Asking for help.

Billy Shafer · Sep 29, 2018

I have noticed on this site and others I am on. People will come on ask for help. You help them with the best answer you can. They never come back. So you don't know if you helped them or not.

I sometimes spend hours looking up old records and information. Build sheets,wiring prints,manuals and the person asking never comes back. So I have no idea if I helped them or not. I am sure some of you do the same.

So if you ask for help. Please come back and let us know. One way or the other.

End of rant.

Russ from MN · Sep 29, 2018

Good rant! We all learn from feedback.

Billy Shafer · Sep 29, 2018

Thanks for the feedback Russ.

Jimmydog · Sep 29, 2018

Sorry Billy, I still haven't tore into that generator yet. But I did manage to procure that tractor I was chasing. So to update, it's a sweet little Ferguson TO-30.

JD

jeffcat · Sep 29, 2018

I 2x that Bill. Every now and then a person will reply and it makes your effort worthwhile. But it is just common niceness to give a reply.

Billy Shafer · Sep 29, 2018

No problem JD. I understand glad you are happy with the tractor.

I am having a bad week. I spent two days getting information for a guy. Made some special request for some of it.Now I owe people. On his very old Onan. Faxed it all to the guy three days ago.
No answer so I called his house.His wife informed me yes she has it all. But he is gone on a month long hunting trip. To Alaska. This
was information he just had to have right now. I have been spitting nails all morning.

sotxbill · Sep 29, 2018

Billy,
I dabble in all kinds of equipment, tractors and generators. and I have greatly gained from reading your responses. So a lot of folks gain from a single answer, even though it was meant for one person.

However it is really meaningful to have the person come back with a response we have all gained from your knowledge.

Thanks a bunch as we all owe you. Do understand your frustration though.

Bob - MI · Sep 29, 2018

Agreed. It's kind of frustrating to do homework and get no response.

I see many times questions about parts being castings and how to repair them. I own a foundry and try to assist/educate on those requests and I almost never see any response.

I keep doing it though because I think it's the right thing to do.

Stephen Newell · Sep 29, 2018

That happens in any forum. They might ask the same question in several different forums and the first one that gets a reasonable answer their done. What I hate is when someone asks a question and you answer it and they argue with you.

guido · Sep 29, 2018

Hello Billy Shafer,

I too have learned from your experience and appreciate the time and effort. Like you, I am still learning. What better way is to have feed back with the solution of what worked! I sometime wander if it's worth taking the time to guess at the questions. Then I go right ahead and take the time anyhow. I guess I will keep doing it, keeping the old grey matter active. Stay well,

Guido.

guido · Sep 29, 2018

Hello Stephen Newell,

It happened here with me about a battery question. What gets me sometime, ( MY RANT I GUESS) they come back with some off the wall stuff, as if I invented the answer. So at one time, I had enough and I quoted the text book with the page # where they can go and find the same information I just gave them, I may do that from now on. I don't recall if I put the library of Congress number for that particular text book,

Guido.

SDE · Sep 29, 2018

I don't always do anything about what I asked about, right away. So when should I reply about it?

Billy Shafer · Sep 29, 2018

I don't expect an answer right away. But if it helps you solve your problem. It would be nice to know. I know sometimes other things come up. But you don't ask for help after saying you need it right away. Then take off on a month hunting trip.

Stephen Newell · Sep 29, 2018

A person can't know everything and any of us could ask a question on one topic or another but I'm certainly not going to argue with a person giving advise on something I know little enough about to be asking questions. I may think it's bad advise and ignore it but I leave it at that.

timcasbolt · Sep 29, 2018

(quoted from post at 19:21:02 09/29/18) That happens in any forum. They might ask the same question in several different forums and the first one that gets a reasonable answer their done. What I hate is when someone asks a question and you answer it and they argue with you.

I'd like to flip that coin over for just a moment and tell you about forums I've joined where there was an expectation of acquiring knowledgeable advice only to discover that the "resident experts" don't know squat.

Rather than start an argument, I've found it's best to simply thank people for the response rather than tell them why I'm positive their answer will provide no help at all. Even though there is a risk that these experts will continue to befuddle people in the future.

guido · Sep 29, 2018

Hello Stephen Newell,

I don't mind a correction, I welcome it. I also like a challenge. If those that doubt my answers would challenge the source, I would easily provide which text book they can verify my answer. I probably said that in one of my earlier post,

Guido.
.

