Google challenged ???

[dxqcanada]

I float around a couple of forums ... and one thing that always gets me is calls for help that a quick Google search can solve.

Very obvious ones are specific error messages generated by applications or the kernel ... other ones are how-to questions.

Most Linux distributions have a Wiki.
Even looking within the forum's How-To section could have saved creating a post.


Are so many people Google-challenged ?

Do people know about the simple usage of "" in a search ?

are they just lazy (though they took the time to write up a post) ?

or is the Google search output just so overwhelming ?

???

[elija]

Which one of the hundred million sites returned do you trust?

On a forum you can ask follow up questions, get opinions and help from many people. And again
that trust thing comes along. You will build up trust in a community over time.

[yanom]

Sites can pay to have their web page return higher up on Google. ( And most other search engines.) This means that useless c*** returns high on the list. It can really tick me off at times.

[dxqcanada]

Yes, I agree that many times there is too much information found on the Web ... but in a number of cases the answer to a question can be easily found within the first couple of links.

In a number of posts it does not appear that the poster has even attempted to look at other resources before asking for help.

Whenever I need to utilize a forum to get an answer ... I always attempt to find the answer through Google or view the application man page (or help docs) ... before posting.

This is something that I encounter a work so often ... I am asked a question about something that could have been answered through some other means (ie Doc's or Google ...).

Is it just easier for people to ask the "answer guy/girl" ??

[fingal]

I use Google every day, so I'm used to searching it... but you can't always rely on Google to give you what you need.

Sometimes, searching effectively depends on understanding exactly what is wrong, and sometimes you don't know which key words to use. As an example, I once had problems using urpmi because my ISP doesn't support the ipv6 protocol... This kind of search:

urpmi Linux ipv6 problem OR problems

might have been a good starting point (I usually refine my searches as I go) but impossible to put together without actually knowing about ipv6 as the root of the trouble.

So Google is great, but I was taught not to rely on just one search engine. I've been known to do very formal and structured searches using Google and at least one other reputable search engine. In fact, I would recommend using a meta search engine too. If Google can help you find 98% of what you need, a meta-search can help you find the remaining 2%.

Then - having tried that approach - a Forum like this comes in handy. As a kind of PS to all that, I remember having a particular problem and asking around various Linux Forums for answers.

The existing replies were all completely wrong, and eventually the one place I got the solution was at the bottom of an obscure Wiki page, which only an advanced (Boolean) strategy could have found. The lesson there is to learn to use Google (or another search engine) like a knife and fork... Practice until you don't even need to think about searching anymore.

Also, it's better to keep things simple with searches. I was taught more complexity than I need to use online.

[MikeTbob]

Keep in mind also, that when you do google search+linux+problems, usually, Linuxforums is high at the top of the search results. So naturally they come here and see what a wonderful world we have.

[hazel]

I find that when I google a specific error message, I get loads of threads in different forums where someone has posted this error but seldom an actual solution. This seems particularly to be the case with kernel messages which, it seems, can arise for a multitude of reasons.

[Dapper Dan]

I would NEVER have been able to learn Linux had it not been for Google. I still heavily depend on it each and every day. No, Google is not always going to find the exact solution, but the process of discovering different methods to address an issue sometimes gets your mind working in other directions so you can eventually get it resolved.

I'd never want to be so rude to a new member as to say "GOOGLE IT!" But I often will leave a hint by posting something like, "...a quick Google turned up this," hyperlinking "this" to where I found a solution to their problem.

[daark.child]

Most of my problems are resolved using google. Its just a matter of learning how to search and which keywords to use. I participate in many forums and barely ask questions because of google.

[Geeth]

I think with google Vs forums can depend on the question.

For example a newbie with linux like myself might have trouble constructing the question so a forums post can be for benefical becuase you can put loads more information into the question, whereas google you can't.

Mind you there are some questions that are answered quickly through google.
I actually like it when people are asking questions that can be answered through google becuase i can help them by googling it.

However there are questions like ummm how do I use tar to extract a file with verbose.