Can we assume we are not stupid?

A

ali

Registered User
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I find AAM extremely useful in general. You can often get extremely detailed and knowledgeable advice on a variety of subjects. However, there are numerous replies to posts which could be classed "stating the bleedin obvious".
e.g.: I got a letter from my bank today which says x y z . Anyone receive anything similar, or do you think it could indicate (?)

reply: Contact your bank and ask them about it.

Or:

I'm looking to get hold of x product.

reply: You could try googling it.

These answers are common throughout the site and don't seem to be given with any ironic intention. They are a waste of the OP's, the respondants and everyone else's time and space.

Can we just assume that people know they could contact their bank or google and in fact the reason they posted their question here was to get real advice or a general interpretation / reaction to their issue.
 
Ali, I think the types of answers you are referring to fall under two broad categories:

1) Implying that you are asking a question that is either not suitable for opinion/discussion because either (a) there is only one real answer and it is far better to obtain this answer from the parties/bodies to whom the question relates or (b) the answer can be googled in 5 seconds.

2) Smart ass replies.
 
I'd agree in general, but you'd be surprised at the amount of people who haven't attempt those basic steps and post first.
 
There are a number of the same questions which keep coming up regularly, forget about Googling, perhaps people would just do a simple search on AAM first, then ask the question if nothing similar found.
 
Latrade said:
... but you'd be surprised at the amount of people who haven't attempt those basic steps and post first.
Click to expand...
Strangely enough, I wouldn't :)

Some of the perceived smart-ass replies like "try searching on AAM" or "OMG, FFS not that again, search you dozy eejit!!!" (usually mine) can actually confer (tax-free) benefits :

  • It gives the thread an automatic legal bump
  • It avoids the necessity of the OP illegally bumping his own thread, thereby risking penalty points from the mods.
Not every silver lining is contained in a cloud.
 
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