Why do people put up incomplete questions on here?

Question

Please, if you are going to ask a question on here, ADD DETAILS! For example, if you ask a software or virus or hardware or any other question, tell us basic info, such as what operating system you are using. Please tell us your level of experience with computers. The more information you provide with your question, the better we can help you with your question. "What is a watch list and how do you use it" is not a good question. What company are you talking about? Are you talking about an eBay watch list? Why should we have to guess at what you are talking about? And please try to spell and grammar check your question before you submit it. Your sloppy wording makes me think that I have to spell out every last step because I can't gauge your level of knowledge.

Seriously, sometimes I think a lot of these problems on here are made up. What do you guys think? Why are there so many questions with poor information provided?

LET THE VOTERS DECIDE! I hate to pick 1 answer as the best because you all had great answers (even you Chuck). Thank you very much for all of your responses. While I am sort of new here, I am asked and I answer a lot of computer related questions at work, from friends, etc., but I've never heard questions as awkward as some of these ones. And I was once asked for my "email number" by my boss and have seen recycle bins not emptied in 5 years because they didn't know it existed. I especially feel bad for you Pakratts because it sounds frustrating, but honestly those things always make me laugh. I always enjoy hearing the whackiest ones. Just when you think you've heard them all, BAM! But I posted this question because I was thinking some people are posting just to waste our time, which hurts those who ask legitimate questions. I was wondering what you guys and gals thought, the people who have been here longer that I. Again, thank you very much, and I'll talk to you all soon.

-Jonathan

Answer 1

Because people that come on here and ask these questions are for the most part non-computer people. The reality of the situation is that if you are a computer person then chances are you will not come here and ask but instead you will scour the net and search with a fine toothed comb to find the answer you are looking for.

Non-computer people do not realize how important it is to give all the information you can about your setup in order to troubleshoot it properly. This is what is causing most of the problem. Well, that and the eleventy billion kids asking how to get around their schools firewall so that they can get on myspace.

Answer 2

Jonathan,
I hear ya on this. What irks me the most is the totally wrong replies that are given, and some of these are way off base and entirely wrong.
But to answer your question, it could be the age of the people asking, some may not be fluent in English, etc. But I think a big reason is people do not know how to phrase their question. Just like Google, wording can hit the nail on the head or be totally wrong. I am an IT Technician, and some of the calls I get, I haven't a clue what they are talking about. My computer crashed can mean something as simple as the mouse quit working.
If I could patent a way to educate the consumer, I would be a rich man. If I get one more call from someone wanting a price on a new hard drive, when they really mean a new computer, I think the top of my head will fly off.
As for some of the questions being made up, who knows. I sure do know some of the answers are.

Good Luck,
pakratts

Answer 3

People are lazy and expect you to know everything about their question without being told, or they don't really care and just want to ask something because they're bored or want attention. Some people are just plain stupid, or don't care about using basic, correct English. Alas for humanity.

Answer 4

I think because they are in a big hurry to get their question posted, they don't include all the details.

Answer 5

i don't know, why do people spell a lot as one word? The world may never know! By the way thanks, you didn't!