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#11
February 2nd 04, 09:23 PM
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N2EY wrote:
In article , writes: N2EY wrote: Yep. But there's also the aspect of "self-training", where the person with the question tries to find the information on their own *before* asking. For that I definitely blame the Internet. In days gone by when one had to go to the library for information, two things were different: 1) The world in general wasn't made aware of your ignorance. 2) By having to go through a book you usually picked up some other pieces of information. Agree on both counts! In today's age, the Internet is touted as the grand source of all information with instant response. Hence the huge number of really ignorant questions on USENET and mailing lists that show the questioner has obviously never bothered to read a book or manual because anything you want to know can be found through the Internet just by asking. And here I thought it was just me getting ornery! What's even worse is these people don't bother to do a search of archives or FAQs to see if the question has already been asked, which it generally has. EXACTLY! I first noticed this on rec.radio.amateur.antenna. Despite lots of websites dealing with the G5RV and T2FD antennas, it seemed that about every other thread was about either one or the other of those two. Worse, the *same* questions would be asked over and over. This mode of operation is by no means limited to amateur radio; it appears to an epidemic of major proportions. Agreed. ahh r.r.a.a! Now there is a interesting place! There are some interesting characters there. Anyone that posts a "simple" question there does so at their own risk. Threads undergo an instant transformation from a question to unintelligible arguments between the hoi-polloi on some minute point in the post. The experts that are bothered by us dummies can rest secure though, because we usually go away completely befuddled. They almost had me talked out of the idea of ever getting on the air. Not enough antenna height, not enough space, not a good enough ground, not a good enough tuner.... And that was just the stuff I could understand! There really should be two separate newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.antenna, and rec.radio.amateur.I.just.want.to.put.up.something. that.will.get.a.signal.out. Unfortunately, I can think of no solution to the problem in general, nor one specific to amateur radio other than to just accept the situation for what it is and get on with life. On the one hand, folks like me *want* to Elmer the newcomers, but on the other, we don't want to spend all our time answering the same questions over and over and simultaneously reinforcing the behavior of "learned helplessness" where the person doesn't even *try* to figure out or research the answer. I dunno, Jim. I suspect that teachers DO spend a lot of time answering the same questions, and I suspect it was that way long before the internet or liberals or whatever our favorite blame target is. In the end, you can find out if the person wants spoon fed by seeing what their second question is, no the first. And very importantly, how they respond to the reference lists you send them. - Mike KB3EIA - |
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