Great resources but...

It's very interesting to see how much input various members have given through the years to Excelforum. I have spent time to just go through different sections here and see what have been posted.

It's regretful that all of this excellent knowledge base that is available "at your fingertops" is not used in any large scale. Looking through the questions it's notable that many issues could be easily solved by using the big knowledge base.

My personal estimation is that > 90 % of all the questions could be answered by just looking into the knowledge base. But I'm also aware of that each user view his/hers issue to be "unique". Life and the life with Excel have learned me that there are nothing that is actually unique. Everything has been done at least one time before

New knowledge is added when new tools are released to Excel but it's more of how to use the new tools since the underlying structure and the issues are still the same.

The question is how to leverage the knowledge base so it can be of more use?

I have seen several different approaches in order to answer this question. But they tend to be rather "dictating" and in the end don't reach the target.

Any thoughts?

Chat GPT will make us all largely redundant in a few years... but since we don't get paid a brass cent for any of this, all it REALLY means is that we'll have more time to do other (more productive) things, rather than sitting around here.

With the new functions in O365 and more and more members going with the subscription model, it's never been a better time to find new ways to solve old issues. We are here to help people and we don't really mind how many times the same question is asked.

The question is how to leverage the knowledge base so it can be of more use?

The search facility on the forum is not very good - as there are currently no plans to update the old forum software any time soon, we are stuck with it. However, threads come up regularly in Google searches, so they can be found.

But they tend to be rather "dictating" and in the end don't reach the target.

I don't know what you mean by this - sorry.

[Glenn Kennedy]

Yeah

I remember when the computer was introduced to the office. Many put faith into it and one thing that many dreamt about was the "paper-less" office. It turned out to be more paper then in the past We needed to check that the computer got it right!

[AliGW]

New ways to solve old issues sound great to me as it brings hopes But that does not imply that new ways resolve it better or solve it all. For instance, the latest additions of tools to Excel make it easier for "average Joe" to perform the tasks. But the underlying issues we dealt with in the early days does still exist and they cannot be solved with the new tools. All tools assume a given pattern of the underlying data but as long as the underlying data is not perfect it will not work to 100 %. I remember that some old desktop version of MS Excel included around 2000 bugs where the majority was hidden from the users. I guess Glenn is right, install some AI and we can go to the beach

As for better search tools that's good. But you know it well, most users are lazy so how to motivate/encourage users to use the search engine?

Sorry for being unclear. In the past and also nowadays I have been seen various "solutions" that either force the users to use a search engine or with "big notifications pop ups" tell the user to use search function. That what I mean with "dictating". We can offer something but I don't think that trying to force anyone is the right way to got.

Thanks!

I'm not concerned about it - it doen't matter how hard you try, new users generally won't search for answers first. It's a non-starter.

We offer solutions here for any set-up - not just O365. AI might take over, but at the moment it's a bit hit and miss (there have been two threads this week that I know of where AI got it worng).

I am happy with the status quo. As I said, I don't really mind having to repeat solutions: many people don't even know how to use a search engine well, anyway, and it's way beyond our remit here to try and teach them.

As Glenn said, everything here comes for free (except Commercial Services), so you take it or you leave it. Glenn and I both know that change takes a long time here.

... most users are lazy so how to motivate/encourage users to use the search engine?

I suspect this is the biggest issue. I am constantly amazed at the number of times the same question is asked. However, I think we have to understand that a great many Excel users are not familiar with all the functionality available to them, how to use it, or even how to ask the question they want answering.

I rarely ask questions, or for support, in this or any other Excel forum. But that's because I know enough about Excel to be able to research the question I want an answer to.

Users of ChatGPT will probably have the same problem(s). If you don't know how to phrase the question you want answering, the chances are the solution won't be exactly what you want. And that's why people like to talk to real people.

Bang on, Trevor - there is some laziness, but in the vast majority of cases it's down to not really having a dood enough command yet of Excel.

Repeating solutions is per se a form of automation, not so far away from AI

Speaking about AI, suppose that someone set up an AI-solution and answer 100 questions per day here. Will that be ok?

As Glenn said, everything here comes for free (except Commercial Services), so you take it or you leave it.

I think it's per design with the rest of Internet as well

Speaking about AI, suppose that someone set up an AI-solution and answer 100 questions per day here. Will that be ok?

The only evidence of this I have seen is spammers building post counts so that they can post a spam or phishing link. They get banned as spammers once they have shown their hand.

As for someone just posting solutions - it isn't something we can police. A solution is a solution, doesn't matter where it comes from.

Repeating solutions is per se a form of automation, not so far away from AI

Yeh, but I'm not an automaton, so I make a choice when I respond.

I rarely ask questions, or for support, in this or any other Excel forum. But that's because I know enough about Excel to be able to research the question I want an answer to.

