Non-Use of Excel Help

[BigC]

Why do so many posters to this board not take the time to do a little research before they fire off a question?
Some posters appear to not even know the basics of Excel (eg relative v absolute addresses, formulae, etc), and others want the answer provided in full, even after they have been given the lead and could find out how to do something if only they look up Excel's Help (eg pivot tables)
It is so annoying to see such laziness!
Can MrExcel not build in a couple of prompts before allowing a new topic to be created, such as:
Have you searched Excel's Help screens about this problem? and
Have you search the board for similar problems?

 

[elgringo56]

Good ideas, maybe Mr. Excel could also require that each poster, question asker, possess a masters degree in Excel and Microsofteze. That way all the really intelligent people in this forum would not have to be bothered by people that have no knowledge of excel.
This message was edited by elgringo56 on 2002-10-18 17:32

 

[XL-Dennis]

BigC,

Rule 1:
People are in common very lazy.

Rule 2:
People are not aware of the F1-button, this is MS biggest failure all time.

Rule 3:
People are not aware of the search-function on any forum at all.

Rule 4:
People demand to have immediately assistans.

My personal rule:
Ignore them

Kind regards,
Dennis

 

[Jack in the UK]

Jacks simple point of view!!

Help them and post if you can, nothing else counts... no one is a skilled as you me or anyone HELP is all its about simple oversites or WHATEVER ??? Who cares we dont really know, help is best.

Post see help files if thats the best answer you can give,

All i ask is polite help!!



JAck

 

[plettieri]

I'm only a recent newcomer to this forum and for what its worth...Answering questions, even repetitive ones is a process of teaching and learning in any process...we can all learn something, even if it patience. We must all "do" something.

In the words of the great Yoda "Do or do not, there is no try".

Keep doing

pll

 

[BigC]

As Jerry Sienfeld would put in his spreadsheets:
=Concatenate(Substitute("Yoda, Yoda, Yoda!!","o","a"),"Enough already!")

I don't expect miracles, or the board to be a hangout for gurus (I believe that there is another forum on the board for that) - just a little initiative & self help from users, which is a better way for them to learn than being spoon-fed.

BigC
This message was edited by BigC on 2002-10-20 20:39

 

[elgringo56]

It is possible all are not trying to learn, but to solve a problem. Some here, are here only to get past some little thing in an area they know nothing about. This is a help forum, the key word there being "help", and a **** good one. Anyone that does not want to be bothered with "simple" questions does not have to respond to them or even waste any time looking at them. That is the long and the short of it.
This message was edited by elgringo56 on 2002-10-21 00:17

 

[Chris Davison]

Big C,

wasn't it Elaine who "Yada'd" ?!

(except throught the lobster bisque...)

:wink:

 

[Corticus]

The good part!

Just cause I'm opinionated,

I like it when people ask easy questions, it gives me a chance to help some people out around here and get a little Karma Juice!

This subject never gets old, there must be 40 threads about who deserves help, who doesn't, why are people so lazy, read the freakin manual, yada yada yada...

If you don't like a question, don't answer it.
If you don't like an answer don't follow it.

I think the friendly vibe here, and the willingness of MVP's to laboriously explain complex concepts to the less experienced is what makes this board so special.

Thank you, and good day.

 

[SteveC]

For anyone interested, here is some insight into one Excel-inexperienced user of this board.

I'm an extreme beginner and I'm trying to do things for my first (and, so far, only) spreadsheet project that I have no idea about how to do it. I haven't taken any courses or read any books - just tried to figure it out myself. To understand some of these things as they come up would take an enormous amount of time away from my project. (I've been working on this for 1 1/2 years - starting at zero knowledge of Excel - so that my friend can use it.) When I learned of this board I was able to take advantage of your knowledge of things, especially VBA, that took me light years ahead and also beyond what I realized was even possible. (I'm still amazed.) But I learn at least a little (sometimes a lot) while extracting expertise from you experts. When it isn't how to use something, it's at least that it's possible, and that I can go back and study it later. I also archive interesting things for later use. Also what I've learned to do is patch together things that you've made in order to do something else (Someimes it even works!). At other times I spend many hours trying to figure something out on my own.

Yes, I actually feel guilty asking for so much. And I've asked for and received *very* much! But it felt soooo good when I was finally able to help someone else the other week! Much of what I gave her was modified from what you people gave me.

The guilt makes me go to the Microsoft site when I've asked too much here. Although I'd really like to just stay here.

Yes, sometimes I find myself asking before looking in the help or doing a search. But I agree, that's not fair to your time and also it's not helping me for the future. So I try not to do that. Much of what I've been trying to do the last 2 months is so far beyond my knowledge that even some of your answers are impossible for me to understand - but they usually work!

As you amazingly give both your time and expertise, I am doing this project without any compensation for a friend who really deserves the help.

Also, my friend says that "my" spreadsheet software is better than the real commercial program that he has seen. I certainly didn't expect that. (I sent the whole thing to Jay Petrulis for some help. You can ask him.) So I make it with the possibility (probably *very* remote) that if it continues to test out very well, and I finish it soon, then maybe I could get it compiled into a real program that could be marketed. But the most important thing is that my friend can use it to his advantage in his little business.

So here's what I've been doing. I am keeping track of *everyone* who has ever helped me with my spreadsheet. It is because of you people that I have been able to add functionality to make this spreadsheet act as such a good program. Therefore, if I ever get this marketed (anyone can dream) and if it ever makes more money than it takes to have it compiled (If I can afford to have it compiled), I will go back to my list of help-givers and share with them. It is ONLY because of them (you) that I would have been able to make this work as it has! It is what I believe is the right thing to do. That is part of my personal philosophy.

So giving goes to giving...

I also do not blame anyone who would not want to help me because it may seem (and may be true) that I have not tried hard enough to solve the problem myself. It is still hard to believe that you give so much of such good help! (I suppose I should understand a little because my friends have been telling me for years that I need to charge for my free help. On my own time, I give individuals and sometimes businesses free computer hardware and software help. (I'm an IT tech.) But I refuse to charge.)

I see it and I read it from others that most people greatly appreciate your help. I know that I'm not alone in keeping that feeling of appreciation alive each and every time that I receive the benifit of your time and knowledge!

Thank you. Thank you VERY much.

Steve Cole
This message was edited by SteveC on 2002-10-27 14:29