If everybody used "search"

You aren't getting an argument from me!

I have to strongly disagree, on this one.

Many of us try to answer a specific question,which might not be the one asked,and might not answer the original.

There might be better,or more correct, answers in the search.

The search might open up even better,or more precise questions.

The search might answer the next five questions that the original poster might need,if he is in a rush.

The folks with the answers might not be there today,might be rushed,might feel it is a foolish question,etc.

Smokin's 101 s are well compiled,the "Best of" have some real thought provokers,the individual
forums often give the why,or why not.

If we are to expand/grow as cooks,maybe"yes,yes,no,no,maybe,yes,no" might be less than we need to know.

Just my $0.02.

..and you know what that's worth

Also not getting an argument from me!

I agree as well. Even though I use the search a lot, I also enjoy the fresh answers. If people stopped asking questions, new posts would drop a lot, which would stop me from frequenting the board as much. (I mainly lurk) Questions (even if asked before) often spawn into different subjects not touched on before. Also allows for new people to the forum but not necessarily new to smoke cooking to chime in, maybe with some new insight.

quote:

Originally posted by Thunderbyte:
I agree as well. Even though I use the search a lot, I also enjoy the fresh answers. If people stopped asking questions, new posts would drop a lot, which would stop me from frequenting the board as much. (I mainly lurk) Questions (even if asked before) often spawn into different subjects not touched on before. Also allows for new people to the forum but not necessarily new to smoke cooking to chime in, maybe with some new insight.

Exactly... Isn't the idea of a forum of this type to DRAW people in? Keeps the Cookshack name out there. If posts dropped, then it becomes BORING... and then who is gonna show up?

It seems as though by recommnending that we all use "search" beofre asking a question, we eliminate some freshness.

Just my .02

BTW... I do use search asI see the need. It is a valuable tool / function. I just don't see why we would discourage ANYBODY from asking a question. And, those who choose to answer will, and and those who choose NOT to answer won't.

Guess that's one perspective, here's mine.

Okay, so I go to the library and every person through the door says "how do I find a book" to the librarian. Keeps the librarian busy with simple questions instead of the one "where would I find a book on how to smoke a yak with persimmon wood?".

Have to disagree with the basic idea, since I'm the guy that says "use the search" so much. Your premise is off as people do continue to post to the forum, every day.

If you'll notice, most of the time the "search" comment is made, it's for a new user (less than 10 posts) who probably hasn't learned there is a search function.

Frequently comes up on "how do I cook ribs, brisket, butts, chicken"

But asking the same questions 100 or 200 times that have been asked before doesn't really make the forum "fresh". And those posts aren't BAD, they just go unanswered some times.

I'm like this as a moderator...I hate to see ANY zero response posts, regarless of the topic.

In emails from members, the most common reason for not posting anymore is that "I keep seeing the same old questions, just repeated."

And you forget, with 6 years of a forum, that without the search function or learning to read the archives, that you won't find the answers you need every time, you have to wait for a current member who is in the forum that day/week to respond. And if that's me, you'll wait longer, because I can't answer every "how do I cook ribs" post since I've done it for 6 years.

People come and go to the forum.

Not using the search is losing access to the VALUABLE information already posted, by a lot of good people, who aren't around every day to answer every new thread.

If you want to know how to cook ribs, every single answer you need is in the rib archives, I'm not saying that's the only place to look.