Why oh Why???

[VESPA]

A general moan about people on here who ask for help and then after me spending sometimes a few hours trying to find the answer does someone else give more or less the same reply and get thanked leaving me on the sideline. I am not getting at anyone in particular as this is also a feature of another site I frequent. On that someone wanted details of a station, so I found snippets and posted them. The OP then was somewhat rude in reply. As it happens I was going to go to a relevant station about 1/2 mile from me and photograph it for him but decided to let him do his own research instead because of his reply. I think that I am going to take a back seat now and let those who get credit for an answer I have aready given, do the finger work to find the answers. I have only 55 years of railway knowledge, experience of working a mainline signal box on a busy junction and a few hundred reference books on railways at my fingertips, that will now stay there.I don't profess to know everything either but I am not wasting anymore time researching other people's problems to be left without any credit. Sorry for the moan but it really does annoy me greatly.

[Chrissaf]

You're not alone Vespa. I too have seen later posters get the credit for duplicating the information I gave in earlier replies. I'm sure most regulars on here can give a similar story. I suspect (particularly newbie posters) just look at the last reply in the thread. If that gives them the answer they were looking for, then they don't go back and read the previous replies.

[walkingthedog]

With you all the way Vespa. Also I'm not sure why some people don't look things up for themselves. They ask, I Google, I answer, then think, they could have done that. Obviously some questions need to be asked.

[2e0dtoeric]

Ditto WTD. If they even bothered to look back on the forum's previous threads, they would probably find the answer to their problem.

(It would also help if questions were posted in the right sections!)  :-)

[96RAF]

Bone idle or dim is my opinion of many posters...take your pick. I've usually made my mind up after they ask the same question more than once and on different forums. Dim - a person cant help being, but bone idle they can.

 

Next time I may resort to reiterating WTDs answer and politely say google it or search the forums as we have already discussed and resolved that problem, without actually giving any real help.

 

The other thing that niggles me is those who ask, get a valid response and never show face again either to say thanks it worked or no it didn't.

[Chrissaf]

The other thing that niggles me is those who ask, get a valid response and never show face again either to say thanks it worked or no it didn't.

.

Not wrong there Rob. Take the BM1 post. All that effort putting the diagrams together and not even an acknowledgement that they have even been viewed. Granted sometimes the OP does come back eventuality after a couple of weeks or so. Makes you wonder how important getting an answer to the question really is. If I had a burning question I was eager to get an answer to, I would be checking back hourly.  

[PJ_model_trains]

Don't let it get to you Vespa.

 

It is frustrating, we all know that, we also know people ask a question and never come back, we will not change their ways.

 

The world we live in has changed, please and thank you are not taught like they used to be. People are selfish and self centred now adays, years agoi when I could walk, I opened the door to a store to let my wife in, three other people pushed in front of her almost knocking her over, did they say thank you, No! I said in a raised voice 'Thank you' they just looked at me as if to say whats he on about! But although some are selfish there are many other reasons people do or don't do things. Some are just lazy, we know that, it is easier to ask than spend ages trying to find an answer (let someone else do the work is common).

 

Some questions may be asked by some people in good faith at the time, the person goes away and realises the answer was staring them in the face all the time, because we live busy lives (self created) they may not think about the question they had asked and carry on with everything else that they are trying to do in life.

 

But as I always remind myself, there is always the person that is having a bad day, struggling with life generally, may have been told they have a life threatening or terminal illness and are struggling to cope, they may be worried about a partner or a child, they may be worried about their job or just lost their job, they may be suffering there are so many reasons we can all have a bad day.

 

I find it is easier to accept that some people are selfish and that we know will never change that, but I find it is  easier to think to myself, well at least I tried to help them, maybe they do have issues in life. But there is always the other plus, maybe the message I write helped another person, again we may never know whether it did or not, but we do know we did what we could to help. (someone).

[VESPA]

Well I am glad it is not just me then.

[NormanQ4]

I know it's nice to get recognition for the work that you do and a thank you would be even nicer.

But getting brownie points for your efforts is not really the reason that you do it, you do it because you enjoy doing it and being able to demonstrate that you are a bit smarter than most who dabble in this model railway thing.

If you know you've done a good job and the others on the forum who matter know you've done a good job then that's all that's important.

We all enjoy having our egos stroked from time to time but sometimes it just doesn't happen, so on those occasions when no-one is looking give yourself a little pat on the back and say "well done I did a good job".

Don't throw in the towel and concede defeat to an "also ran". 

Keep up the good work.

By the way, when you're new to the forum it's often not easy knowing what words to use when searching for information.

[Jimbo1707820979]

A lot of good sense expressed by the regular posters and I can well understand why sometimes they feel under-appreciated. (Not by me, I hasten to add !)

On the theme of researching previous threads for answers/ information I think the website could be improved to make this less laborious. Would the Administrator please consider this. e.g  Titles of queried subjects could be listed, with a pathway to find the relative posts.

Maybe I have not latched on to the easiest way to find things but I'm sure I'm not alone in this, especially among newcomers.

