Repeat Of Same Questions...Look first!

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Snarkyone

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Sep 4, 2009
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Your mom said not to say...
First off I know that at one point we all came here looking for information on E-Cigs, I get that I really do. The first time I came here I actually spent time in the shoutbox asking questions before coming into the forum area and poking around. I was totally new and completely overwhelmed with all the information, ads, web sites, you name it, that was out there trying to inform and sell to me. I asked all the same questions that had been asked a million times before and everyone in the shoutbox was very helpful. That's a good thing that's what the place is for.

Since that time I have educated myself and a few others on E-Cigs, and my experiences with them and different dealers and suppliers. It's easy enough to do by just doing some research online and reading some of the post even when they don't pertain to what I was searching for. Bottom line is that I didn't have to leave the chair to get up to snuff on whats what in the E-Cig world.

I come in here daily and spend time answering questions in threads the best I can and help where needed. One thing I have noticed is how many times a day the same question is asked. How many threads on 510 atomizers having a crap taste on them when shipped, or how it takes a day or two to break them in, or whats juice made out of and the differences between PG and VG, and on and on. I don't need to list them all to make my point here. Do yourself and others that are here a little bit of a favor and look around in the forums for an answer to your question, I guarantee you that someone, somewhere, has had the exact same issue that you are experiencing and has posted about it in here.

That's not to say don't ask questions, that's not what I am saying at all, but to try and help yourself instead of just asking for others to give you the answers. The answers you seek are here all you have to do is open your eyes and look around for 5 minutes. I guarantee you that if you have spent 5 minutes looking you will find the answer your looking for, or have a better idea of what avenue to pursue to solve it. If not I know that there are tons of great members here who would bend over backwards to help you find an answer. I know that tomorrow I will wake up and log in and see the 10,000 post on someones brand new 510 tasting like crap and wondering why, and I will dutifully answer just as 23 others will that they all taste like that, it's the coating from when they ship them to protect them, blah blah blah, but with any luck a few people will see this and take it to heart and try to help themselves before asking the same questions that we have 100 pages of answers sitting there staring back at you.
 

DC2

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I totally agree with you, but you have to consider the following...

1) Some people don't know how to use the Search function
2) Some people are not familiar with how forums work
3) Some people apparently don't "see" all of the stickies at the top
4) Some people are really lazy and want everything handed to them
5) Some people are stupid
6) Some people.....

Well, you get the picture.

I try to help everyone as much as I can.
I even made a thread to try and assist with some of the common questions.

My thoughts are, help where you can, when you can.
We are all in this together.

But yeah, I get your frustration.
If someone doesn't show any effort it can be hard to help them.

I try to provide information in those threads that seem to be ignored.
I just really hate it when a newbie has questions that go unanswered.
But often I'll just point them to something to read or view to get the basics.
 

tiffytiff

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well some people like myself are less than computer savvy in more ways than one.* when i came here for help i was not only new to e-cigs but to forums too.* i would never discourage any question no matter how repetitive, as no one discouraged me and made my transition quite smooth from analog to e-cig, as a matter of fact i dont think i could have done it without this forumi am glad i asked all the questions i did...otherwise i might not have found the answers and maybe i would have given up b4 i even really started.
 

Annastasia

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One of the best things about this forum is the endless supply of patience most people seem to have with newbie questions. I hope that never changes.

Some people just aren't that great with computers, or at doing research. I get it, sorta. When I was new I didn't think to check for a search function, I just wanted answers custom-fit to my "special" (read: totally newbie-typical) needs, lol. Best thing is just to help where we can until e-cigs become so commonplace that these questions are common knowledge!
 

four2109

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I agree 100% Snarky. Sometimes you just need to read the book!
The biggest problem with the redundant, 'I'm new, Gee what should I buy?' posts is that they bury other posts. And there are at least 100 threads here saying the same thing that has been explained in a sticky in the new member's forum.
The other frustrating thing I find is SUBJECT lines that don't indicate the SUBJECT.
 

surbitonPete

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Jan 25, 2009
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Well ..... personally I think a lot of newbies are probably only the same as I was and want someone to 'talk' to about their new found hobby . Part of the fun of the forum is the social aspect and e-cigs are the perfect conversation starter. It isn't just about finding out why a new atty tastes like crap. That's why almost all threads end up going off topic, or at least have loads of off topic posts, it's because people also love 'talking' to each other. I think the forum would soon die if the moderators were to put an end to all the off topic posts and killed the conversational side of it.
 
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Proverb

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Well ..... personally I think a lot of newbies are probably only the same as I was and want someone to 'talk' to about their new found hobby . Part of the fun of the forum is the social aspect and e-cigs are the perfect conversation starter. It isn't just about finding out why a new atty tastes like crap. That's why almost all threads end up going off topic, or at least have loads of off topic posts, it's because people also love 'talking' to each other. I think the forum would soon die if the moderators were to put an end to all the off topic posts and killed the conversational side of it.