FLOLDFORD · Sep 29, 2018

Billy you have help me many times and hope you continue to do so. I appreciate your knowledge and I'll be the first one to let you know so.

DoubleO7 · Sep 29, 2018

Keep yor fingers crossed and maybe that guy that had to have the info "right now" will need more info "right now".
Then you can turn the tables, send him on a snipe hunt to get info off the equipment in order to provide an answer.
Tell him to email the info to you asap.
Then just "forget" to reply.

woodbutcher · Sep 30, 2018

Yep. I, too, agree with Bill. I read this forum first thing in the morning, then I go about my day. When I have a problem that I'd like opinions on, I post later in the day. I may have forgotten to read the replies to my post by the next morning. I apologize for not expressing my gratitude, but, like a goose, sometimes I wake up in a different world every day.
Butch

Clarence Slydell · Sep 30, 2018

Common sense and common courtesy are very frequently MIA.

Traditional Farmer · Sep 30, 2018

Well maybe an original poster with a question didn't get a really helpful or accurate answer to a question. What are they supposed to do just let it go or respond back that all the posters so far don't know squat about the question that was asked? Can't imagine that would work out real well(LOL)

Texasmark1 · Sep 30, 2018

+1................ Totally agree.

Clarence Slydell · Sep 30, 2018

(quoted from post at 16:52:03 09/29/18) I don't always do anything about what I asked about, right away. So when should I reply about it?

Simple.

As soon as you read the responses and/or advice.

Then, when you reply, if you know you're not going to act on them right away say: "Thanks, I'll try that when I get a chance."

Then when you do try the suggested whatever, reply back with the results.

Simple.

Dusty MI · Sep 30, 2018

I agree with you guys but I wonder if maybe it was a sudden chance to maybe replace someone, and he didn't have time to do anything put get ready to go.

Dusty

caterpillar guy · Oct 1, 2018

One problem with trying to get back is the speed with which this forum moves. If you ask about an issue ot topic in the morning by late afternoon it is sometimes buried back 1-several pages. I have also asked questions and gave answers to problems. I don't think about whether they got back with what worked. I'm just glad if it worked for them.
Some answers are also incomplete for the solution also. I got added correction on one about a crank deal the other day and was glad somebody had more detailed information for them.

Clarence Slydell · Oct 1, 2018

(quoted from post at 09:55:04 10/01/18) One problem with trying to get back is the speed with which this forum moves. [b:f8e727796a]If you ask about an issue ot topic in the morning by late afternoon it is sometimes buried back 1-several pages. [/b:f8e727796a]I have also asked questions and gave answers to problems. I don't think about whether they got back with what worked. I'm just glad if it worked for them.
Some answers are also incomplete for the solution also. I got added correction on one about a crank deal the other day and was glad somebody had more detailed information for them.

If you use Modern View it isn't.

Every new post on a topic brings that topic right to the top of page one. Far more sensible and user friendly than the archaic classic view but it appears that for some reason that I fail to understand classic is preferred by most.

Texasmark1 · Oct 2, 2018

I prefer classic as it helps me to follow listings in which I participated; makes things seem to be revelant and easy to follow. With Modern, the postings as
you mention make it hard for me to tie answers to the specific person answering whom????? Does that make sense?

Person 1 makes a posting. Person N answers. You want to reply. To whom do you want to reply? In Classic it's easy to glance and see your choice and
after posting, you can come back days later and easily see if you said something to which someone else replied.

Only problem I have is sometimes you get an answer and the original question is omitted with the prompt....see Modern View for bla bla......

fixt · Oct 2, 2018

People become fixated on a problem. They are thinking about what they know, what they think they know, and what they assume are all related when in fact, none may may have anything to do with the other. They forget to add helpful details because over the internet tubes, that light of acknowlegement isn't in the other person't eyes.

Then there are stubborn people who simply can't acknowledge that some seeming evidence is only anecdotal and totally unrelated. You can't confuse them with facts because their mind is already made up and they only want to be reassured they were right all along. Those you just can't reach. Let them go. The sun will still come up tomorrow.

Some will go back and look with fresh eyes to what they last did and it's plain as day at that point. They will realize what they did and come back and sincerely thank you or all who helped them.
Those are the ones anyone will leap to help.
People can be strange; I can't explain their personalities.
Some actually want help, some just want reassurance.

Asking for help.

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