Searching

[piskieinboots]

I may ruffle a few feathers with this post but please humour me - I'm home-alone and have too much time to over-think things.

When a question is asked in here (usually on Veg actually, but you get my drift) we see responses such as 'this have been covered many times' and 'use the search function'.

Now whilst this is obviously a wonderful tool, I do think it is really nice that people do actually communicate their valuable experience - even, yes, even if 'it has been covered many times before' - because the person asking is probably new or just likes talking to 'real' people.

Imagine if 'you' was a newbie on an allotment site and you asked the old timers if they could help you with identifying an issue - and they, the old timers, said 'bugger off and use the library' -how mean would they be!

If we keep saying to questions asked 'use the search function' surely we may as well say 'bugger off and use Google' (the old timers equivalent of library).

Just saying

[cardiffsteve]

Here here I whole heartedly agree.
Lets make people feel welcome.
If your going to just put "search for it" why not do it for them and put in a link to it.
Only coz I dont know how to search

[Kleftiwallah]

Add me to the list. Cheers, Tony.

[zazen999]

I've not noticed alot of that lately; which posts do you mean?

[Two_Sheds]

Sarz may mean her thread, when I mentioned that I get told off for suggesting the search function

[pipscariad]

The thing I find when I use the search function (I do try to whever poss!) is that it brings up loads and loads of results that are nothing whatsoever to do with what I want to know, even though I remember to use the '+' button to link words together. Sometimes I can recall seeing a thread on the very thing on here, but can I find it again? No!

So I am another in favour of repeating advice, on the whole. Although as a rather infrequent visitor I can see that for the regulars it must get very tedious....

[piskieinboots]

I've not noticed alot of that lately; which posts do you mean?

Just saying

Sarz may mean her thread, when I mentioned that I get told off for suggesting the search function

Sarz?

[Two_Sheds]

Now whilst this is obviously a wonderful tool, I do think it is really nice that people do actually communicate their valuable experience

Just to give the view from the other side of the fence (the side that's getting the mud slung at it):

Some people give thorough, lengthy, time-consuming, thoughtful answers to questions. This takes time, time for which they aren't paid.

Are they then expected to type that answer out 10, 20, 30, 100 times? I for one, ain't got that much time

And then, do we really want to have 15,000 threads discussing the best way to deal with greenfly? Rather than keeping the Vine nice and tidy and redirecting newbies to the really informative threads that we already have?

[Two_Sheds]

Sarz?

Yep, it's been a long day

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...pot_66035.html

It was Bren anyway, not me

[veggiechicken]

The Search facility is great if you know what you're looking for or how to refine the answers. Put in a question like "What's wrong with my tomatoes?" and you could be searching through all the tomato threads until Doomsday.
I say give a newbie a chance and help them along a bit; don't let's overwhelm them with too much information - a lot of which is conflicting anyway. Is there ever one simple answer to a simple question

[Florence Fennel]

The only real problem I have with the search thread is that I get sidetracked into reading most of what it brings up and I can be lost in threads for hours and wonder why I've got a duster in my hand.

[Glutton4...]

I think a lot of the time questions are repeated because the 'asker' is new, and doesn't know their way around the site.

For example, I may want to know about ridding Lupins of the plague of Aphids that are decimating them this year. So, I ask the 'satanic search engine' and it directs me here (no, I haven't tried it ). The site is bright and shiney and looks good, so, I join up and ask the question. It's only after I've been back 'here' a few times, that I start to learn my way round the site, and can work out how best to find the information I need, that I discover that I'm the ten-millionth person to ask the darned question!

[Potstubsdustbins]

I come here to learn and try to help others. this is my allotment society so to speak.

I like to think I have learnt an awful lot from reading replies to others questions and therefore I am in favour of the question being asked, for without that question there would be no replies.

Putor illiterate I couldn't post a link to save my life, but I can type, well after a fashion.

Colin

[Two_Sheds]

So, if we're all in agreement that the search function is evil and to be discouraged, should we have it removed?



just to say: I'm not posting & running, I do actually have work to do, so I'm off for today


As you were

[Florence Fennel]

Thinking about it, I must admit at times I have said to newbies, "Have a go with the search engine, it'll bring up loads of information", but that's only because it does. I like the interaction (you can read "banter" there if you want to) with other grapes, whether they're complete beginners or seasoned veterans. I'm still learning too, even though I've been growing veg for years. If I don't feel like replying to a question (which doesn't happen very often), I don't - someone else will always come along who does feel like it. Waffling now Flo, so shut up before someone else tells you to and go and do some dusting