...it's down to not really having a dood enough command yet of Excel

That's one part of the challenge but also how to apply general knowledge to a specific issue when it comes to Excel. Even sometime also to identify the real problem.

The challenge also includes in general how to use the search engines.

Neither of these two issues are specific to any Q&A forum or specific tool. It's something from the very early stage of computers et al. To get people to use PC it was necessary to create a GUI, a so called user-friendly GUI. In that way it's very easy to access and use it. But under the surface it's very complicated but the GUI does not indicate anything. So users expect it will work easy as the GUI indicates. I think this is the main issue will still working with in one or another way.

Yeh, but I'm not an automaton, so I make a choice when I respond.

I automate Excel with VB/C# and Python. I try to automate as much as possible in my life. Personally I am not convinced that we actually active make choices the way we think we do. But that's beyond the scope of this post

Neither of these two issues are specific to any Q&A forum or specific tool.

I think you are answering your own question here. The Internet, and Google, is an amazing resource of information. What it does not provide, necessarily, is knowledge and understanding.

A lot of people look for answers, often for a specific issue, and they often get the answer(s) to that specific issue. Immediate problem solved, until the next day when the volume of data or the layout changes and they have no idea how to adapt the solution they have been given. We cannot always help the user with that,although we can try to explain, step by step, how the solution works (and how to change it). But that is something they have to learn and practice ... maybe break down into component parts to try to understand what's behind the scenes.

When I started working with PCs, there was only DOS and then Windows. At first, I knew very little about either of them. But, over time, I mastered them and could do all sorts of things to configure and tweak my machines. Now, if I want my version of windows upgraded, I give the laptop to a specialist and pay them to do it. Much quicker and less risk. I cannot keep up with the changes. Once upon a time, my son used to come to me for advice. Now it's the other way around.

In brief, most of the people coming here to ask questions are, at best, gifted amateurs. They haven't spent a lifetime working in IT and just want a quick fix to an immediate problem. I've seen some people developing entire systems/applications by asking questions here. Judging by the repetition, they do not and will not understand what they have been given. They just bolt it on to the last bit and hope for the best.

And as for the beach... several comments back... that's where I am right now... squinting my eyes on the bright sunlight.

Originally Posted by Glenn Kennedy

Chat GPT will make us all largely redundant in a few years... but since we don't get paid a brass cent for any of this, all it REALLY means is that we'll have more time to do other (more productive) things, rather than sitting around here.

And 1000 wives jump up and cheer ... the lawn gets mowed and the snow shoveled off the sidewalk and driveway. LOL

There's a howling gale here today, so I'm back...

A large part of the problem is that if you don't fully understand what you're doing... phrasing the question in such a way tha Google gives you the answer is difficult.

IMHO, the search facility from the forum itself is of very little use.

Currently, I want to learn how to use MAKEARRAY. Google returns trivial examples... The EF search facility returns a whole pile of stuff, much of which is irrelevant. So, I'm stuffed.

@ Glenn.
Yup.

Glenn, you mentioned earlier ChatGPT so if You're interested to test it with Excel so check out the following add-in.
https://pages.store.office.com/addin...id=WA200005281

Note: don't use confidential data as it sends data to OpenAI (the owner of ChatGPT) Version 4 will hopefully manage security better.

Many thanks for taking your valuable time to give me a better picture of what EF is today.

I don't judge anyone or EF itself. But let me summarize the picture I got:

The knowledge base is of no interest.
OPS (those who ask questions) and admin/mods/badge tagges members (those who answer the questions) do not use it for various reasons.

EF consist of only two groups.
Those mentioned above.

Adm/mods/ et all assume/expect that other members only ask questions. Even in this subforum it is assumed as well.

I re-activated my account here to find out if I maybe could contribute with my knowledge by adding post to the knowledge base. The answer is no. So instead I will look else where.

I apologize for causing some extra work load with the accounts and I regret that all my old post got lost.

Take care and all the very best.

Adm/mods/ et all assume/expect that other members only ask questions. Even in this subforum it is assumed as well.

Don't know what you mean.

I re-activated my account here to find out if I maybe could contribute with my knowledge by adding post to the knowledge base.

We contribute to the KB by asking and answering questions. The whole forum is a KB.

EF consist of only two groups.
Those mentioned above.

Untrue. There is clear evidence of people using Google search and finding anwers to their problems here. These are people who know how to phrase a Google search. They are not in the majority, but they do exist. There will be many more who leave no trace here, but nonetheless use the KB (guests).

In what way did you anticipate adding to the KB? Anyone can answer questions.

Dear Ali,
Please just drop it. I have no wish to discuss it further.
Cheers,
Dennis

No problem. I’ve closed the thread.