Repetitiveness

Wouldn't it be prudent to first use the SEARCH feature, prior to asking a question,,,,,,,,,,,again? Such as the age old weekly/monthly "track cleaning" or "smoke fluid" topics.

I sometimes run into the issue where I only encounter an earlier thread on a topic well after the fact.  I ran into this a few weeks ago when I was looking for info on O Scale black chains.  Oddly, the OGR post came up in Google but only after I had done an initial search and found nothing and then posted.  It seems to me Google adjusts SR's as they monitor your online habits.  The original SR's were all for jewelry chains even though I specified "o scale" and "modeling" but later were then intermixed with the OGR original post and items for sell from various model railroad sites.

Anthony

Here is an example, I wondered about replacing a 2 position e unit with a 3, and posted it on DuckDuckGo and it went right to the OGR page with useful info.  I put the same question in the OGR search bar, and get nothing useful, not even close to subject, and I tried wording it different ways in the option fields.  So, it appears at first blush, that using an outside search engine will lead you to the right spot in OGR.  Of course, that all depends on what you want to know.

@Hot Water posted:

Wouldn't it be prudent to first use the SEARCH feature, prior to asking a question,,,,,,,,,,,again? Such as the age old weekly/monthly "track cleaning" or "smoke fluid" topics.

The search function is sometimes great, sometimes not so much.  One of my pet peeves is when a poster isn't careful with spelling, especially in the title of a topic - it can cause an otherwise useful topic to be overlooked when searching.

I've often tried searching for something that I know has been discussed - I'm amazed at how often I don't get the hits I'm looking for, or I get so many hits that it's useless.

I think there's a middle way - search before posting a question, and open the post with something like "sorry if this has been covered before, but I searched and couldn't find it".  For the rest of us, let's cut each other some slack and not jump on someone for covering old ground - we all make mistakes.  Most of us asked "stupid" questions and benefited from someone's patience at one time or another - let's return the favor.  And it's not that difficult to ignore threads if we're so inclined.

@CALNNC posted:

Here is an example, I wondered about replacing a 2 position e unit with a 3, and posted it on DuckDuckGo and it went right to the OGR page with useful info.  I put the same question in the OGR search bar, and get nothing useful, not even close to subject, and I tried wording it different ways in the option fields.  So, it appears at first blush, that using an outside search engine will lead you to the right spot in OGR.  Of course, that all depends on what you want to know.

I find, in my humble opinion, unless you know the exact words in the original OGR topic, it's hard to find certain topics via the OGR search facility.

@Hot Water posted:

Wouldn't it be prudent to first use the SEARCH feature, prior to asking a question,,,,,,,,,,,again? Such as the age old weekly/monthly "track cleaning" or "smoke fluid" topics.

Did not it occur to you that it is possible that a new method has been discovered and could be aired on the new thread.  Do I like do, sit down and enjoy OGF, if you do not like a tread bypass it.  Merry Christmas.

When I first got on this forum it seemed like a private club and if you weren't a charter member, knew everyone both living and passed you were somehow not worthy.

I learned to ignore that, figured out that some questions about toy trains no one really cared about and now I just enjoy the time spent.

@Bill DeBrooke posted:

When I first got on this forum it seemed like a private club and if you weren't a charter member, knew everyone both living and passed you were somehow not worthy.

I learned to ignore that, figured out that some questions about toy trains no one really cared about and now I just enjoy the time spent.

I've been here for 2 1/2 years now (boy, that went fast!) and never felt that way Bill

@CALNNC posted:

Here is an example, I wondered about replacing a 2 position e unit with a 3, and posted it on DuckDuckGo and it went right to the OGR page with useful info.  I put the same question in the OGR search bar, and get nothing useful, not even close to subject, and I tried wording it different ways in the option fields.  So, it appears at first blush, that using an outside search engine will lead you to the right spot in OGR.  Of course, that all depends on what you want to know.

I do the same with Google. I will typically search “ogrforum what I want” like “ogrforum fastrack wiring” and it seems to pull popular ogr threads right to the top.

I'm fairly new, and this forum has helped me learn more than I can imagine and saved me a ton of money already. I am thankful for those that repeat the information again for me. I try to search topics but am unsuccessful usually, and will use google from now on instead of the OGR search. There will always be jerks. Ignore them. Most on here will gladly repeat information for us newbies. Merry Christmas all

Couldn't agree more.  I LOVE this forum.  But after reading some of the responses on a thread from time to time, it's quite obvious that some have never heard the, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it." I think there a few passive aggressive grumpy people in here that just can't wait to tell you to use the search feature, or make some other correction.

