Etiquette: Should I post anyway?

[Displaced Texan]

I usually do a search, and I have resurrected older threads doing so. Just did it this morning on a thread about whether or not to wrap. That said, yes, this is a friendlier forum than most where you see, "Search/Google is your friend". Ugh....

Ironically, I resurrected this thread w/o doing a search. Somehow, I saw it on the home page or something. THEN, when I couldn't find it because I hit something else too quickly, I found it using the search function.

Phew!

 

[negolien]

The only time I hate repeat stuff is for whines about equipment I never mind people askin questions about actual cooking or recipes.

 

[TH-n-PA]

I did a search and didn't see where this question had already been asked.

 

[Bearcarver]

I did a search and didn't see where this question had already been asked.

Oh No!!! #$%^&*(

Just kidding---I've been known to answer a question now & then.
Just Ask!

Bear

 

[Marknmd]

I think this thread title might be a little bit of a sticky wicket.

On one hand, the really busy sites want you to search. That's because there is likely tons of really good, deep, well-informed info already available on the site, and if you simply ask a question, you might miss some great info and advice.

And the other problem is the site gets filled with lots of redundant threads, all responding to the same problem - some of with have great advice, some of the have good advice. Do you want great advice or good advice? How do you show the great advice over the good advice?

And that fact has created an etiquette on certain sites in regards to starting new threads.

...

OTOH, member are bored and WANT to see new threads so they can happily respond.

But again, if one would search and find an appropriate thread, he could reply to that thread and it would be bumped to the top, allowing members to respond in the same way!

So it seems to me, a search is the best strategy.

Some site search engines don't work as nicely as one would hope. In that case, one can use the google search for a specific site. For example, if one would type this in a google search, he would quickly find this thread:

etiquette site:smokingmeatforums.com

All the threads for this subject will magically appear.

In summary, let me add this old but still amusing youtube vid on forum posting etiquette from over ten years ago:

 

[TNJAKE]

I think this thread title might be a little bit of a sticky wicket.

On one hand, the really busy sites want you to search. That's because there is likely tons of really good, deep, well-informed info already available on the site, and if you simply ask a question, you might miss some great info and advice.

And the other problem is the site gets filled with lots of redundant threads, all responding to the same problem - some of with have great advice, some of the have good advice. Do you want great advice or good advice? How do you show the great advice over the good advice?

And that fact has created an etiquette on certain sites in regards to starting new threads.

...

OTOH, member are bored and WANT to see new threads so they can happily respond.

But again, if one would search and find an appropriate thread, he could reply to that thread and it would be bumped to the top, allowing members to respond in the same way!

So it seems to me, a search is the best strategy.

Some site search engines don't work as nicely as one would hope. In that case, one can use the google search for a specific site. For example, if one would type this in a google search, he would quickly find this thread:

etiquette site:smokingmeatforums.com

All the threads for this subject will magically appear.

In summary, let me add this old but still amusing youtube vid on forum posting etiquette from over ten years ago:

There is very little "less than great advice" given on this forum. Maybe different opinions, but stellar advice

 

[jcam222]

My two cents, if you cook and feel like sharing it in a post go for it. Everyone has a little different take on things and if something is redundant to someone reading they can just scroll on by. In my humble opinion the site is as much about camaraderie and conversation as it is cooking “instruction”. To that end post it up so we can converse lol.

 

[Plinsc]

It's interesting - I had this exact same thought yesterday when I posted a question about thighs. I guess you're more polite than me because I just decided to post it!

It got me to thinking that some kind of wiki / shared knowledge base might be helpful - somewhere to collate the mass amounts of information that have accumulated here on the site.

Call it wikique

 

[Plinsc]

I’ve been lurking on this site for a very long time. Over the years I thought a couple of times about joining but what kept me from doing it were what I called the “askholes.” These were the guys who condescendingly berated anyone who asked a question that could have been searched for and then, almost in a way that arrogantly displayed their wisdom of the knowledge base contained on the site, would hint at where to find it. I saw many newbies run into an askhole and then never return. I lurked because I didn’t want the drama and then I stopped lurking altogether. I restarted my lurking a few years ago and once I saw this wasn’t happening anymore, I decided to stop lurking and join (and contribute my failures, haha!).

That said, I don‘t care if someone never searches and asks anything a simple search would have answered. It’s about the connections, camaraderie and community service. Go ahead and ask what’s happening with your MES. Ask what’s better, a stick burner or a pellet grill. Ask what the difference is between cure #1 & #2. Newbies and oldbies are not asking to be irritating. They are seeking a connection with a tribe.

Go ahead and ask all you want and whatever you want. Just because your online anonymity protects you, don’t be an askhole in response to a sincere question.

I lurked on a different forum and was repeatedly told to search before asking. I did that and then hit reply to ask about a subject and was greeted with “wow! Necro thread much?” Lol
I quit lurking there.

 

[pineywoods]

The search engine is not all that easy to use for new people heck it's not easy for some that have been here forever. It has always been policy to not tell people "do a search" we feel members should be able to ask questions without someone giving them a hard time. Yes we answer the same question over and over sometimes and if you don't feel like answering that's fine move on but do not give the OP a hard time. Try to think back to when you joined the forum (not the OP but everybody) looking back you probably asked some questions that had been asked a lot already I know I did.

 

[jcam222]

The search engine is not all that easy to use for new people heck it's not easy for some that have been here forever. It has always been policy to not tell people "do a search" we feel members should be able to ask questions without someone giving them a hard time. Yes we answer the same question over and over sometimes and if you don't feel like answering that's fine move on but do not give the OP a hard time. Try to think back to when you joined the forum (not the OP but everybody) looking back you probably asked some questions that had been asked a lot already I know I did.

100% , I know I sure did plenty of times