Why use the same answer for EVERYTHING?

Question

I will be the first to admit that I use a series of standard answers, but why do some people insist on giving the same freaking answer to EVERY QUESTION THEY RESPOND TO whether it makes any sense to use that answer or not?

I'm not talking about TomTom's "my suggestion" answer, either. He uses that when someone asks the ubiquitous "best camera" answer and - frankly - it's usually the most appropriate answer.

I'm talking about people who name their camera and all of its features when someone asks how to take a picture without shaking or if they can have fries with that order.

Why not use boilerplate answers when it makes sense and skip the question if you are going to just repeat the same drek whether it actually contributes anything or not?

I really ought to get some sleep.......

Good answer, JT!

Antoni - I do that in my real profession, also. I will answer many, many questions for my patients. After all, it's their body and they deserve information to help them make a choice about their treatment. Some people ask so many "what if" questions, though... When they get to what I call the "3rd Generation 'What If' Scenario," I finally say, "If you want every possible answer about what might happen with every possible outcome of this treatment, you will just have to go to dental school for yourself."

teef, roll over my icon and you'll see that I am no longer a Top Contributor in Cameras. 10-15 answers a day with half then being "Best" isn't enough, so I don't worry about it. You picked up on my main concern. It's not the laziness, but the thought that someone thinks they got a real answer and might buy the wrong camera.

GUNN3R17, we get that here all the time. If I recommend a Canon S3-IS over a Digital Concepts 5X digital zoom-only something-or-other for someone who wants an ultrazoom camera, I might be chosen as the best answer by the asker, but they comment that they decided to buy the DC camera because it fits in their pocket. They were just hoping to get at least ONE answer to support the bad decision that they already made.

George, I hope you are saving your answers in a test file instead of searching out old answers on-line... In case you had not thought of that. I'm trying to cut down on my addiction (THIS PLACE!) by moving on to only certain questions and leaving the routine to so many others who answer them so well. Sometimes I can't help myself, though. (haha)

saranghamnida, you are right. I don't get angry with the people who ask the same question and I don't even get angry with the people who ask us to answer exam questions for them. As far as they are concerned, they have gone to the internet for an answer. Maybe they don't even know how to search for the information they want, so they just come here. It _IS_ presented as a resource, so that's what we are.

TomTom, nice move - trying to improve the place. I'm sure Yahoo! sent you a canned answer in return for your suggestion. Like I said, I have no problem with canned answers as long as they make sense for the question. You are right that people need to look at a camera selector if they have no clue what they are even looking for. Especially if they can't even give us general idea about their interests, ability and budget. I love the ones who say they want the best camera in the world and money is no object, as long as it is less than $200. How CAN we ferret out an answer with nothing to go on?

Answer 1

I think an earlier answer said it best, to many this is just a game to accumulate points. So they answer for only that reason and in this case it doesn't matter what they say, they still get their two points.

Now as to the rest of us, it's not fair to assume that everyone actually understands the questions. Sometimes a question is rather subtle and unless you read between the lines it's not always clear what is really being asked. Some can be forgiven I think, for not aswering those kinds of questions fully. Perhaps some too are a bit sore about the nature of some of the questions and retaliate by sending the same stock answer all the time.

One of my peeves in terms of answers is the nature of the answers. I've seen many questions that will ask for a choice and finish with a plea for a reason or rationale. It irritates me to see answers like "I prefer the Canon" and that's it. This doesn't help anyone, after all that writer is just expressing his personal opinion and without the rationale behind that opinion the reader cannot judge the legitimacy of the answer. Sometimes perhaps a writer misses the "why" part, but I suspect instead they don't have an answer or they're too lazy to provide one. And of course when the "why" part isn't included, it rarely occurs to anyone to provide a rationale.

That said though, I also agree with an earlier answer, that people do what they've already decided to do rather than what's best and that they often use this forum simply to find someone who agrees. For a while I was top contributor to "Family & Relationships" where you can find some really heart rending issues. I usually offer an opinion and always a rationale. Most of the time that reply was ignored completely while they agreed with a two or three word answer that happened to fit with their view of the world and what it was they wanted to do.

So in a sense those who provide the one word answers also perform a useful service, they bless what some people want to do who simply want a blessing from someone. After all, how can we respond to a question like "should I go for the pink one or the blue one?" Hello!! What does the colour of the camera have to do with its ability to take pictures? If you try to answer that though, they'll still go for the one word answer "pink" or "blue" and completely ignore the lengthy diatribe you've provided to help them avoid a mistake.

At the same time I see a lot of "my camera is broken" questions and the typical responses to those is "get it fixed" even when the individual is asking for an explanation of what might be wrong with it. This too is totally useless, obviously it may have to be fixed, the question was what might be wrong with it. This too is irritating. It doesn't help the person asking, and it doesn't help anyone else who happens to read that question in hope of a reply that might educate them too. However I'll admit using the one line "get it fixed" earns points again for those who aren't too concerned about actually assisting and it takes minimal effort and time.

