Try searching first... just a thought

[SunnBass]

Once again, I was about to post a question here on TB, and just before I clicked post, I thought "wait, this has probably been discussed before... lemme search for it first"... and boom! there it was!

Sometimes I think people don't do that enough around here. My 2 cents.
Wait... now that I think about it... THIS has already been discussed before too! Lol!
Oh well... (as he clicks "Create Thread")

Maybe the old threads haven't been replied to in a while.
Maybe the info is outdated.
Threads aren't taking up room in your house, you don't store them for us.
So who really cares???

 

[Stranger Danger]

Once again, I was about to post a question here on TB, and just before I clicked post, I thought "wait, this has probably been discussed before... lemme search for it first"... and boom! there it was!

Sometimes I think people don't do that enough around here. My 2 cents.
Wait... now that I think about it... THIS has already been discussed before too! Lol!
Oh well... (as he clicks "Create Thread")

Did you try searching for a "try searching first" thread before starting this?

 

[Rickter]

I'll often search for topics, key words, etc. but if the information I do find comes back as being several years old, then it may be worth starting a new thread as opposed to resurrecting an old one. Seems situational and up to individual judgement.

 

[logdrum]

Just a thought, if everybody searched and used things like heuristic search regular expressions, how much would the traffic on talkbass drop? Maybe that has already been calculated before. I should do a search, silly me.

 

[Williethump]

TB search function is not the best. Besides, this is social media, everyone wants to talk and be involved-its not all about information gathering.
And on the other (gripping) hand, dis be modern times, mon. Nobody want stale news.
Let a thousand threads bloom that have have already been thrashed here before.

 

[alack]

Reading new forums about all things bass is why I spend so much time here. Reading a bunch of zombie threads with one or two new posts isn't nearly as much fun.

I'm now off to start an all new thread about the merits of P basses with flats and tort.

 

[stringthrough]

Some threads and their replies don't age well. New products, solutions etc. warranting a re-discussion of a topic.

 

[SparkyLB]

Once again, I was about to post a question here on TB, and just before I clicked post, I thought "wait, this has probably been discussed before... lemme search for it first"... and boom! there it was!

Sometimes I think people don't do that enough around here. My 2 cents.
Wait... now that I think about it... THIS has already been discussed before too! Lol!
Oh well... (as he clicks "Create Thread")

I understand. So if I want a fresh answer to an oft-answered question, don't do it. If I feel like I'd rather just ask and have instant gratification instead of the drudgery of a search, don't do it. If I want question answered, don't ask. Search. Search and ye will find. If fact, even if you've searched and searched, and never did find that answer, don't do it. It robs important bandwidth reserved for "importance."

Takeaway: "you have question? don't ask" The folks who run this site certainly don't want multiple hits 'cause that's how they lose money. Read my lips: "No New Questions."

And now, "Live from NY, it's Saturday Nite!!" (cue the band, just not the bass--it's been asked already.)

 

[2112]

It often is highly dependent on the topic. I've searched for things I know will have been discussed a thousand times, but if there's any hardware involved at all, what comes up are pages and pages of classifieds where that item has been offered for sale or trade. Sometimes I do that search and end up posting a new thread, and the first three responses are "use the search engine."

So there's that. And then there's the thought that maybe people who are newer to the forum have the same rights to discuss topics that others found interesting six or seven years ago. It's easy enough to ignore a topic you're not interested in.

And finally, on those occasions when someone does actually a) use the search engine and b) produce a relevant thread, posting to that thread will earn you a hand slap for reviving a necro thread.

So really, the only way to keep everyone happy is to not post anything, ever.

This. Keyword searches on a forum with an average amount of traffic typically return a reasonable number of results. On a forum that carries a huge amount of traffic, such as Talkbass, so many conceivable topics have been discussed so many times that keyword searches, and even advanced searches, simply cannot return a list of results narrow and short enough to be usable.

The effectiveness of keyword searches is also worse in forums that discuss technology, such as Talkbass, where posts become outdated more rapidly. The more technology that's involved and the more cutting-edge that technology is, the worse this effect is.

 

[Stevorebob]

Try searching first? Really? Is it such an inconvenience see repeated questions? Wow. You know, you don’t have to read them. Maybe everything should be one unreadably long thread.

It's the internet — some of us are used to it.

Edit: TL;DR.

 

[Heyturnup]

This is speculation because at this time I am just too lazy to source it, but back in the big band era (late twenties through WWII) when everybody had arrangers and books filled with charts to play from, it became custom to scissor the titles of the pieces from the tops of the charts and put a number in their place. The idea was to keep competitor bands from pirating the piece by concealing the title.

Thus, "I'll be Glad when You're Dead, you Rascal You" becomes #46. "It ain't Watcha Do it's the Way that You do It" becomes #105.

Thank you for your speculative answer. My grandparents used the term, they're gone, I'm curious. Grandpa had a DB and played with big bands in the forties, he was in Idaho, they were on the radio

 

[GregT]

But you have to consider that from the other end we get tired of providing the same old answers to the same old questions. After a point we just refrain from answering because we've got nothing new to offer.

I have no problem with people keeping their mouth shut if they are tired of answering questions. There will still be plenty of fresh friendly answers from other folks. Those are the people who make TB great. I've asked wiring questions before and got fantastic responses from nice people with way more knowledge than I have. I appreciate those folks. Good people helping on TB is what I love about this forum. Rude people, not so much.

 

[bassicmike]

Reading new forums about all things bass is why I spend so much time here. Reading a bunch of zombie threads with one or two new posts isn't nearly as much fun.

I'm now off to start an all new thread about the merits of P basses with flats and tort.

I did a search - there's no such thing as too many P bass threads.

 

[erhovey]

Original poster here: wow… really kinda sorry I ever brought this up. Sorry, bass players of the world.

 

[sissy kathy]

How about "Should my mandatory spare bass be a P or a J?"

Your spare is a PJ, everything is covered.