Any more suggestions on making searches easier, chaps ?

And to the "Experts" many thanks indeed and you ARE APPRECIATED SO PLEASE DON'T STOP. 😀

[PJ_model_trains]

Hi Norman

 

Looking at it another way, based on the topic, to get a reply could be classed as a pat on the back.

 

I am not so sure about your comment... 'being able to demonstrate that you are a bit smarter than most who dabble in this model railway thing'

 

I think I will remain a humble dabbler Norman 😉

 

I smiled at your footer... Murphy's Law, the following came to mind...

There was a group of Irish men playing piggy back, one got a Pat on his back!

Back to my trains the jokes are rubbish. 😎

[96RAF]

Have you noticed on some forums, especially computer hardware/software ones linked to their associated manufacturers / products, mainly American (sorry Wobbly), even Microsoft do it, there are 'official' responders who take the hump if they dont get a kudos tick in the box for being smart at presumably what is their day job, even if their advice is next to useless.

 

My thanks to all those who have given me advice and that even goes for the many times i have needed correction when my 'expert' advice turned out to be a load of old cobblers, even though presented in good faith.

[Chrissaf]

Any more suggestions on making searches easier, chaps ?

.

Jimbo,

.

In my experience the Hornby forum search engine is very unforgiving. It seems to search on EXACT matches only and doesn't appear to offer close hit alternatives. I find searching for a single word rather than a phrase has more success. It is hard finding the right word to search for though. If the word is too common, then you get 100's to wade through. For example searching for Seuthe is perhaps better than searching for Smoke. Searching for TTS is perhaps better than searching for Sound. I'm sure you get the picture.

[Jimbo1707820979]

Any more suggestions on making searches easier, chaps ?

.

Jimbo,

.

In my experience the Hornby forum search engine is very unforgiving. It seems to search on EXACT matches only and doesn't appear to offer close hit alternatives. I find searching for a single word rather than a phrase has more success. It is hard finding the right word to search for though. If the word is too common, then you get 100's to wade through. For example searching for Seuthe is perhaps better than searching for Smoke. Searching for TTS is perhaps better than searching for Sound. I'm sure you get the picture.

Thanks, Chris.Will bear that in mind. Best regards.

[PJ_model_trains]

Good advice Chris

 

But maybe not with Loco Detection 😀 if all else fails try LD but it will be no better 😮

 

Improved search may be, as you say... making the wood in the trees visible

[2e0dtoeric]

As I put a week or so back, I was told off for being rude, when I suggested that the questioner looked under the proper subject heading, as the problem had already been discussed,  for the solution to his query, rather than repeat it all again!

You can't please 'em all - - - !  😛

[walkingthedog]

You were perfectly correct to suggest that 2e0. Also if it's simple to google an answer give that a try first. Obviously some thing e.g Railmaster problems, need to be asked on here. 

[BrumDave]

The Linux OS user forums have the right idea as once a problem has been resolved the thread is marked SOLVED and shut down.

I know how Vespa feels I have been involved with photography for 55+ years 20  of which as a pro wedding photographer, I have nearly 10,000 replies on a photography forum and have helped lots of people with their photography technique and camera problems, like Vespa I learned about my hobby (photography) by reading hundreds of photography magazines and books using the camera and running a darkroom, we didn't have the internet to find the answer to just about anything but did it the hard way, its easy to see that there are quite a few experienced modellers on this forum that help people and leave me for dead with their knowledge, they obviously gained that knowledge before having the www as a reference, I agree with what has already been said maybe its time to point people in the right direction and let them do their own research.

Helping an old lady across the road is great but helping out of a forum can be a thankless waste of time with no thanks but hey thats some people today.

[Fazy]

Don't let it get you down we're all great full for your help. Even if some  people forget to say thanks.

 

I'm also grateful for every one else's too. Even when they are not directly related to anything I have written.  But find interesting none the less. 

 

 

 I'd also like to say thank you to i think Sarah for a reply about the older Hornby turntable. Which I read and meant reply to. But have since lost the topic! 

[Wobblinwheel]

Even Mother Teresa required a little recognition from time to time ....... actually, a LOT of recognition......

[96RAF]

I wish we had a tick button to say i like that or agree with it.

i would give you 2 ticks Wobbly.

[Bulver]

I can only agree with everything that has been said, whilst I am not technically able to offer much in the way of advice, I am always grateful for the advice offered by you chaps.  I have noted that sometimes the OP seems to disappear into the ether after having r chives invaluable technical and other advice, but, as PJ says, that is a sign of the times. And it's not only the youngsters

[VESPA]

One of the points I was making was that I have already answered the question and then someone else answers it with almost my answer and references and gets the thanks. By the way I got another Brit today 70034 Thomas Hardy with another awaiting renaming to 70007 Coeur de Lion ( or have I already said that??)

[walkingthedog]

No I don't think you have Vespa. Oh by the way thank you very much for telling us.  😆

[VESPA]

No I don't think you have Vespa. Oh by the way thank you very much for telling us.  😆

Thank you WTD for thanking me. Thanks again 😆