Do you think its better to answer a question?

Question

Or tell them to look it up for themselves? Some people are relying too much on the answers they get here. How do they know who is telling the good advice from the bad? I see some really BAD advice being given. How will they know if they dont research it?

Answer 1

St. Lady, people do not come here looking for answers, just validations to their own, wrongly perceived ideas of how things should be. Notice, if you will, all the thumbs down a great answer will generate and what the best answer will be. There are times when it becomes too much for most people to accept that level of stupidity and keep on answering. You know, now that I think about it, it just hit me. That is what the ML are trying to do. Keep giving stupid answers in hope that the few intelligent people here give up and leave. Hmmmm!!!

Answer 2

Well.. I think it's better to answer the question.. I think alot of people ( kids ) today don't know how to research things. It seems that they just want the answer and they want it now.. If you don't give it to them, they won't go look.. They'll just ask it again.

It would seem to me, if someone asks a question and doesn't know what is wrong with their dog... They will get a few answers and can take those answers and research the information more and find out themselves which might be most appropriate for them and their dog.. But it doesn't seem to happen.

I have seen some horrible advice on here.. and some of it get Best answer.. A good example would be Ticks. Some of the ways people are told to remove ticks from their dog is just plain dangerous. If your dog didn't have Lyme disease before, following some of this advice here... He certainly has a good chance now of having Lyme..

So I think it's better to answer.. Hopefully people can sift thru and come up with might be the right answer... And those very few who would do more research, can use some of the keywords to do some research themselves.. It's obvious that some people don't even look at the links provided or they wouldn't put added the comments that they do.

Answer 3

I agree with you completely. Some use YA as their research and that I feel is not the right way to do things at all.
The asker has no idea if the answers given are coming from some one who actually knows what they are talking about or a 12 year old who watches Animal Planet! A lot of the answers give are so bad and some are dangerous to any animal, make me cringe!
Most are looking for a quick fix to some very serious medical problems or what human medicine they can give their dog so they don't have to take the dog to the vet.
They have no idea if the answers are correct but to them it's better to ask here than to actually read and do any kind of research, or to take the dog to their vet.
I think it's just laziness, and a way to get some pretty cheap advice from some people.

Answer 4

You make some good points. And I am hoping that there are people who ask questions here that are also doing deeper research like libraries and google etc.

There will always be conflicting opinions but then at least you have a choice.

Research about the care of an animal just shows good responsibility and care for the animal. Committment even.

Ultimately I find that once you have a good base of knowledge your dog or cat will teach you more than what you could learn from a dozen "experts"

Answer 5

I think some are genuinely trying to learn an answer (that they can recognize it when they see it is a different discussion, though). That's why I try to kinda steer them toward where they can find the answer. Which is generally "Read a book, join a class, hire a trainer." Which is generally met with a thumbs down. Which (I suspect) means that the person asking a complex training question expects that they should be able to get a 220 page book reduced down to a couple of paragraphs. Which means they probably would not recognize the answer if they saw it. Which means my opening point should be given further consideration.

But honestly, what really bugs me are those people who answer by re-posting entire internet articles they've read, mostly written by 'authors' whose only qualifications are that they have access to a working computor with internet access, and then offer those articles (along with several references to other unqualified sources of mis-information) in an effort to validate their unqualified opinion ... and its met with bunches of thumbs up. What the heck is that all about?

Answer 6

I think if they wanted real advice they would look it up on-line, and get real information and I do not mean look it up on YA, and if a dog is really sick they should be asking a vet. I see nothing wrong with asking a training, behavioral or grooming question or even questions on minor health problems but any information given should be followed up with research and not taken just on the word of the person offering advice.

If people who ask questions do not research the answers they get and if something goes wrong because they blindly followed the advice, it is THEIR own fault for being cheap and lazy.

Answer 7

Is it better to light a candle or curse the darkness?

Remembering that people asking questions are different ages, educational backgrounds and geographic locations, I think it is best to try to answer a question with enough information to point that person down the correct road to doing their own research. (Sometimes that means "call your vet".)

I have no problem with saying here are the sources where you can get more information. I do have a problem with "google it". Not everyone is skilled at research and a little push in the right direction can be helpful.

If they still choose to wallow in helpless, that another story...

Answer 8

I agree totally, in the sense that you can ask certain questions without expecting great answers, how ever If it's of any importance I may still ask the question but will do my research before and after in other words I would not rely on someones answer.

Answer 9

There are some questions that should be reserached instead of asked on here, but sometimes people like the personal opinion/view of another person who they don't know. The only thing is, a lot of the time people just want to be told what they want to hear.

Answer 10

I think people just want someone to agree with their own point of view and not really want an honest answer. On top of that it the asker who gets to choose the best answer. Most of them choose someone who agrees with want they want to do anyway, not the correct thing.