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Ban "Try googling it" response

  1. #1
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    Ban "Try googling it" response

    Punishment should come to those who reply to a thread, dId YoU gOoGlE iT? It should be assumed that the OP did google it and couldn't figure it out. Makes people not want to ask questions.

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    Forum Expert Logit's Avatar
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    Re: Ban "Try googling it" response

    Oftentimes, searching via the SEARCH function in this and other Forums is not sufficient. Oftentimes, Googling something provides a faster, well laid out and presented list of sources ... many of which are located
    in this and other Forums.

    Just a few years ago I started with this Forum as my primary resource for assistance. BUT ... I didn't want to rely solely on the volunteers here AND I wanted to learn and do as much of the coding myself until
    I simply couldn't make any further progress. "Googling" was my helper. It forced me to think through my coding problems by learning WHAT TO SEARCH FOR .. not simply ask someone else to do it for me.
    Once I learned HOW TO FORMULATE MY SEARCH TERM/S that would return the largest number and the most relevant resources for my current needs .... Googling became a quicker means of finding the help
    I needed. It also made my programming skills grow at a faster rate because it forced me to learn how to search .. what to search for ... and locate the example code and instruction I was seeking.

    As a beginner I can understand how someone saying "Did you Google it ?" can be a turn off. Makes one feel like you are being told to 'go away .. don't bother me kid'. BUT it truly is not .. as outlined in all the
    reasons I've noted above.

    I've been there ... I've done that. I know 'where you are coming from' and I know how you feel. It truly is not a refusal by anyone here to assist.

    Create as much as you can with your project. When you absolutely cannot find the answer elsewhere ... ask here on a specific issue.

    If you are wanting someone to code the entire project for you ... there are volunteers here who will gladly charge you for that type assistance.

    Persevere ... things get better as time marches on.

    Cheers !

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    Re: Ban "Try googling it" response

    I agree with Logit completely.

    I have a copy of a book titled "What Every Good Student Knows". The author took great pains to identify AND communicate what he found. His revelations, conclusions and statements express exactly what Logit wrote.

    Additionally the author found why the rest of us didn't know and why the good students never told us. 1)They didn't know that they knew anything special. After all, does a fish know that he is wet? Probably not. 2) The good student assumed that everyone else did what they did naturally. (No doubt so do the fish. ) 3) What the good student does is peruse his textbook (the internet?), note the section titles, the illustration labels, diagram terms .... (explore) etc etc and begin forming his/her own questions. 4) Those become their own personal study questions. 5) Think "scavenger hunt".

    If you don't find your answer there on Google you will undoubtedly discover the specific question you need to ask here.

    BTW: Try DuckDuckGo in addition to Google. Hope this helps.
    Dave

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    Re: Ban "Try googling it" response

    I guess maybe some people come here without trying to solve their own problem first, but it is always my last resort. I like trying to solve on my own. I could only assume other people do the same. I would completely understand if you already know of a good article or video and put that link in the reply to direct the person to it for help. I wouldn't expect anyone to do that, but it would make sense to me, rather than just trying to put it all in my own words. But just saying google it doesn't seem helpful. I can't imagine telling someone google it. I actually enjoy explaining things and helping out. Not on here, I'm not advanced enough, but other areas of life. Maybe there are lots of articles on a subject that you can find by searching online, but just cant figure out how to apply it. There aren't articles for every specific situation. I go as far as I can, then show up here if needed. Hopefully the people that are told to google it are in the category of not trying on their own first, and not in the category of some who have already spent 8 hours trying to figure something out, then get disappointed when they are told to just google it. Anyways, this forum has helped me immensely and saved my coworkers and I a lot of time and headache by solving some puzzles for us. I am so grateful for all of the people who have taken time to pass formulas or code on to me.

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    Re: Ban "Try googling it" response

    And yes, Duck Duck go is another resource

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    Forum Guru TMS's Avatar
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    Re: Ban "Try googling it" response

    Not sure if it was my response to a recent thread that prompted your dismay, frustration … and this thread.

    Need Help Complaint Tracker
    Looking to make a complaint tracker that is on a rolling 90 day period. Anyone familiar with such?
    And my response …
    Google: excel complaint tracker or Google: excel issue tracker. Maybe add "free" to the search terms.
    This is a very generic, open question, with little detail about the specific requirements, what information was to be tracked, what analysis was needed, etc. Or what research had been done.

    I did that research by Googling excel complaint tracker. There were lots of relevant links and any of them might have been exactly what the OP was looking for. It was not in my gift to choose for him, or claim knowledge or awareness that I didn’t have.