Then there are questions where the writer genuinely is trying to understand a concept. There too come the one line answers. I recall a recent question asking what slow sync was. The intent was to understand the concept and when to use it. One answer simply said it's for low light situations. That doesn't address the issue, it teaches nothing but again it does earn the writer two points at least. That particular question had a few additional queries too that this answer totally ignored.

On the whole there are genuine people out there with a genuine need for some comprehensive information and many have already tried other sources for the answer. It's a given that there will always be people replying to earn points, or to push whatever their personal agenda happens to be, but then that's life anyway, it doesn't just happen here. So we can take solice that at least some of us recognize the needs expressed and try our best to fulfill the need even when it costs a half hour or an hour to be comprehensive.

Those of us who do that may not earn the big points, and we are often ignored in the end too. But, it's not only the asker who reads the responses. Those responses will help others in addition to the asker. So it's time well spent I think even if there is no other reward in the process. However, isn't helping others as best we can all the reward that's needed? I think so.

Alas, there's just not enough people in this forum who happen to think like that so most of the answers will be stock answers or one liners until there is.

Answer 2

You're right. It's annoying. Now, I've just begun to copy and paste some of my answers for 'standard' questions, but I know that I spend too much time individually answering. I only began Yahoo! Answers a few weeks ago, so this is still new to me.

There's a lot of people out there asking for real help, and I think they deserve some personal attention, if possible. Often, after reading Dr. Sam, fhotoace, or Antoni's replies, sometimes there's nothing more to add. Any thing I post feels like a cheap grab for points, so I abstain.

When I repeat myself, at least I try to own up to copying and pasting a previous question. (not that it makes me any better than anyone else) But I fully agree with Dr. Sam about people who go on and on about their own favorite camera and features, when it doesn't really answer the question at hand.

It makes me think of my P.E. coach in 7th grade. Whenever someone would come up to him with a sad story about why he couldn't participate that day, he'd hand them a preprinted card that read, "Your story has touched my heart. This card entitles you to 5 minutes of my deepest sympathy." No words, no comment, no argument, just the same old card, every time to every student. He had a huge box of those in his office.

Answer 3

I do use the "my suggestion answer" often.
Just look at an average page of twenty questions -
alot of times you will see 50 percent or more of the questions asking the same question. If people would look in the discover section first, they would save everyone alot of time. I suggested to Yahoo that they make it mandatory to look at the discover section first.
Thanks Doc - for defending my honor. You see that I answer all the easy questions and leave the hard ones for you. You know alot more about cameras than I do. I have learned alot from reading your answers.
The other day I received an email from a "question" person. They said that "my suggestion" answer really helped them. Then the next day, I got one that said they hated that answer. Can't please everyone !

Answer 4

I think in the end it comes down to two points. What annoys me is that some of these people are "top contributors" whilst others such as yourself have worked really hard and done a lot of good helping people with a genuine attitude.

To the uninitiated, folks think they are getting the answer from some sort of respected a contributor which must leave them wondering. Sadly Top Contributer is awarded on quantity of answers and not quality.

Answer 5

i work in customer service

long story short is most people don't want to know the details or even the truth

when some one asks "is this a good camera", they have pretty much decided on that camera and it doesn't matter if you give a link to a camera that's better in every way and cheaper, they just want 1 person of the dozens of responses to say "yeah, i have it and its great...pictures look pro"

doesn't matter if any of its true, they hear what they want to hear

Answer 6

i confess i do it!!

i do it alot out of frustration, its my "tom tom" i guess.

the questions like how do i get my pictures like this, then theres a link to a well lit well exposed image, (what pros do), then theres heaps of answers about photoshop. Thats when i will give an answer like : goto school and study photography,

its rude to some, but its not helping saying do it in photoshop, when thats not helping the person to actually get what they want (better to spend 10 minutes making it in the camera than hours on a computer - trying to get it)

yeah and the old "best camera" question's dont do much for me either.

oh and i bet someone i would have more points than you by wenesday GMT


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Answer 7

I myself try to give websites that include reviews on the cameras and comparisions. sometimes i even go and lookup the cameras they are interested in and give them the link to go to. yes i do like the cameras i have and sometimes suggest them.

the annoying same answer people just need to invest a little more into their answers and it annoys people so much seeing the same damn answer all the time...can we hunt them dawn and stamp that damn annoying answer onto their foreheads?

Answer 8

clearly some believe they are entering a lottery either that or perhaps they are certain the answer they have is correct for something and if it is entered into enough questions they will discover the question to their answer? and film is a superior media for long term storage :P

Answer 9

well some people dont have any idea of whats important in a camera
so you get the same question over and over
so you have to answer it over and over with your opinion of what would be the best answer

so its all the same [=

Answer 10

i believe from what I certainly have examine, he/she is attempting to tell electorate of a diverse sort questioning, not accepting the media bias, yet accepting fact. yet it somewhat is purely my opinion.