# Stop with the easily googled questions in GQ **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 19, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750 "2010-08-19T16:37:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750/21 "2010-08-19T21:50:19Z")
How is babby formed? ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750/22 "2010-08-19T22:19:51Z")
I agree with the OP. Pssssht, questions in GQ? WTF, people? Also, don’t you have friends and family you can share your mundane, pointless stuff with, and neighbors that you can fight with like in the pit, and you know, tv shows and music lovers have forums online elsewhere, you can debate things with people in your community, and you can seek opinions about things with your coworkers. God, quit posting here, everybody!! ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750/23 "2010-08-19T22:22:08Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > When I did a search, the very first hit gave the answer. ## So how _did_ you [clear that paper jam](http://www.google.com/search?q=%22Officejet+J6840%22+paper+jam&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a) on [your printer](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=575107)? 😉 Sometimes, the anonymous internet people of the SDMB give more thorough answers than a quick google. No harm in exploiting that, so long as it’s not done to excess\*. \*excess being the point where it starts to annoy some significant number of posters. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750/24 "2010-08-19T22:33:55Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > Nowhere does it say the questions have to be hard, easy, googliabbble, interesting or anything you can think of.\*." Yes it does, actually. From the [General Questions Rules](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=466202): > [@](#): > > 1. Please take some time to consider if your proposed thread is really a General Question; General Questions is for factual questions only. … Perhaps more importantly, many queries can be solved with a simple web search. Please give your favorite search engine a shot if you can before starting a thread. By the same token, we aren’t interested in hearing about how stupid the question was because a search could have answered the question. Nor are we interested in hearing how simple it was for another poster to find the answer in a search engine. If it’s that simple to find the answer, go ahead and post the answer. > [@](#): > > Every fucking question ever asked in GQ was googlyable, Not really. This said, I consider posting really simple questions a problem only if a particular poster does so persistently. As you say, simple questions can sometimes result in interesting answers. And I don’t consider the question linked to in the OP as a particularly bad one. Many posters ignore the second part of the rule. If it’s really that easy to Google, then give the answer yourself. If you can’t be bothered, then don’t reply. If you find someone asking simple question really annoying, then report it and let a moderator deal with it. But posting “just Google it” is just as much against the rules as posting a simple question is. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750/25 "2010-08-19T22:40:47Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > > [@bucketybuck](#): > > > > Nowhere does it say the questions have to be hard, easy, googliabbble, interesting or anything you can think of.\*." > > Yes it does, actually. > > From the [General Questions Rules](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=466202): I was going to check if there was anything in the rules about it, but nothing came up on my google search. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750/26 "2010-08-19T22:43:52Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > > [@John\_Mace](#): > > > > When I did a search, the very first hit gave the answer. > > So how _did_ you [clear that paper jam](http://www.google.com/search?q=%22Officejet+J6840%22+paper+jam&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a) on [your printer](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=575107)? 😉 I haven’t. But I did a lot of searching before I posted that thread. I even found someone with a similar problem-- printer says it has a paper jam when it doesn’t. That person never got an answer either, other than the standard HP procedure that I already tried. I’m pretty sure at this point that it’s a software malfunction, but I’m going to give it a good air hosing with compressed air. So, I guess I’m not seeing what your point is. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750/27 "2010-08-19T23:06:07Z")
I hate Google, like… 80! ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750/28 "2010-08-19T23:42:44Z")
Three thoughts: 1. > [@bucketybuck](#): > > …What numpties like the OP dont get is that a forum such as GQ can offer more than just easy answers to questions. Very true–googleepistemism (the belief that all things are knowable through Google) has sapped much of world’s curiosity of necessary vigor. 1. If we stopped creating threads in which we ask a question for someone else to google for us, many people around here would suddenly be without a purpose in life. 2. He has a point, in that, if you want to say, “My son is SO cute and smart,” just say it. Don’t disguise it as intellectual inquiry. Similarly, if you want to say, “I’m such an interesting person because I put salsa on my waffles,” just say it in MPSIMS. You don’t need to start an IMHO thread called, “Things you do that other people simply can’t understand.” Because really, you don’t care about what all the hundreds of other people are going to post after your OP. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750/29 "2010-08-19T23:50:59Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > How is babby formed? I’m very sorry for your lots. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750/30 "2010-08-20T00:58:02Z")