I think someone said something similar...I too have a love/hate relationship with the search on here.  I'll look for something that I know I saw and can't find it.  Other times, I can find it straight away.  I'm sure it's operator error in my case.

Some of us are modeling daily and trying new things.  If someone found a way to do something better in the past week, that info might not get relayed unless the question is asked.  I say ask away! If I'm not interested in the topic, I'll keep scrolling.  Life's too short to get irritated at someone for asking a recurring question.  Just how I feel. 

Gentlemen, It doesn't bother me if repetitive topics come up. People do possess actual living consciousness. It is human nature to ask a question in your own  specific  way, then look forward to the responses. I think we can agree most of us are here to interact with one another. OGR Forum has developed a succesful business based on it. Therefore if you don't have a useful reply to offer just pass it by. Merry Christmas. Nick

I have stated this before in other posts like this that came up before. The time it takes to tell someone to use the search function is about the same amount of time it takes to answer the question. I guess some folks would rather point out that something has been discussed before, rather than give you the answer. I bet the same folks actually know the answer and it makes it that much more frustrating when someone tells you to use the search feature. It's sad that these types of posts have to come up every now and again.

Just because something has been discussed before doesn't mean that the previous info is still relevant. It may be that the answer was not clearly given in other posts. Lots of variables come into play with any given scenario. So one answer may not cover every aspect of a given topic. It's far easier to answer the question and actually be helpful than to chastise someone for not following a procedure that one may find necessary.

Many times I google and it brings me to an OGR topic. Sometimes it works sometimes it does not

I have been asking questions for a long time. Only once or twice did I get a (use the search function) It was from the same member and I have seen him do it to others. I just asked a question an within 5 minutes some body replied . I have found that to be the norm. I hope that the member I spoke of ignores any of my questions. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL  Tstark

Ya never know:  asking the question again just might get more exposure and maybe even a newer, better answer and/or more information in response.  Anyone who thinks that answering a question one time ends the discussion might very well be missing a great deal.

@Hot Water posted:

Wouldn't it be prudent to first use the SEARCH feature, prior to asking a question,,,,,,,,,,,again? Such as the age old weekly/monthly "track cleaning" or "smoke fluid" topics.

Not really. The search function often returns a ton of hits and isn’t great at sorting by relevance or recency. Things change. Even when I know I have seen info here somewhere it can be a bear to find  

Also, this is supposed to be a discussion board. Without people asking questions and discussing, there is no discussion. Without discussion, people lose interest and the site loses traffic. If you’re not interested in a new thread about which track system is best, don’t click on it. But don’t effectively tell new people they’re not welcome by telling them to search (not directed at you personally) because that is not going to help the board or the hobby.

This topic has been rehashed many times before!

Jon

Oh,hum. Must be slow day. Seens a little nitpicking.

@Mark Holmgren 110217 posted:

Not really. The search function often returns a ton of hits and isn’t great at sorting by relevance or recency. Things change. Even when I know I have seen info here somewhere it can be a bear to find  

Also, this is supposed to be a discussion board. Without people asking questions and discussing, there is no discussion. Without discussion, people lose interest and the site loses traffic. If you’re not interested in a new thread about which track system is best, don’t click on it. But don’t effectively tell new people they’re not welcome by telling them to search (not directed at you personally) because that is not going to help the board or the hobby.

Strongly agree!

Ray

Being the helpful sort (and having over thirty years' experience with search engines), my reaction, if nobody else has answered the question, is to have a quick shufti through the OGR search engine, find the link (particularly if I've written something on the subject) and give that to the OP...   ;-)

There will always be some people who get their panties in a wad about something,  I tend to just ignore them.  As for the supposed repeat topics, just be patient and someone will eventually provide some help.

I use several search engines to get questions answered, often re-wording the issue and I come up with a composite. I do not treat any one source as Moses coming down the mountain with the tablets in hand. Mark

Ask a very basic question using the search function, and you will often get 8 conflicting answers, spread over a 15  year time period. And that is after sorting through 20 or 30 irrelevant things that turn up in your search.

At times, products are declared to be the best, which are no longer made.

The search function is a very rough tool.  Sometimes helpful, yet often not.

I am quick to post a reply to a very basic question, if I am sure I know the answer. Lots of great Members helped me out this way.

Mannyrock

@Mike in NC posted:

There will always be some people who get their panties in a wad about something,  I tend to just ignore them. 

...Tis the season, I guess...🤔

Mark in Oregon 🌲