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"Stuff that can be found with a search engine" policy

Posted by buzgub [send private reply] at September 13, 2002, 06:59:00 PM

We seem to be having a worrying number of questions that can be answered quickly with a search engine. Do we want to institute a policy whereby such questions are deleted and the posters of these messages told via private message or email that they should try searching?

Posted by mop [send private reply] at September 13, 2002, 07:17:22 PM

naw, I've always hated censorship on the internet in any way. Its just as big of a problem as spammers are, which isn't much. So I wouldn't worry.

Posted by jay_dee [send private reply] at September 13, 2002, 08:35:23 PM

I agree with mop.

Posted by buzgub [send private reply] at September 13, 2002, 08:50:54 PM

I don't think this would be censorship. Censorship suggests that it would be stifling peoples opinions, which is not the point at all. The point is to dispose of stupid questions like "Where can I get a matrix screensaver", when the answer can be found in the first few hits of an obvious google search.

Posted by mop [send private reply] at September 13, 2002, 09:50:15 PM

Maybe posts could be marked as worthless? When made they have a relevence rating of 5/10, which changes as people vote? Or it can be marked as "mgaq" (moronic google answerable question), and there can be other markings for legitamate questions etc. and the general forum could be completely free of such scrutiny?

Well okay, I understand that its not cencorship, but I still am deathly opposed to the deletation or restriction of ideas (be them extremely stupid ones or not). I'm just one of the next generation hippies I guess...

Posted by ItinitI [send private reply] at September 13, 2002, 10:03:51 PM

I think locking those type of questions would be sufficient.

Posted by buzgub [send private reply] at September 13, 2002, 10:35:18 PM

mop, but we're not talking about ideas here. "Where can I get a matrix screensaver", in my opinion, has nothing at all to do with an idea.

Posted by CViper [send private reply] at September 14, 2002, 11:57:09 AM

mark those threads somehow (small icon/letter somewhere) , so people see it's another google-question.

Or as ltinitl suggested lock 'em down.

Posted by Psion [send private reply] at September 14, 2002, 12:36:52 PM

I think deleting them would be entirely reasonable.

Posted by mop [send private reply] at September 14, 2002, 12:43:51 PM

Is it really that much of a problem?

Posted by diegoeskryptic [send private reply] at September 14, 2002, 01:39:24 PM

I also think deleting them would be entirely reasonable.

Posted by RedX [send private reply] at September 14, 2002, 02:00:47 PM

Deleting and then a DAFGS-you-fool kind of PM would probably be effective against one, but what about the next google-shy person? Wouldn't a clear stupid-question-alert sign on threads be more effective (in a think-before-you-post-or-else.. kind of way)?

Posted by Mycroft [send private reply] at September 14, 2002, 03:47:46 PM

Maybe instead of just telling people to use a search engine you could recommend some sites that you found useful, people post questions here because they would like to get a human response to a question. Anybody can use a search engine, all people want is input from their peers and not some computer.

Posted by mop [send private reply] at September 14, 2002, 03:58:23 PM

/me stares blankly at mycroft, trying to comprehend his off beat yet reasonable logic

Posted by diegoeskryptic [send private reply] at September 14, 2002, 04:58:16 PM

errrrrr... he has a point (Mycroft)... yet I believe we should just encourage people to learn to use the Internet more effectively...

Posted by ItinitI [send private reply] at September 14, 2002, 05:53:08 PM

True, some simply want an intelligent responce from another human, but I don't belive that it's terribly difficult to do a search on google, and/or other search engines and come up with some half-way-appropriate results.
Though do keep in mind, that Chinese are not allowed to use Google, or Altavista anymore.

Posted by mop [send private reply] at September 14, 2002, 06:09:57 PM

In addition, anyone who relies on TPU for fulfiling their qouta of human contact...

Posted by Mycroft [send private reply] at September 15, 2002, 12:08:22 AM

its not about doing the search, because once you do you are given like half a million hits, but you don't know which are good and if even the good ones show up in the search.

Posted by mop [send private reply] at September 15, 2002, 12:39:34 AM

so then its knowing to use google?

Posted by CodeRed [send private reply] at September 15, 2002, 12:57:34 AM

Mycroft, thats usually not an issue with google. BTW, whats the capital of madagascar?

Why am I an idiot?

Posted by mop [send private reply] at September 15, 2002, 02:33:12 AM

The slogan should be:
"Technically theres less keypresses in asking google"

http://www.google.ca/search?q=the+capital+of+madagascar&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-...

Posted by RedX [send private reply] at September 15, 2002, 09:43:09 AM

"whats the capital of madagascar?"

That's easy: M ofcourse.

Posted by ItinitI [send private reply] at September 15, 2002, 12:59:54 PM

LOL!

Posted by CodeRed [send private reply] at September 15, 2002, 04:30:38 PM

For the record, I did not write "why am I an idiot", and if "people" start editing my stuff again I'm gonna go on another rampage LOL

Posted by regretfuldaydreamer [send private reply] at September 16, 2002, 02:42:06 PM

I think locking or iconing would do, preferably locking. Not deleting though. In fact a combination of locking and iconing.

Posted by ItinitI [send private reply] at September 16, 2002, 05:00:37 PM

I also think it would be beneficial to lock advertising posts.

Posted by regretfuldaydreamer [send private reply] at September 16, 2002, 05:04:31 PM

Nope, we should go harsher on them.

Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam Sp... need I go on?

We haven't had one in a while now though.
/me has just curse TPU with 10000 adverts!!!!

Posted by mop [send private reply] at September 16, 2002, 05:50:15 PM

huh?

Posted by regretfuldaydreamer [send private reply] at September 17, 2002, 11:56:55 AM

Go harder on advertisers.

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