How to answer questions. ???With a question or assignment?????

[dex]

OK, I know I'm a newbie here (closing in on 900 posts) and I am getting old (closing in on 52) but I am retired. So I feel I have the right to ask the following question as to how questions are addressed.

There are some really great posters here that take a great deal of thought, time and effort to help new posters. Just check out the post by Martha, Nords and others. My concern is that we might loose people like them.

The question is:

*** When a new poster asks a questions should we guide them to do some research and get back to us with what they find? ***

My answers:
Yes - in a polite way. I understand that there are some fools that can post answers to any board and when I was looking for answers those fools might have turned me off to this board. On the other hand I can only imagine that it must be tiresome for the modirators and good posters to respond to the same question over and over again.

Maybe there should be a caveat at the welcome page stating: " You are welcome to ask any question you want but be aware that we encourage active participation on this board and you might be asked to do some research before you get an answer."

This would definately set this board apart from many others.

Just a thought.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

[yakers]

I think that is the purpose of the Best of The Boards area, sort of a FAQ. So if there was a great thread on say, 'should I pay off the mortgage?' then it would be appropriate to direct the person to that thread to not rehash old questions unless there is some new aspect to the question. As this serves the poster well IMHO. One way the VG diehards board respond is to refer new posters with old or primary questions to a recommended book list. But welcoming people who have stumbled into this place, even ones with a difficulty even formulating a question is a virtue.

[Martha]

I know that when people suggest that they have questions about health insurance after ER, but have not really formulated a specific question, a number of us send them to sites such as www.healthinsuranceinfo.net so that they can see what their health insurance rights are in a specific state. So I think that a lot of what you suggest Dex already occurs.

I also think that a fair number of people here enjoy talking about and puzzling over certain issues, such as tax issues, so part of the fun of this board for these people (me included) is answering the questions.

Dex, you started her before me and I think we aren't newbies anymore. I just blab a lot more than you do.