Edit wrote:

I refer to "him" a lot in here, when really it's giving a male connotation to the user. It could be female. I'm not saying one way or the other.

Well, I thorpe and I recently dealt with a poster (who will remain nameless, although a little sleuthing would turn up the culprit) that gave two very vague posts and asked for help in coding it.

Now, I'm not one to turn away a new phper, but I'm not going to write the entire script from ground up (as I'm sure no-one else is either), but the poster never gave information as to what they wanted, or how they wanted to go about it. Just a picture of what he wanted it to look like (cuz looking at the outside of the car tells you how many miles (km for our english friends) are on the engine or any accidents it's been in). So thorpe and I both asked for clarification. The user clarified by saying he wanted help creating it.

Well duh! I think to myself. I thought he wanted to know if we liked the picture!! But seriously, I posted and told him to search google and hotscripts for answers to his questions (a forum) and pointed him to a few names in forum software; however, this was not good enough.

In his other thread, he asked about an email verification script. I told him to search, and he said he had. Well, since I didn't believe him (which was a safe bet) I posted links to mySQL, the PHP manual, and other tutorials on what he needed to get started, as well as a user verification script tutorial. This didn't satisfy his needs apparently.

So he started a new thread (3rd one) and just asked why? He wnated an explanation of why he was getting redirected to manuals and tutorials all over the web. People tried to respond and say well it's because we're a help forum, not a script giving forum. And I finally replied with my rant about how he got answers that were fulfilling, and refused to accept them.

But is it too much to ask that new phpers just STOP AND THINK about answers that are given here? I don't think any one of the active helpers on this forum would lead a poster awry, at least not intentionally. I mean, I said it before: why re-invent the weel? There are plenty of tutorials at everyones disposal. Why should we rewrite it for someone else just because they asked? That'd be an insane number of tutorials on this board. But I digress.

So to mypoint: is it too much to ask that posters just listen to what help is being given and be grateful that we're here to give it? I know I was extremely grateful when so many people helped me back when I started. And now I'm here helping people. That's what I'd love to see happen with everyone that I help. But I know most won't, and some will. But really..... anyone else see an issue in this? Or am I just being a dolt?

    yes its a hard issue. I think coming to a forum asking for someone to make you a huge script like a forum is a bit much. I certainly dont have time to sit and write a whole forum script.

    but i get your point. A lot of people will write back to threads saying read a book or search the web, which is probally not very helpful to the poster.

    I think the issue is sometimes people fell that posters just want code written for them instead of helping them to learn the tools to write there own scripts.

      What's the point in moaning about it, if you don't wish to help, then don't. But there really is no earthly good in getting worked up about it.

      Yes it's galling that these people expect you to write an entire script for them, rather than taking the time to use a search engine, but it's in your hands whether you do or not.

      As for your question, I have found that nearly everyone that I have tried to assist, has been more than grateful for that assistance, and on the odd occasion when I have written an entire script for people that have been floundering, they have been ecstatic. But I don't expect there gratitude anymore than I expect them to listen to every word I spout, and those few that I know have totally ignored what I have said don't worry me in the slightest.

      Maybe you should evaluate why you offer your assistance if your expecting plaudits, they're nice but shouldn't be the reason you give of your time.

        no one ever said they were asking for plaudits

          pyro3k wrote:

          no one ever said they were asking for plaudits

          Really? Then what's this?

          bpat1434 wrote:

          So to mypoint: is it too much to ask that posters just listen to what help is being given and be grateful that we're here to give it? I know I was extremely grateful when so many people helped me back when I started. And now I'm here helping people. That's what I'd love to see happen with everyone that I help.

            He's not asking for anything, just a simple thanks. It's always nice to get thanked for something you do.

              piersk wrote:

              He's not asking for anything, just a simple thanks. It's always nice to get thanked for something you do.

              Yes I agree, it is nice to be thanked, But it's not something that should be expected.

              Maybe it's my upbringing on Usenet, but I don't think you should expect anything then your delighted when you are thanked and not worrying if your not.

                rincewind456 wrote:

                Maybe it's my upbringing on Usenet, but I don't think you should expect anything then your delighted when you are thanked and not worrying if your not.

                lol i am a usenet user now so i know what you mean. I used to be a ed2k forum user though, if you didn't thank people on there you were shot down 😃

                  Sorry, I misread the original post. Actually, Brad's not looking for actual thanks, it's that people read and take in the advice given, possibly actually go away and try out what they've been told. Sounds like good common sense to me.

                    piersk wrote:

                    Sounds like good common sense to me.

                    I really think that Weedpacket, board Grand-daddy, if you will ... if he still has room (and I think he does ... lots of forum .sigs are longer than his, and even he had some code ones that were several newlines long), should still have that "give a man to fish" maxim in his .sig.

                    Or, I could. Or, we all could. Take the top twenty posters (regulars?) or so and we'd have that splatted on the forum about 60,000 times, I'd think.

                    Of course, Weedpacket has kinda tried this already ... cogitate on some of the linkage in my .sig ---

                    Is it just human nature? For so many people the bottom line is just the bottom line --- git 'r done, no matter what, how, who, where, or what cost, whether money or human resources. And we forget that 'human resources' means people.

                    Hrm, I just don't know..... 😕

                      rincewind456 wrote:

                      Yes I agree, it is nice to be thanked, But it's not something that should be expected.

                      And this I think is a big part of the problem. But then, I gave up on Usenet back in the '90s.

                        I'm not looking for plaudits... I'm just saying: If you ask a question, and receive a response, be happy you got a response (no-one has to respond) and actually do what's in the post (like read the manual, find tutorials or whatever).

                        I help because I want to. I don't expect anything in return. Yes it would be nice to get compensated (monetary, moderator, general thanks-giving) but I'm not lookin for it. I help because this board helped me so much, I feel that people can benefit from me helping them. I also love to teach (I hold my MICRB certificate) and find it relaxing.

                        I'm not complaining, just wondering really what new people on the forum expect? Do people that refer others here tell them that they can get full codes here? I should hope not...

                        Sorry, I misread the original post. Actually, Brad's not looking for actual thanks, it's that people read and take in the advice given, possibly actually go away and try out what they've been told. Sounds like good common sense to me.

                        That's what I was getting at... P.s.... my name is Brett, not Brad.... lol.

                        Maybe you should evaluate why you offer your assistance if your expecting plaudits, they're nice but shouldn't be the reason you give of your time.

                        I don't, it's just really disconcerning that people come here and have expectations. And when their expectations (which are misguided) are not met, they keep after the same thing. Why? I write whole scripts to help people just as much as anyone else, but having a new person come to a forum and say "I need this... .with XYZ" is NOT asking for help. And when we don't give them what they expect, is it really not okay for us to get upset? At least I saved my anger and put it through an outlet, rather than lashing out at them...

                        He's not asking for anything, just a simple thanks. It's always nice to get thanked for something you do.

                        It doesn't have to be thanks. Even just a view of the finished product of which I helped them create is enough. I do this cuz I love it.... so thanks or not.... I'll be around....

                          I don't know why I thought your name was Brad. Sorry

                            It's all right... happens all the time....

                              Write a Reply...