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[geo3@earthlink.net]

Steve Foltz <stevefoltz@hotmail.com> wrote:

>I have seldom seen new members embraced rather then shunned for not knowing
>the answer by "search the archives"  This list is getting passed by other
>groups not ashamed to help.

I'll stand up and admit to being one of these people, but folks who have
been paying attention will have seen in my case that I rarely just tell
someone that and haven't in a long time (except extremely rarely).  What I
personally will usually tell people is that either their question is too
general to get an answer that will be particularly helpful and a search
will help narrow the questions, or to remind those in a hurry that often
it's actually faster to search the archives than to post a question and
wait for a good answer to roll in.  This is very true BTW.  Anyway, that is
not why I'm responding.

The reason for my response is to note that *evry* forum I belong to and
certainly everyone that I'm a moderator on has exactly the same problem.
While the list has become known for that, when I venture out of the narrow
interests I have on the forums I see lots of messages to use the forum
search function or a link to a previous discuss (the link is certainly more
helpful than an admonishment to search).

So what's my point?  Well, that the forums *do* have the same problems
(including people complaining about getting the exact same question over
and over again) and that the forums could find themselves in the same boat.

George Roffe