    There have been 67 views of this thread to date with no other response. And the OP has not replied either. To be fair, he hasn't been online since 20 minutes after he posted the thread and 9 minutes before I replied.

    Sometimes it feels like the OP doesn't know what to search for. Sometimes it feels like they want someone else to do the research.

    And, let's say I had responded with an issues/complaint tracker template that I had developed? Chances are that would open up a lengthy dialogue about how it didn't quite match the OP's requirements, … which, bear in mind, I know nothing about … and how could it be amended to address a raft of "issues". All for free.

    Or I could have ignored the thread like the other 66 viewers …
    Trevor Shuttleworth - Retired Excel/VBA Consultant

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    Re: Ban "Try googling it" response

    We use Google for all sorts of searches and all sorts of information - why should excel be any different.

    1. Often excel newbies dont even know which terms to search on, and so they need a lengthy explanation here...an answerer may be able to provide a suitable search term
    2. Sometimes an OP just needs a quick answer - and has no desire (or time?) to become proficient in excel (I need to know how to turn on a light, but I dont have time to learn how to be an electrician)
    1. Use code tags for VBA. [code] Your Code [/code] (or use the # button)
    2. If your question is resolved, mark it SOLVED using the thread tools
    3. Click on the star if you think someone helped you

    Regards
    Ford

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    Re: Ban "Try googling it" response

    Quote Originally Posted by FDibbins View Post
    (I need to know how to turn on a light, but I dont have time to learn how to be an electrician)
    But you DID learn how to turn on the light, no? Searching the Net is not that different, and ready-made solutions are available all over the place.
    OTOH if too many OP's find solutions elsewhere some of our members' ego probably would be dented

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    Re: Ban "Try googling it" response

    What a strange thing to say, Pepe. You have some odd ideas about your fellow forum members.
    Ali


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    Forum Guru TMS's Avatar
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    Re: Ban "Try googling it" response

    In general, I would always search the Internet first (using Google) BUT, more often than not, I know what it is I'm looking for and, in most cases, I know what search terms to use. For example, a recent solution I offered used the (new) Excel FILTER function. It was returning zeroes where the source cells were blank ... age old problem with VLOOKUP. I knew it could be avoided but couldn't remember what I had done in the past. So, I searched "excel filter function returning 0" and found the answer I wanted, and had used before. BUT, better than that, I saw an example of using the LET function which I had never used before. BRILLIANT!

    So, I was able to offer the OP a basic solution (simple FILTER), not ideal, a better solution (double FILTER), works well but long and tedious, and a best solution (LET FILTER), a neat solution. To be fair, I don't know which of the latter two options performs best but they were quick and looked good with the sample file. AND, that was on top of the VBA solution originally asked for and provided.

    In this case I did the research using Google and was able to offer specific solutions to a specific well documented requirement. And I learned from it. But I didn't suggest the OP Googled the solution.

    Pretty sure that most questions have been asked somewhere before; it's just a case of asking the right question using the right search terms. I guess that's why most people come here ... because they have a problem they don't know how to describe, let alone fix it. ( I wouldn't be offended if they didn't, I wouldn't know).

    As a complete aside, my son is refurbishing the boat he lives on. He's learned to build walls, put up ceilings, hang doors (even build one from scratch), wire lights and sockets, plumb in his central heating and more ... all learnt from research on the Internet. Way beyond my capabilities or aspirations!

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    Forum Guru TMS's Avatar
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    Re: Ban "Try googling it" response

    @Lesternixon: why would you sign up just to reword my comments about my son's experience with Google?

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    Re: Ban "Try googling it" response

    A response comprising entirely of a suggestion to use Google or other search engine isn't very helplful, but I wouldn't say it warranted any moderation.
    It just means that the poster would like to help, but doesn't really have a solution to offer.

    Perhaps things were different in 2021.
    Last edited by ByteMarks; 02-10-2023 at 12:21 PM.

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    Re: Ban "Try googling it" response

    Quote Originally Posted by TMS View Post
    As a complete aside, my son is refurbishing the boat he lives on. He's learned to build walls, put up ceilings, hang doors (even build one from scratch), wire lights and sockets, plumb in his central heating and more ... all learnt from research on the Internet. Way beyond my capabilities or aspirations!
    Quote Originally Posted by Lesternixon View Post
    Completely unrelated, my son is renovating the boat he lives on. Through online research, he has learned how to build walls, instal ceilings, hang doors (and even create one from scratch), wire lights and plugs, instal his central heating, and more. A far cry from my goals or talents!
    Quote Originally Posted by TMS View Post
    @Lesternixon: why would you sign up just to reword my comments about my son's experience with Google?
    Because he's a troll, or an aspiring spammer. I should say "was".
    Jeff
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