Search It!
So I have found that when you pose a question to people on any website really some person will inevitably say "try Google" or "look on the internet." Of course I could spend time on a search engine looking up all the recipes and ideas of people. However isn't the point of me or anyone for that matter posting a question to get feedback from readers? This is a way to get personal experiences and a way to shorten the process not to mention the stimulating conversation that could arise. When you don't necessarily know the answer to a question that does not mean to tell me to search it!
Can anyone relate to this? Now this may not seem to be related to food at all, so I will make it!
This is a call to all of you out there who still have a food question which has not been answer because someone told you to just search it!
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12 Comments:
In my experience, asking a question without spending at least a little bit of time to research it yourself doesn't show respect for the community's time as a whole. Especially if the question has a yes/no or otherwise concrete answer.
When you ask your question, display the fact that you have done at least some basic research first; this will help establish that you're not being lazy, but looking for personal anecdotes, other user's experiences, trying to start a debate, whatever.
Otherwise, people will just assume you're taking a shortcut and not contributing back to the community.
kathryn at 11:41PM on 11/02/09
@kathryn, well said.
I might add that one of the first places to search is right here in the SE search function to make sure the topic hasn't already been exhausted in a recent, previous thread.
czken at 3:13AM on 11/03/09
I find there's a difference in questions that ask for an opinion, and those that ask for specific information, which often commenters graciously look up for the questioner without pointing out the obvious, that the Talker could have also done this.
lemonfair at 6:56AM on 11/03/09
Not all members of this community are as kind as you assumed, just ignore the comments that aren't helpful.
SSMom at 8:00AM on 11/03/09
Agreed, and incorporated into the question I just posted. I think the commenters directing posters to the internet for answers are kings of the obvious.
finewinendine at 8:08AM on 11/03/09
I'm trying to search on SE but all I get, usually, is one page that has nothing to do with the subject I was researching. This has been a problem since the "new Improvements" were established on the site. Any ideas?
bessfour at 8:43AM on 11/03/09
@kathryn and @lemonfair -- agreed.
I post on numerous (often non-food related) throughout the day, and in my experience there's a huge spectrum of posters ranging from a) the lazy person who has a very obvious yes/no answer, and has clearly not taken the time to do research, and b) the person who's done research, but wants more input or just a range of opinions from experienced people. The former is merely leeching from the community, the latter is more likely to contribute and add to it.
Personally, I'm not one to tell someone to turn to Google and leave it at that, but it is endlessly frustrating to read through a forum where the same question has been asked and answered a dozen times, and the answer is in a clearly marked guide at the top of the webpage!
avaryne at 9:25AM on 11/03/09
Someone told me to think of website, blog or any social media as being present at a cocktail party ... starting or contributing to conversations between like or similar people. This is how I select which websites to comment on. I don't think anyone would flippantly remark to another person to "Google it" if they speaking in person about recipes, or food-related topics. When the comments become distasteful on a blog or website I frequent, I move on. I make the assumption that it's not a group of people I'd want to be in a living room with.
I believe the majority of commenters here are food savvy and really have a strong interest in sharing the love. One expects a few naysayers. When they outweigh the good, I just go away. This probably makes everyone happier.
smallkitchen at 3:33PM on 11/03/09
I assume that if people ask what, to me, seems a question that requires a simple response, that they come to this place because we are a community of people with experience/interest and a willingness to learn from others questions. Perhaps (and I've had this experience) they've already googled and found inconclusive or contradictory advice. I trust the advice of commenters here to be thoughtful and well-informed and so likely more trustworthy than a google search of sources I do not necessarily know.
I also don't mind when people chime in to ask questions about threads that deal with regionally specific foods or restaurants. It may be obvious to people who are from that area/familiar with that food product or whatever, but if someone asks, and is responded to, then others who might also be curious can learn without having to 'leave the cocktail party', so to speak and google.
BananaMonkey at 3:40PM on 11/03/09
I have found that when searching on SE for recipes or suggestions, it's better to type in your search word or phrase and then make sure to filter for recipes, otherwise you do tend to get results that might not seem so helpful
jdbknits at 3:54PM on 11/03/09
I agree with kathryn.
caramel at 4:43PM on 11/03/09
I've seen people ask for recipes and then someone else suggests they Google it, which I think is a tad rude. The way I figure, if someone is asking for a recipe here, they're asking this group of people because there's an expectation that you'll get a tried-and-true recipe rather than just a random recipe that has never been personally tested.
Some people are blatantly lazy, though, and will ask something like "what temperature is medium-rare for beef?" and you have to wonder why they're asking that here instead of looking it up online or in a cookbook. But I usually give them the benefit of the doubt, because there might be a valid reason why they need an answer from this group. If it's something that I know, I can probably post the correct answer as fast as I could post a snarky "Google it" comment.
But just like real life, there are people who enjoy being rude. Sometimes they're the first ones to answer a question. And sometimes the really rude answers are from people who don't post here regularly. They'll just appear, make a rude remark, and disappear. One comment from a cranky poster doesn't mean the whole site has that attitude.
Normally, the people here will make an attempt to offer advice.
dbcurrie at 7:14PM on 11/03/09