This, I'm definitely going to have to agree with. People are social creatures and the forums are a social place ;). I tend to look at the repeat questions in a positive light; it's an easy question for me to answer, and it gives me a chance to interact with someone new. Sort of analogous to someone asking me my name. I've answered that question countless times in my life and if someone were to do a bit of research they could probably figure it out before meeting me, but hey, it gives us something to talk about, and quite frankly, it's just easier to ask "What's your name?"

I get where you're coming from though, I just think some people need a talking point to get their foot in the communal door ;).
 

Lightgeoduck

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well that is the fact with the forum world

each person that frequent this forum start newbee and if they continue become a veteran expert each same newbee question is answered by a newbee veteran and when that newbee grows to newbee veteran he/she will answer the new newbee questions so forth and so forth... then veteran experts talk amongst themselves while everyone else tries to grasp what they are talking about. Of course the veteran experts interject the occasional word of wisdom to an ignored newbee question sparking the threads interest

that is the way it is suppose to work no answers would be able to be searched for if we were to only ask the question once...search is really good for when you read a post and can't find it....

This is a forum not wiki....
my 2.54cents worth
 

Darkest

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Mar 5, 2009
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well that is the fact with the forum world

each person that frequent this forum start newbee and if they continue become a veteran expert each same newbee question is answered by a newbee veteran and when that newbee grows to newbee veteran he/she will answer the new newbee questions so forth and so forth... then veteran experts talk amongst themselves while everyone else tries to grasp what they are talking about. Of course the veteran experts interject the occasional word of wisdom to an ignored newbee question sparking the threads interest

that is the way it is suppose to work no answers would be able to be searched for if we were to only ask the question once...search is really good for when you read a post and can't find it....

This is a forum not wiki....
my 2.54cents worth

Yeah, it's kinda like life, your a dumb kid, you ask a lot of questions, then you learn, then you answer a lot of dumb questions, then you observe the new kid asking a lot of dumb questions :)

The only problem I have is that it adds so much information to the forum it makes it hard to search because there is so much data to sift through, so, um, I gotta ask questions :)
 

Lightgeoduck

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It doesn't help that in most cases there are like 600 different answers to the same questions anyway, I have found things that work for 'me' but for some reason those same things don't work for other's, so it's very hard for me to give advice because there is no guarantee it will work for anyone else.
yeah that is true... I don't really think its too much the forum flooded with so many of the same questions, but each question flooded with the same answers
I try to help or ask for help and after one post helped and was thanked someone still decides to give there take on giving a "better" same answer. some people seem like they are post happy (i think the terminology is post wh$$**) now THAT is frustrating.... and as we idly banter about post pet peeves the real posters converse behind the scenes :D
 

Snarkyone

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Your mom said not to say...
I see I hit some buttons with some people, good, that was the reason for the post. To be clear, those that talked about man being social creatures did you skip that part about the shoutbox being an excellent source of both information and real-time info? Granted I didn't flat out state it like that but I did point it out that the shoutbox was an excellent source for noobs with questions as I did.

To those out there that aren't research specialist, and I am? It takes no special skill to use google, hell you can even misspell stuff and it still works and even offers suggestions! Once you find yourself here new to computers or not, if you speak English the word "search" should be self evident of what it does.

Many people got it, I don't mind answering questions, I come back everyday don't I? I don't even mind answering the occasional repeat question, or even the incredibly simple ones, none of that bothers me at all. What bothers me if is that if they had bothered to simply "scan" down the page where the clicked "start thread" 98% of the time they would see the answer to their "oh so special and unique to them" question somewhere on that page, especially if there weren't so many post asking the same thing over and over.

Long time PC and forum users will notice that I didn't bark about forum etiquette in regards to double post, and searching for the answer prior to wasting members time with repeat questions. I get the fact that the people that come here looking for answers are not always going to be up on that stuff, and I wouldn't expect them to be.

Questions are a part of life, we can't learn without asking questions. It is not my intent to stop the questions, but to perhaps educate some new person that reads this that much like the X-Files, the answers are out there, just look around. I can be found in the forums answering questions.
 

Porphy

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The truly sad part is, that it takes less time and effort from all parties if a person does a search before asking a question. Even if they don't find their answer they get a bit more educated and are less likely to ask another question.

Searching:

- Click the link and type 2 to 5 words into a box to refine your results.
- Read results.
- ????.
- Profit.

Asking a question:

- Click the "create new thread" button.
- Select a title.
- Type in your whole question.
- Hit submit.
- Wait for replies.
- Wait some more.
- Receive a varied number of replies all or none of which may help you.
- Risk looking a bit foolish for not using the search function while a thread two topics down answers your issue. (happens all the time)
- ????
- Maybe get your answer or end up having to use the search function anyway.
 
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