Be frugal with that Google???

[Pony99CA]

Not to be a smartass, but did you try Google? :google: I typed in Pocket PC arabic (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&q=pocket+pc+arabic) and the second hit looks like it's a great solution for you. Google is your friend. :way to go:
Good, I get to be the smartass. :-) Jason, remember this post (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=11859&start=4) of yours?


if we spent all our time Googling, what need would there be for online community? Google doesn't work without content, and a lot of content comes from online communities like this. My point is that you shouldn't be telling people to go search Google for their answers - asking questions and providing answers is a part of online community.
Personally, I support your newer post and hope you were just mad at that guy who said STFW. I think it's always appropriate to recommend a search engine, because plenty of content will be developed without rehashing old items. If a search engine finds an answer, great; if not, the searcher can post a question here and new content will be available for the search engine to grab.

So I second the :google: :way to go:

Steve

[Jason Dunn]

Not to be a smartass, but did you try Google? :google: I typed in Pocket PC arabic (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&q=pocket+pc+arabic) and the second hit looks like it's a great solution for you. Google is your friend. :way to go:
Good, I get to be the smartass. :-) Jason, remember this post (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=11859&start=4) of yours?

Thanks for finding that old post - I made more sense there. I am in error today. I shouldn't have pointed the user to Google, I should have just pointed the user to the solution that I had found.

I'm sorry that you might not like the community we're striving to create here, but I want it to be a useful, helpful community, not one that just says "find your own answer".

[Pony99CA]

I'm sorry that you might not like the community we're striving to create here, but I want it to be a useful, helpful community, not one that just says "find your own answer".
Come on, you know better than that. You've seen how many answers I give to people, even to very common questions. If I didn't like the community here, I wouldn't have racked up so many posts. :-D

I think suggesting a search politely when someone asks a common question is reasonable. Consider if this site had an FAQ area. Wouldn't it be acceptable when somebody asked a question that was in the FAQ to say "See answer #22 in the FAQ"? Or if a question has been answered in another thread, isn't it OK to say "See the answer in the [blah] thread" (making that a link, of course)?

I think you did exactly the right thing above -- you gave the person an answer and told him how to find answers quicker in the future. I just wanted to bust you a bit with that old post (hence my "smartass" comment ;-)).

If you still think suggesting Google is bad, remember the Biblical line, "Give a man a fish, he eats for a day; teach him to fish, he eats for a lifetime" -- just giving an answer is like giving a fish; suggesting a way to find one's own answer -- be it Google or the search engine here -- is like teaching someone to fish.

Steve

[Jason Dunn]

Come on, you know better than that.

And you should know better than to bait into a pissing match Steve. Forget it, I'm not going there.

[Reinaldo]

I think suggesting a search politely when someone asks a common question is reasonable. Consider if this site had an FAQ area. Wouldn't it be acceptable when somebody asked a question that was in the FAQ to say "See answer #22 in the FAQ"? Or if a question has been answered in another thread, isn't it OK to say "See the answer in the [blah] thread" (making that a link, of course)?

If you still think suggesting Google is bad, remember the Biblical line, "Give a man a fish, he eats for a day; teach him to fish, he eats for a lifetime" -- just giving an answer is like giving a fish; suggesting a way to find one's own answer -- be it Google or the search engine here -- is like teaching someone to fish.

Steve

That wouldn't be an FAQ, that would be a thread dictionary and to my point of view they ruin a community because they are strictly enforced. They reduce the forums to 10 threads with 678 pages of answers and very few new threads (obviously I am exaggerating but if you want to see an example, just look at the Star Wars Forums). I see nothing wrong in revisiting a topic or reposting a topic since A: some of the people who come in are newbies and a cold shoulder/go to google or that thread is not very encouraging and B: maybe by revisiting a very popular question new ideas pop up like new software that has been developed or stuff like that. That's why I like this community and try to help a little whenever I can trying to help new users get their questions answered personally. Now it is okay to redirect people to a thread if it was a month old but I think many users would rather get a direct response to a question they asked instead of a thread. :wink:

Then again, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. :wink:

[pocketpcdude1024]

My Thoughts: this is an online community, not a reference center. I suggest we treat it as such. If someone asks a question that's already been asked, answer it and don't point to another thread. Things can change very quickly in the technology world, and a thread from even three or four months ago doesn't take into account new software. Unless the admins want to be updating that FAQ until they turn blue in the face, I think the best solution is that when a person requires a response to a question it is answered without saying something like "Would it kill ya to use the search feature for once?" or "Didn't you use Google first?" :|

[Enderet]

:? a simple question of mine started all of this? :? :| Ill make sure not to bother you guys with such trivial matters again. Oh...and by the way... thanks Jason