So why do they post?

There have been a number of posts recently where the poster asks a question and provides almost no detail. It is obvious that their English is very poor. When someone tries to help asking for more detail the poster never gets back.

I think that the OPs don't understand the followup question. So why post in the first place? If you can't understand a few simple requests, how are you going to understand a detailed answer?

Now don't get me wrong. I have nothing but respect for those that enter into a complicated technical field like electronics. And to be able to function in it, in a language that is not your first language is spectacular. I probably could never do it in a language other than English my first language. But I would think if you are going to participate in an English only forum, you should at least have a decent working knowledge of English. My Italian is very poor. I do not think I would ever try to post in an Italian forum, even if it was my only option.

I would think there are electronics forums in almost every language. Maybe not as good as this one but at least you would understand Q&A until you have had a chance to hone your skills in both electronics and English.

I think the majority of them spam 5 or more forums with the same question, they check back to see which one has an answer and are gone.

Third world countries, they are paying a lot of money to rent a computer with internet access, and won't bother with clarification.

The rest are assuming we are mind readers and eventually somebody will post the answer they want.

Assume it's fixed if you post something and never hear back, it helps with your own morale.

I tend to ask a lot of questions to figure out what is exactly being asked before putting much work into it. Sadly, there are way too many "drive bys" to go in-depth on every single post.

Ive noticed this too, while I don't usually post answers to questions unless i know what im talking about, it bugs me.
especially when it's a post not about a specific question, like about learning electronics in general...

When i first posted here, i just wanted a quick answer, and actually got slightly frustrated when you guys kept talking about my project, i laugh at that now

I quickly realized that this was a community willing to help anyway they can if you put in the effort, which is why i decided to stick around

i like it here, its the only place i can talk to people with experience in electronics with being talked down to or just looks of disbelief like "this kid thinks he knows what hes talking about?"

but i digress, i think its because they were like me, they wanted a quick answer, but they didn't come to the same conclusion i did about the site and decided it wasn't worth it to put in the effort for an answer.

Either way it has caused a landfill effect that clutters the place up.
I personally do care to help others, when I have time to find the serious ones I might.
But I can never stay long as the sheer volume is staggering,so I stay mostly in the background.

I agree, Ive taken to the off topic forums when i don't have a thread anywhere else
every now and then a post will catch my eye, but i don't usually go looking for them unless I'm bored.

There is also the desire not step on toes, or other wise barge in unannounced. I think common curtacy is a lost art.

Sorry my spelling is horrid I know.

Even when a post catches your eye and someone else has started to respond, you can work the problem as refresher training for yourself and see if all your concerns are addressed and pick up some more ideas. There still may be something one could offer that others didn't.

Hello,

There are a lot of new members with their question.
Some are quite clear, others need some more investigation to lead them to a satisfying answer.
The english used can sometimes be a barrier.
Also the "sms" language is sometimes used, wich I do not completely understand.
I do not let be "put off" by some bad english, I still want to try to help the members who have questions.
My own native language is dutch, but I try to be a clear as possible here on the forum.

Bertus

I know enough about working in a second language to have much respect for those who post here intelligibly, using English as a foreign language.

Some people though seem to behave like little kids pressing a doorbell and running away. The usual pattern is a short and cryptic question, which would seem to need the detective powers of Sherlock Holmes for its interpretation.

The explanations given earlier in this thread about posters with limited computer access in the Third World may be valid in many cases, but my suspicion is that some of these posters may be seeking to cause annoyance, like a kind of trolling. We don't really know what level of English they have.

I suppose we will never be any the wiser...

Bertus is a model of patience and helpfulness.

If I can understand the question and feel I have an opinion to contribute, I'll say something. Remember, while the OP might not return, if you have some useful information to respond to the OP's question, it might help someone else down the road.

There are two good quotes that I often try to remind myself of:

"I try, also, to be patient, but it's hard."
-- Mariko, in Clavell's "Shogun"

I haven't read Shogun in a few decades, but it was a marvelous book.

