I hope this won't get removed as offensive or off-topic because I think it's important.
I'd like to see the people responding to problems posted on here keep two things in mind.

1. Not everyone is a systems admin type. Some are just starting out with their computers and some are "tinkerers", like myself, who are learning by messing around with anything and everything they can, just to see how it affects things.

2. Just because you don't see the sense in something someone is trying to do or has done, that doesn't make it "the stupidest thing ever". Berating or ridiculing the person posting the problem doesn't help anything - except maybe raise their frustration level. Windows does enough of that - they don't need any help with that.

It all comes down to one simple rule - "If you can't help - don't post!"

Google is your friend.

Points well taken.

Speaking strictly for myself, I sometimes run out of tolerance when the post has either:

[1] been answered many times before
[2] shows no effort at self-help
[3] is so badly written that it's a full court press to decode it

If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

M2Go

addition to the above:

[4] a preconceived answer & refuses to accept the "correct" answer, no matter how many others confirm it

I don't know why you're complianing. I haven't seen an unfriendly post here yet.

I totally agree. It is about helping.

What it isn't about is doing the research or leg work for them...especially if it's their job.

If I can find the info on Google, so can they...if they just tried.

Ah, I just feel so warm and fuzzy now ; )

I've seen any number of these kinds of posts over the years. Funny thing - they rarely come from anyone who's spent time here as a regular contributer.

Read through a few hundred or so posts - you'll likely come to the conclusion that:

The internet was invented yesterday (and English apparently last week)

In North America and the UK, English is no longer a compulsory subject and communication skills are held in low regard.

The Simpsons Rule: "Can't somebody else do it?" has become a universal credo

We've heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true

Report Offensive Follow Up For Removal

I havent seen very many (if any) replies that were out of line. If anything, I've seen tons of very helpful answers and solutions with about 0.0001% replies from the original posters with ANY appreciation for the help. It wouldnt hurt people to atleast say thanks or show some appreciation for us saving them hours or saving their jobs. Most of the answers can be found with a simple google search but, no one wants to do anything themselves, they would rather someone else do the work for them, take the credit, and then not let anyone know if it even worked.

"In North America and the UK, English is no longer a compulsory subject and communication skills are held in low regard"

jboy,you hit the nail on the head.

Double negatives don't work none nor nothing else neither.

Can som 1 plz hlp me fx my puter it quit lazt nite any sugestins

Above is an example of posts.Damn lot of
helpful information.

When I went to school the English
teacher graded you 10% for oral use
of the English language

I just remembered my best teacher.

Fridays no notes,paper,or pencils.

She just randomly asked math questions
for 50 minutes.That was 15% of our grade
for the 6 weeks.

HuktOnFonixWerx4Mee:The sad part is I believe most of the people posting for
help are really trying.

Quite predictably, I figured this might stir some stuff up.

Sure - you're always going to get those people who won't take yes for an answer. And, of course, you'll always have the people too lazy to try to figure something out for themselves and would rather let someone else hand them a solution. That's just "people". Even I can deal with that - and I'm as anti-society as they come.

As far as English goes, I know this is an English-speaking site - but English isn't the world-wide language. I don't imagine I'd post very well on a Czechoslovakian site myself. If it's the literacy problem in English-speaking countries that offends you, I agree. Spend any amount of time in a chat room and you'll see how bad it is. But what can you do about it? If the poster here can't
write well enough to get his point across? Just skip it. Or ask for a clarification. Still no luck? Move on.

What constitutes a regular contributor? I've been regularly reading this forum for years now and, as much as I'm able, I do try to lend a hand. But I'm not Microsoft certified anything - just struggling through the world of Windows on my own. So I won't post just to say I'm "in there, trying to help".

And, yes, I know the majority of people are in here trying to help. But if you really look at some of the posts, you'll see that there are quite a few "Why do you want to do THAT?" answers. Why? Because I want to see what happens when I try it - even if it means Format C: later. Trial and error's a tough way to go - but it helps.

Okay... On with the rant! : - )

Google is your friend.

Report Offensive Follow Up For Removal

Thank You, HuktOnFonixWerx4Mee

English isn't the world-wide language.

You got me on that one.I am always guilty

of assuming...English.

Being only average in English I should be much more tolerant,than I am.

I think your post makes good sense and I'll
keep it in mind when posting in the future.

I suppose if you were gifted in the use of
the english language and talked down to people with words rarely used but. available
they wouldn't understand you anyway.

There is a very good chance Al Gore lost
the election in 2000 by losing his own state of Tennesee....Talking down to the common people.

I've seen several times I had to look up a
word used on this forum to see if I had just been complimented,insulted,or neither.

Robert