Quality of questions.

[Sebastian]

I would love to have the endurence to answer all the questions in this forum...

But it's impossible and it's not easy either. Lots of people are just firing off the top of the head without even trying. Doesn't matter if it's linux or windows or what. Try.. search and find online before comming here to ask. Cause some of the questions of NT/2000 could really be solved if the person just go and poke around their system abit.

I mean i just saw a question about Q3A here. That isn't an OS guys...

 

[Spiff]

What I notice is that the people asking the questions don't bother reading the forum. All too often I see the same question asked in half a dozen or more threads within hours or days of each other.

Look through the last couple day's worth of threads before posting your question. 9 times out of 10, the answer has already been provided.

I also have issues with the quality of the answers give in this bbs. If you don't know what it is you are talking about, then don't try to answer the question. All too often I see people given incorrect information to other people. It's very frustrating trying to correct the myths that are created due to someone's lack of knowledge... and then spreading that misinformation.

Now don't jump all over me. I'm not telling people to not post questions nor am I suggesting anyone not be helpful... but the key here is being "helpful". Providing incorrect information is in no way helpful at all and only serves to further hinder people in the long run.

Furthermore, I am not criticizing anyone for their lack of knowledge about any given subject. I don't know it all, and I don't expect anyone else to know it all either. That's why places like this exist... to expand our knowledge or may to simply get something working that wasn't working before.

However, I will criticize you for passing along misinformation. If you don't understand it, then don't pass along your whacked solutions... this does nothing at all to help anyone.


/rant off

 

[warlord]

spiff, I agree totally with you, but don't you think if someone doesn't know, they aren't going to answer. I've been corrected on different subjects in different forums, but in each case I thought I knew what I was talking about, until ofcourse someone explained why I was wrong.

I guess I'm just saying, obviously the person thinks they are right, otherwise why would they say anything. unless ofcourse it was just way, way, way off base, and they were delusional then we can just chaulk those up to stupid people

 

[Spiff]

I know when I don't what I'm talking about. I know when I'm only guessing about something because "that was how I got it to work"

All it takes is some honesty with yourself and being realistic.

I'll also add this... 9 times out of 10 when the following are said, then it's probably inaccurate at the least, or just completely wrong:

"You have to..."
"You must..."
"Well I had to..."
"The only way I could..."

and so forth...

This is simply a common thing when I see statements that are off base.

Now as I stated before, I'm not criticizing anyone for trying to be nice nor for any ignorance they may have. A person cannot be held at fault for ignorance of a subject.

But I do find fault when instead of trying to find the correct solution, those persons pass off bad info.

Think of it as customer service. When you call any company for some kind of assistance (not necessarily technical), a good rep will consult with those that have the requisite knowledge or they will go research that information. But a rep should never provide answers that are incorrect, nor answers of "Well... I think... I'm not sure... I don't know..." That's just bad business.