And my favorite quote of all time:

"It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result."
-- Gandhi

Good thing I'm not moderating. Posts with subject titles that mean nothing (help, urgent, plz, and recently the username) would be in the bin.

I don't worry to much about the quality of the English, but the quality of the question. The one liners rarely get my interest, but I may insert a query to get a more meaningful question, which may get my interest.

Most times it is a waste, but now and again there is a nugget buried there.

JoeJester said:

Even when a post catches your eye and someone else has started to respond, you can work the problem as refresher training for yourself and see if all your concerns are addressed and pick up some more ideas. There still may be something one could offer that others didn't.

Click to expand...

There are several threads that I am happy to see other members post in. I'm often stuck in the embedded solution, when logic IC or 555 timer solutions are available. My full knowledge of RF circuits has been narrowed down to eliminating parasitic RF, so I try to stay away from those threads.

New ideas and corrections to mis-guesses/mistakes/typos politely pointed out help everybody know a little more. We ALL can't remember every detail of every college course we attended, so the mix does help a good deal with ideas and flaws.

The part I like about this forum, is after browsing others, is that the others seem to hold a very dim view of "noobs", and are quite condescending, arguing with each other far more than helping the OP. There haven't been threads here ever with the level of "ego fights" I've seen on other forums.

thatoneguy said:

The part I like about this forum, is after browsing others, is that the others seem to hold a very dim view of "noobs", and are quite condescending, arguing with each other far more than helping the OP. There haven't been threads here ever with the level of "ego fights" I've seen on other forums.

Click to expand...

I concur very much!

We ALL can't remember every detail of every college course we attended, so the mix does help a good deal with ideas and flaws.

Click to expand...

What about those of us that have 0 college classes...
I'm hesitant to post if i think i might have a possible solution, mainly because i know i don't have much experience and usually don't know the specifics, just general ideas... and don't want to risk misleading anyone or inserting foot in mouth

magnet18 said:

What about those of us that have 0 college classes...
I'm hesitant to post if i think i might have a possible solution, mainly because i know i don't have much experience and usually don't know the specifics, just general ideas... and don't want to risk misleading anyone or inserting foot in mouth

Click to expand...

If you have a pretty good idea that works, try it. You learn more from corrected mistakes than correct answers. Mostly if it is an area that you've built a prototype of/tinkered with.

Some of it is age I suspect. People like Wookie and I (and other folks) are both fairly confident in our abilities, and have nothing to prove. Some folks show up to build themselves up by tearing others down. Our moderators have take a bow on that one, we simply don't allow that here.

The first week I was here I used the triangle to calm another user down who was ragging a noob who was making a roof top clock, a commercial project. Skills with electronics are not always the top requirement for a project.

I have seen more than one person show up here who wants to show how hot they are. To me this is a teaching site, it is not a coincidence that the books are along the top. A teacher isn't about showing off what they know, it is about teaching people what they don't know in a friendly open manner.

@18, what about all the self made men and women that you fail
to consider.Is there no room for self made people any more or
life experience.The next time you are on wisdom Mountain with
Dad.....Reflect....


P.S. Consider possible Moderators also with there power.

It can be difficult to keep ones' patience.

I frequently remind myself that at one point in time, I knew nothing of electricity/electronics, either.

All too often, getting all of the necessary details out of a poster is like pulling teeth.

Many courses in many schools and colleges today now use computer learning and assessment.
The student has to work through a series of screens, picking up information and answering questions. Very often the result inputs to their course marks.

So when you see a question like

"Balum 15 MHv?" Urgent Need it NOW!!!!!
the poster may well be rushing through one of these and using his smartphone instead of his own smarts.

And the reason they never come back is twofold. As suggested they spam many sites. And the assignment times out so the answer is of no use then. They probably don't care then anyway.

Yeah, you can't teach those guys anything. There is a techie nerd mentality, the joy of learning something obscure and complex, that most of the successful types have. It doesn't have to be electronics, but there are those like me to whom it is facinating. Those who don't have it (but want the high paying job) are dooming themselves to a dull and dreary life. Serve's em right!

This is the nearest thing God has given us to true magic, and it is great!