> [@what\_do\_I\_type\_here](#): > > Doesn’t this seem like something that could be googled in 4 seconds? > > It’s not technically against the rules but it bugs me. So your kid did something cute. That’s awesome. If you want to talk about it, we have forums like MPSIMS. But don’t pose mathematical problems in GQ that can be solved with google and a calculator and 4 seconds. If you really believe this, let me give you a simple problem and you tell me the right answer through a quick google search. I really want you to try this since you are the one bitching about it and we can give you feedback on your answer. Here is the question: My friend and I want to hike the coast of Maine this summer. How long will this walk be if we follow the shoreline? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750/31 "2010-08-20T01:10:59Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > If you really believe this, let me give you a simple problem and you tell me the right answer through a quick google search. I really want you to try this since you are the one bitching about it and we can give you feedback on your answer. > > Here is the question: > > My friend and I want to hike the coast of Maine this summer. How long will this walk be if we follow the shoreline? 228 miles. Took about 15 seconds. The search, that is, not the walk. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750/32 "2010-08-20T01:11:34Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] Sometimes, the anonymous internet people of the SDMB give more thorough answers than a quick google. No harm in exploiting that, so long as it’s not done to excess\*. [/QUOTE] That’s my philosophy. Sometimes I ask very vertically skilled questions and don’t get any useful answers at all. But it doesn’t hurt to ask, as you never know who might have some bit of knowledge you need, or get you thinking in a new direction. Sometimes I ask really, REALLY stupid questions (especially back in the days when I was drinking heavily), but, even then, embarrassment aside, it was a learning experience, sometimes learning stuff I already knew but was too drunk to remember, sometimes learning new stuff. My only problem with GQ is that sometimes 'dopers have no patience at all, and they jump in a thread just to be exasperated (that seems to be the case with the OP here). I’m always puzzled why anyone would even bother posting to a thread they feel is a ‘stupid question’, or simply come in to make fun of the fat drunk Hispanic guy, or, er, whatever. 😛 -XT ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750/33 "2010-08-20T01:20:53Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > 228 miles. Took about 15 seconds. The search, that is, not the walk. And that is wrong of course potentially even as much as it is possible for something to be wrong but maybe not depending on the way you look at it. I am still waiting on the OP to try it before I give my answer. A simple google search failed you but the information is there on the web if you combine it in the right way which is what this board is all about. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750/34 "2010-08-20T01:31:22Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > > [@bucketybuck](#): > > > > LOADOFUCKINGBULLSHIT. > > > > “General questions” is a forum for posting questions which have factual answers. Nowhere does it say the questions have to be hard, easy, googliabbble, interesting or anything you can think of. From the forum header; > > “_Got a factual question for the Teeming Millions (and possibly Cecil) to consider? Post it here_.” > > From the forum rules: > > > [@](#): > > > > Perhaps more importantly, many queries can be solved with a simple web search. Please give your favorite search engine a shot if you can before starting a thread. I agree in principle that GQ should have some sort of “scrubbed clean” facade of factual content, but the fact remains that its still an internet messageboard and YMMV. I’m with those that would generally prefer questions to be unique and not have easy answers, but also with those that derive nuance from supposedly “easily-google-able” answers to questions as well. I agree that if it becomes a particular problem with a certain poster then they should be redirected with the mod version of the rolled up newspaper to the snout. I like the way this forum is moderated already, as despite its rules, there is still a small place for snark and humor as long as its deftly and delicately presented within the context of a thread. I’m rambling but I can’t get on board with the uproar over what may or may not be easy answers via google unless its excessive. