Originally Posted by oklAAhoma
I've seen it too. People who answer a post by suggesting a search are frequently chastised themselves for not giving a more complete answer or for not doing the search themselves.
I don't understand this. Why it lazy/rude/inconsiderate/what-have-you for someone to suggest a search but it is not lazy/rude/inconsiderate/what-have-you for someone to ask a question without trying a search first? Why should those of us who have put time into learning how to master the FT search feature be expected to perpetually search for those who aren't willing to put forth that same effort?
What exactly is wrong with answering a question by suggesting a search, if a search will net useful, up-to-date results? The suggestion to do a search is an answer to the post. Maybe it's not the answer some would like to see, but it is an answer. If others feel that it is not a good enough answer, and that the exact links or specific details should be posted, then why don't they do that instead of wasting time complaining that they don't approve of the "do a search" response?
Here's a great analogy. It would be like me asking Mr. X to pass the ketchup, and Mr. Y chiming up to "get it yourself".
If you have no intention of answering a question, then putting in your crabby two cents about "doing a search" is not going to help. If you have nothing helpful to say, why post anything at all? Presumably, the poster has already tried doing a search in most cases. (Figure it would be 2 members from the AA forum who are so adamant about defending posts that flame people for not performing searches.)
Incidentally, yes, I find the google searches much more helpful than the FT searches.