Instant Messaging..
Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 9:35 am
There isn't a complaining/whining section, so I'm posting in general. This is a whine, so do feel free to move on if you don't want to hear it.
I noticed Twigletmac's sig today, which reads:
I added my contact information here when I first arrived. I kept it there until a few days ago. Why the change?
Because people started using my IM instead of the forums!
People would ask me questions that were really out of my area of expertise, and worse, were really up someone's alley here. I had over a half-dozen requests for a pre-written login script (See Maugrim's tutorial, I responded). I had several questions about GD type stuff (See the phpgd section, and ask there, I responded). The list went on.
Usually the people asking hadn't written any code. Not one line. They hadn't searched, they hadn't tried to do it on their own, nothing. They just wanted code handed to them!
Worse, like Twig's sig implies, most of them had no courtesy at all. They didn't introduce themselves, they didn't ask if it was a good time, nothing. They just jumped right into a complex question. Even better, some of them would get annoyed if I didnt answer right away!!
I did my best with as many of them as I could. I tried to be polite. I tried to encourage them to use resources, to search, to try it themselves, to use some courtesy, and so forth. But in the last few weeks, it got *tremendously* bad. In one computing session, I fielded 5 different requests, and only *one* was something I considered polite, reasonable, and totally worthwhile (Thank you Charles256!).
Thats when I removed my IM info. I really wish I didn't have to, but it seems that newer members of the forum just don't understand why the forums *WORK*. Without questions and answers *HERE*, your problem only gets solved for you - not for the hundreds or thousands of people that visit these forums days, weeks, months, or even years later with the same problem.
The forums are a great resource. I wish people would stop trying to replace them with IM. Thats not what its for!
I noticed Twigletmac's sig today, which reads:
I'm so glad she did, because I thought I was alone!If you want to add me to MSN e-mail me to tell me who you are please... (I do not offer code help via MSN except in exceptional circumstances)
I added my contact information here when I first arrived. I kept it there until a few days ago. Why the change?
Because people started using my IM instead of the forums!
People would ask me questions that were really out of my area of expertise, and worse, were really up someone's alley here. I had over a half-dozen requests for a pre-written login script (See Maugrim's tutorial, I responded). I had several questions about GD type stuff (See the phpgd section, and ask there, I responded). The list went on.
Usually the people asking hadn't written any code. Not one line. They hadn't searched, they hadn't tried to do it on their own, nothing. They just wanted code handed to them!
Worse, like Twig's sig implies, most of them had no courtesy at all. They didn't introduce themselves, they didn't ask if it was a good time, nothing. They just jumped right into a complex question. Even better, some of them would get annoyed if I didnt answer right away!!
I did my best with as many of them as I could. I tried to be polite. I tried to encourage them to use resources, to search, to try it themselves, to use some courtesy, and so forth. But in the last few weeks, it got *tremendously* bad. In one computing session, I fielded 5 different requests, and only *one* was something I considered polite, reasonable, and totally worthwhile (Thank you Charles256!).
Thats when I removed my IM info. I really wish I didn't have to, but it seems that newer members of the forum just don't understand why the forums *WORK*. Without questions and answers *HERE*, your problem only gets solved for you - not for the hundreds or thousands of people that visit these forums days, weeks, months, or even years later with the same problem.
The forums are a great resource. I wish people would stop trying to replace them with IM. Thats not what its for!