Recently there was a thread about old threads being “brought back to life”.
At least someone has taken the time to “search our community” to find such old threads.
Several times many of us who have been around here have told new members or reminded other members that a simple google search {or other favorite search engine} will bring up loads of links to the subject or product or manufacturer’s information or whatever info the poster is looking for.
Sometimes even a Youtubesearch can bring up videos of the subject the poster has in mind- say “how to ballast track” providing visual aids.
How many of us do both a “search our community” AND a google search BEFORE posting a question on here?
Google is often quicker and more current info than the older threads that have been brought back from say 2005-2007. SOme of us will do a google search for the info needed to respond to a posted question so we give an educated answer, sometimes including links we found on google.
SO to the new guys here {and a remender to all members} : google is your friend!! if you don’t have a direct link to it with your browser, type in google.com and it will get you to google also.
Try typing several “topic titles” into google, or the name of a Railroad you want info on, or a book title or magazine article you are looking for if you don’t get what you want right away. Try different ways of asking for the info you seek. If very specific, type in a “+” sign between the words so to get the exact phrased topic searched for.
Google prides itself on being the “go to search engine” with the most acurate up to date info on the subject words or phrases typed in the search box.
It can even lead you back to appropriate threads on the topic on this forum!
I agree that Google is a powerful tool and I use it along with the “Search our Community” option here. I often find more of these threads listed on Google than I can find with the forum search. Google searching has a “down side” however, I usually find a lot more than what I was looking for and I spend a lot of time following links to topics that I wasn’t aware of. Not a bad thing though and I have found some very valuable information that way [:D]
I would love to have a nickel for every new, “What’s the best DCC system,” thread I’ve seen. My roster would be bigger by a couple of brass engines - MSRP in Japan, plus shipping, customs and exchange discount.
I like to read especally if it is something I am interested in. Sometimes I say to myself why would someone post that question when the answer could be found easly and thourghly in books about model railroading that a beginner should really want.
I see absolutely nothing wrong with asking your model RR question in a model RR forum. If you don’t like the question, don’t respond to it. No one in here reads and comments on every post.
I often do a google search to get more info before I answer a topic post. In a matter of seconds I can have teh proper info right away to help answer the poster correctly and/or provide links for them to use.
A simple search for information can yield many answers. An example is the already referenced ‘What is the best DCC system’. Putting in ‘best dcc system’ turned up 5 pages. But one thing I’m not going to do is jump on the poster for not doing a search. That’s counter-productive and can run off a new member, and that is a loss.
one fairly major issue is that if you did not graduate high school or college in the last ten years or have a profession that required extensive internet searching, you have no idea how to find anything online. You might think of this as an exaggeration but I have had the opportunity to visit a Google office. In the lobby was a screen scrolling realtime searches. 80% of them will not find what that person is looking for. you can tell when a few minutes later a semi_revised search goes through. and half of it is misspelled or too vague. or a question.
I wasn’t saying we should jump on them like some old crumudgeons around here do, I was just trying to help inform someone who may not know, didn’t think of, forgotten, or wasn’t aware taht google has a lot of info up for grabs that can be gotten with ease.
Yes we want new members to stay, but I have seen members with 300-500 posts or more who could have googled something just as easily as I did to get teh info.
As I said, I sometimes will google info about a product or company or such to get more correct info for a questioner than not answering or only giving my opinions on something. {and we all already know my opinions are the best right?}
For instance someone ran across a ballast spreader different from others available and wondered about where to get it i a post recently. I did a google search for the manufacturer’s name used and came up with a company in UK that sells it and dashed off an email about whether or not they sell to the USA. I did not find it to be available in teh USA directly. All done in a matter of seconds, and that had the OP thought about google, could have had the answer as fast as I got it. {turns out to be about $30US to buy and have shipped here}.
Of course, then the info gleaned in that post would not have been shared with anyone who cared to read about it had the original question not been posted.
Google is a wonderful invention of the computer and internet world! [bow]
Thank you JEFFREY! I am new to the hobby, Quite often I get the impression that some of the old timers are not very friendly or patient with some of my repeat or stupid questions. I have gotten strange looks from the guys standing around my local hobby shop when I ask a dumb question to the guy behind the counter. I was under the impression that this is what this forum is for, Asking questions, sharing ideas about the projects that work out well and the one’s that did not turn out to well, sharing photos, and having fun. Am i wrong? I guess if I knew everything about computers, owned every book ever printed on the hobby, I would be busy writing a book of my own. Did all of the experts out there start out in the hobby knowing all there is to know? (must be nice) I would like to say THANK YOU! Too those of you who take the time to try to help me and have made a effort to make me feel welcome…
Google is your friend if you know what you are looking for however,I urge new modelers to ask questions if they don’t fully understand what they are looking for or fully understand the solution.
I fully agree YouTube is a excellent means of getting information from weathering track cars,scenery,ballasting and including DCC decoder install.
I also urge caution while reading “wisdom” put forth by those folk that likes to complicate the simple while overstating the obvious recalling model railroading need not be overly complicated as this layout shows.
Personally, I like the interaction with people. Even if it is because of a resurrected nearly extinct thread or an often asked question. I will answer or contribute if I feel like it. I would like to know who is holding a gun to the heads of those that can’t just scroll on by one of the aforementioned types of post?
If it irritates them to see them, maybe the time spent fuming about them is time that could be spent on ones layout.
I agree that google is your friend and it is, in fact, a very useful tool. Surprisingly, so is Youtube as well as entertaining and, in some cases of layout videos, inspiring. However, most people also associate the forums as another search tool. Yes, I understand some feel that others are taking shortcuts, but what if you went to your model railraoad club and asked a question and were met with. Look it up first, exhaust all your research abilities then come talk to me kid. Much like Jeffrey said, it would turn many off and they would be afraid to show their ignorance of a subject and possibly would not return.
NOT that someone shouldn’t research or shouldn’t ask, but let’s face it. Many new comers and some oldtimers feel this site, and others like it, is the definitive answer with the most experience they trust, instead of some website put up by just anybody.
Imagine going into a gas station and asking directions to a local street in a strange town and them saying, " I know the best way to get there, but you should go find a local map and try it yourself first. Then, and only then, come back with proof you’ve tried and I’ll tell you how to get there." Now, that’s not what most are saying, but often times that’s how it comes across. Especially to a newcomer.
What I agree with are the links and such to point the person in the right direction as well as their own words. Even “Google it this way…” is very helpful.
After all most questions are answered somewhere on the internet other than here. That means no question, or very few, would be asked on any forum. What would we do then? Order coffee and pie I suppose. My siggestion is if a question is repetitive and someone feels it’s a waste of time and bandwidth to answer again, it takes far less time and bandwidth to pass on the thread with no comment than to leave one.
I find there are quite a few on this forum that would like things done yesterday. Also it seems some here feel like they are personally paying for the bandwidth.
Yes Google and Youtube are a wonderful thing but if you need to know a question of this forum “Ask it”.
If you are taking up too much bandwidth I’m sure MRR will let you know.
I am going to lock this thread as I just did the other thread referenced by galaxy in his opening.
We all have the choice here to do as little or as much as we like. Let us not include in that latitude telling others how to enjoy their time here. None of us is forced to get involved any more than we wish, and that includes how much or how seldom we use the search features of all kinds available to us.