There's a difference between "Google/Wikipedia will give you some great starting points to answer that question" and "Have you heard of Google..?" The difference is in tone: the first is encouraging and enabling, the second is demeaning. Dismiss it as trivial, but it matters hugely to a learner.
I totally agree, and I'm not happy with people who spam RTFM and lmgtfy.com either, but I still think that they have a point.
The problem is the sheer number of people who do not know they can just use Wikipedia and Google, all of they who ask one question and either never reply again or ignore advice no matter the form.
But perhaps you're right, maybe if the "assholes" as Emile Petrone call them tried to be more gentle, people would actually listen to them.
Comments
There's a difference between "Google/Wikipedia will give you some great starting points to answer that question" and "Have you heard of Google..?" The difference is in tone: the first is encouraging and enabling, the second is demeaning. Dismiss it as trivial, but it matters hugely to a learner.
I totally agree, and I'm not happy with people who spam RTFM and lmgtfy.com either, but I still think that they have a point.
The problem is the sheer number of people who do not know they can just use Wikipedia and Google, all of they who ask one question and either never reply again or ignore advice no matter the form.
But perhaps you're right, maybe if the "assholes" as Emile Petrone call them tried to be more gentle, people would actually listen to them.
Of lmgtfy yields the answer, it's right, not rude.