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Where to Ask if not Ask Slashdot?

Posted by Cliff on from the time-for-some-feedback dept.

Rick the Red asks: "It seems that 3/4 of the Ask Slashdot articles are met with "Ask Google" answers. So, where do you go for answers (besides Google)? Advice (besides Dear Abby)? Opinions (besides ePinions)? If you want to know how to network one of those 4-in-1 printers, how do you find someone who's tried it? If you need help with some discontinued merchandise, who do you ask? If your pet project hits a snag, what do you do? Come on, all you "Ask Google" critics, fess up -- where do you think people should turn instead of Ask Slashdot?"

3 of 111 comments (clear)

  1. Damnit... by gphat · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's getting worse! I don't usually join the folks bitching about Ask /. questions, but this is getting old.

    The post said exactly what you do, ASK GOOGLE. As more people are getting into this stuff, fewer are learning the way most of us did years and years back -- We Looked It Up.

    I don't think /. is the forum for how to network your 4-in-fucking-1 printer, that's what 4-in-1 printer newsgroups and customer support are for.

  2. The ask googler's are full of crap by haplo21112 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yeah yeah go ahead mod me down before you read the full reply, for having an unpopular opinion...
    but here it is anyway....

    The reason for asking a question at ask slashdot is to get the help of people how have done it before. This is a plain stright forward simple truth. Yes in many cases you can go "ask google" however...you might get a page or two with in formation on the howto's...you will not get the life expirence information on how everyone did do it(as opposed to the one or two ways that google might give you)...the information that ask slashdot response will give you are the gotcha's the alternative approches, and so forth...

    Its a community folks, personally I would rather ask the people who have done it and have the expirence that I can ask questions of during my implimentation...than trust it to some googled web page that may or my not even be currently maintained. Asking slashdot can also cut through alot of the bullshit that you might otherwise run into because the slashdoters who have bene there before will more often than not point you to the resources that did work for them...

    --
    Power Corrupts,Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely, leaving one person(group)in charge is absolutely corrupt.
  3. Two suggestions by Otter · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Come on, all you "Ask Google" critics, fess up -- where do you think people should turn instead of Ask Slashdot?"

    To try a somewhat different tack -- here are two things questioners can do to avoid stirring up us critics:

    1) Mention where you've already looked (Google, Usenet, whatever), what you've found and what additional information you want. Half the time, the karma whores who do a quick search haven't found a useful answer. Telling what you've already done boosts your credibility and makes it easier for readers to complement other sources.

    2) Maybe this is just me and a few others but -- enough with the "What is the best ____ for geeks?" questions! If you're trying to purchase an identity, why not go to Abercrombie and Fitch and buy a good one?

    --
    What I'm listening to now on Pandora...