quote Originally posted by Cliff Pennock: ... Besides, how do you know how much effort someone has put into it? I've had many times on other forums where people were unwilling to help only because they assumed I had not investigated the question at hand. While I had. For many, many days. And it was simply because I didn't know the proper terms for searching that I had not found an answer yet. Not because of a lack of effort.

First... I've been here since 1999. I search for stuff frequently. I usually can find what I want, either using the forum's search, or a Google search that is pointed at this forum. (That actually helps, sometimes.)

The situation that I've encountered is that sometimes, there are so many threads discussing a certain topic - and people being how they are, they go off onto tangents or side topics - that you can't find a specific piece of information. Some of those threads go on for pages upon pages, and ultimately provide nothing about the specific info you need.
You can literally read for hours, and not find what you're after.
Sometimes it's just easier to ask your specific question.

quote If all you intend to say is, "use the search", I’d genuinely prefer you say nothing at all. If a question goes unanswered, the person will likely turn to searching for an answer themselves - and will still feel comfortable to ask other questions without the worry of discouraging replies.

YES! This! And some <ahem> people just refuse to accept this, and feel the need to "scold" others.

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 11-25-2024).]

Good reminder.

As I'm comfortable with the various "advanced search methods" in google (not just using boolean, but the at-one-point-in-the-past-unique feature of telling Google to search for an exact phrase match just by using quotes). So I tend to start my Fiero related searches with site:fiero.nl

I sometimes ask questions that have been covered (however long ago) because I am either ignorant of the correct word for a part ("guys, there's this thing, with a doohickey on one side, and it uses a funny screw to hold it on...") or I somehow know the obscure correct term that an otherwise perfect thread did not know! lol

I'm also, sadly, something of a step-by-step guy. Like I have one of Matt's keyless entry kits from years ago. I know he sent wiring with it originally. That has been lost. I have been going through many threads and cutting and pasting information from them to try to build out a single source, as so far none of the ones I read had a "complete picture", most were about a single wire, or particular troubleshooting.

Anyhow, I said all that to say that I totally get why people ask things that have been asked before. I've done, and I'm sure I'll more of it, which is why I really appreciate this place.

Cliff, I appreciate your attitude about this. There are so many sites where people are total a$$es about this. You have someone new to the site who asks a question, and the first thing that happens is he gets yelled at and berated for not using the search function and then you never see them again because it's off to Facebook they go. The bulletin board forums are having a tough enough time getting good traffic to be running off newbies.