fish, so be it. If it’s a smartass answer, it’s because it was a dumb question. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006/16 "2009-05-03T02:15:30Z")
When I answer someone’s question here on the SDMB with a very simple Google, I am usually disappointed they didn’t just look it up themselves, but am also quietly smug that I got the answer anyway. But most of the time the Googling gets a little more complex, where I have to choose the right search terms, and make some logic jumps, linking from site to site before I find the answer, in which case I feel the searching by proxy was justified. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006/17 "2009-05-03T02:49:11Z")
Jeeze, can you still breathe oxygen up there on those high horses of yours? Do you not see any value to human conversation? I would estimate that over 90% of the things we discuss here could be resolved with a lifetime of Googles. Just because someone tosses out a question does not mean that they were too stupid to navigate a simple search engine. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006/18 "2009-05-03T04:39:10Z")
Deep breaths, Ruby. No one says this was specifically for use **here**. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006/19 "2009-05-04T03:53:48Z")
\ \ \ \ Whew! That was close. I don’t know where it would be OK to use it but I do think there is a kneejerk reaction of **some** folks to look down on the rest of us who relish the joy of conversation, even in the form of a message board. Thanks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006/20 "2009-05-04T19:23:34Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > Jeeze, can you still breathe oxygen up there on those high horses of yours? > > Do you not see any value to human conversation? I would estimate that over 90% of the things we discuss here could be resolved with a lifetime of Googles. Just because someone tosses out a question does not mean that they were too stupid to navigate a simple search engine. When I’m busy at work, and the asshat next to me wants the spelling of a word, WHILE HE’S SITTING AT HIS WORKSTATION THAT HAS THE INTERNET, yes it is quite annoying to have to stop what I’m doing just to engage in his conversation on how to spell a word. It’s stuff like that. And yes, that guy was apparently too stupid to pull up Google, or event [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com), and to engage another employee who is obviously working on something else. That doesn’t mean I don’t engage in conversation. It’s the simplicity of questions and situations like that where they’re clearly capable of figuring it out on their own, but they won’t and don’t, ever it seems. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-google-that-for-you/495006.md?page=2)