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750/35 "2010-08-20T01:42:06Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > > [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > > > 228 miles. Took about 15 seconds. The search, that is, not the walk. > > And that is wrong of course potentially even as much as it is possible for something to be wrong but maybe not depending on the way you look at it. I am still waiting on the OP to try it before I give my answer. A simple google search failed you but the information is there on the web if you combine it in the right way which is what this board is all about. It’s unclear to me what you’re talking about, but my figure is supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Granted, [maine.gov](http://maine.gov) claims “3478 miles (5600 kilometers) of tidally-influenced shoreline” but it’s unclear if that’s walkable, so if you’re using the latter figure, I’d request clarification of the original question. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750/36 "2010-08-20T01:58:55Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > > [@Shagnasty](#): > > > > And that is wrong of course potentially even as much as it is possible for something to be wrong but maybe not depending on the way you look at it. I am still waiting on the OP to try it before I give my answer. A simple google search failed you but the information is there on the web if you combine it in the right way which is what this board is all about. > > It’s unclear to me what you’re talking about, but my figure is supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Granted, [maine.gov](http://maine.gov) claims “3478 miles (5600 kilometers) of tidally-influenced shoreline” but it’s unclear if that’s walkable, so if you’re using the latter figure, I’d request clarification of the original question. This isn’t the brain teaser forum but you are going in the right direction. There is also a reason for the wildly different answers. It started out as a simple math problem that should be easy to google. I don’t want to string you along but I am curious to see the answer **what do I type here** can google so quickly and why it seems to be the correct one. That is what GQ is all about on a good day. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750/37 "2010-08-20T02:09:42Z")
Unless you’re looking for additional details or insight into what appears to be an easy answer, I pretty much agree with the OP. It takes less time and energy to go to Google (or Yahoo or Bing) and type something in than to come here and post a question, then come back later for the answer. But then, I work in Tech Support, we have a department chatroom for tech support questions, and I’m constantly amazed that people ask questions OVER AND OVER that have been answered not five minutes earlier (hint: scroll the fuck up a couple of responses and it’s right there) or other things so easily googled or found on THE FRONT PAGE of the relevant tech specs page. It is infuriating to have six people ask the same fucking question in less than an hour, or to have people asking how to resolve something that is in the top five items on the front page of the very system they have to go into just to fucking log in for the day. I’ve gotten some negative feedback for posting “Google is your friend” in the chatroom, but I get a lot of positive feedback from other experienced agents and supervisors when I ask why these people are too fucking lazy to look really basic shit up for themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750/38 "2010-08-20T02:33:48Z")
Read The Fucking Internet! ---
**Author:** ![El\_Presidente](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@El\_Presidente](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Presidente)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750/39 "2010-08-20T03:16:45Z")
> [@what\_do\_I\_type\_here](#): > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12812838](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12812838) > > Doesn’t this seem like something that could be googled in 4 seconds? > > It’s not technically against the rules but it bugs me. So your kid did something cute. That’s awesome. If you want to talk about it, we have forums like MPSIMS. But don’t pose mathematical problems in GQ that can be solved with google and a calculator and 4 seconds. > > I know I sound like an asshole but GQ is in my opinion one of the most interesting boards on the Internet and I hate seeing something so interesting watered down by crap like this. > > Oh hold on, a kitten says she loves me and wants to know the population of New Brunswick, NJ. I better post about it on a message board instead of looking it up on Wikipedia which will take 1.03 seconds. > > Feh. What brilliant threads have YOU posted on GQ that are better? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750/40 "2010-08-20T04:21:57Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > I was going to check if there was anything in the rules about it, but nothing came up on my google search. [Just Google it.](http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=straight+dope+general+questions+rules&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=) 😉 > [@El\_Presidente](#): > > What brilliant threads have YOU posted on GQ that are better? [Here they are.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/search.php?searchid=5613450) A total of 15 posts in two years. He’s provided almost no useful information himself; almost all of his responses were opinion, anecdote, or snarking at other posters. A paragon of GQ. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-with-the-easily-googled-questions-in-gq/550750.md?page=3)