Are forums a lazy persons way not to research?
Warchortle
Posts: 2,197 Member
I looked through My Fitness Pal's tutorials, the FAQs, and watched Youtube videos on features; it answered a lot of my questions. I've found out an eating schedule that works for me through trial and error: adjusting for what works best for me. I am subscribed to fitness channels on Youtube, read up on studies about exercise and nutrition, watched documentaries about a variety of different food topics like agriculture, dangers of sugar, juicing etc. I've weeded out the information that doesn't make sense to me and generally used common sense this whole weight loss journey.
Do you get frustrated when people jump on the forums and questions that could've taken 4 seconds to type in a search bar? I just find that there are personality types that don't understand that this is a lifestyle change and not a fad diet or book or pill that you take that will help you with your goals.
The most "ranty" way to explain I how I feel is: If people are too lazy to look something up they could do while sitting, are they really going to cook healthy meals, exercise, log their food properly? A successful person strives in every facet as much as possible because everything is related. Once you assume one thing is separate or not integral to another part you've missed the point.
Do you get frustrated when people jump on the forums and questions that could've taken 4 seconds to type in a search bar? I just find that there are personality types that don't understand that this is a lifestyle change and not a fad diet or book or pill that you take that will help you with your goals.
The most "ranty" way to explain I how I feel is: If people are too lazy to look something up they could do while sitting, are they really going to cook healthy meals, exercise, log their food properly? A successful person strives in every facet as much as possible because everything is related. Once you assume one thing is separate or not integral to another part you've missed the point.
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Replies
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So, in some ways, for some questions, forums are the easy way out. But with nutrition, there are so many conflicting opinions, and so much 'common knowledge' that it can be really easy to get lost. At times, it's best to stand on the shoulders of others. They KNOW what works, they have b&a pictures, and can be seen as authority figures in this 'journey'.
In other ways, it's totally irritating to see people who have bypassed all of the FAQ's and come to the forum to ask if vegetables have calories. And sadly, these people are often the ones that won't weather a plateau, and will jump ship after a short while. But I try not to assume they're all like that. I try to assume that they're exactly where I was when I first started, lost and needing a direction to be pointed in and maybe in need of someone to say, for the first time, that they CAN do it, but they don't know how to ask so they lamely post a topic asking if vegetables have calories.
Ultimately I think I feel like forums are a more social person's way of asking for help and navigating the mines of weight loss. More irritating to me are the gross old people on the chat forum that come just shy of cybering and overuse this emote : :drinker:0 -
I don't feel it's lazy. People want interaction, they won't get that from a search bar.
That said, there is often much more information contained in search results than can possibly be conveyed in a single thread. Sometimes a search is more effective.0 -
You mean, are these a great way for people new to fitness and health to ask other's experience and for help? Yes. Exactly.
Lazy is apretty negative word.0 -
I do my research as well. I use the forums as a way to see what REAL people's REAL results are. Seeing how much it varies can kinda be my indicator that hey, this may or may not be for me... If that makes any sense..0
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If you use the search function, this question has already been answered.0
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Yes. And searching previous forums is too hard as well.
Pet peeve.0 -
also i like when people give advice without doing any research on it before hand. monkey see monkey do.0
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I think a lot of people in our society are self-centered as well and they think that their challenges and feelings have only happened to them, and they need to get the answers from the common folk. Then there are some looking for validation.
All in all, its not too bad.0 -
You mean, are these a great way for people new to fitness and health to ask other's experience and for help? Yes. Exactly.
Lazy is apretty negative word.
^50 -
i dunno....when i was a newbie...i searched through the forums at first...then asked my own FL for suggestions....
sometimes a newbie just needs to ask the question and get some supportive or smack on the butt answers to get themselves off to a start.0 -
Nah, I dont get annoyed. You dont even have to open the post up. You can just skip on by. Sucks that someone is forcing you to open them up. I'm sorry.0
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Research?
I just like to argue and make fun of people,0 -
More irritating to me are the gross old people on the chat forum
At what age do we old people become "gross"?0 -
I have done my research. I use the forum to see how my research has actually worked on REAL people. It is nice to see how this or that has worked for other people who are in the same situation as I am. That and there is the social aspect of talking to a person (people) other than your computer search bar0
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I definitely do my fair share of research, but for me, the forums offer personal experience and anecdotal advice. You may have to take it with a grain of salt, but it can also be tremendously helpful.0
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I'm an attorney. When I hear a problem, I do as you did, i.e., research and consider possible and probably answers. I also, however, seek counsel/input from other attorneys in my firm. Their input does a number of things for me--it helps me re-evaluate my conclusions (and thus become either more convinced of them or less attached to them), it helps me think of approaches to the problem I'd not previously considered, it potentially gives me other previously unconsidered reasons of why my conclusions are correct, it confirms that my thought process was what I wanted it to be, etc.
I think many people who post a question already have an answer in mind and are just seeking some level of validation or course correction, etc. The others, for whom laziness might be the major motivating factor (as you hypothesize), don't bother me. It's no skin off my nose if they want to "cheat". (Frankly, even if they WERE "cheating" I think I'd call them "efficient" rather than "lazy.") If anything, I like responding to people's questions because doing so confirms, and re-confirms, in my mind the answers I have and the thought processes I engaged in order to arrive at those particular conclusions.
I will say, however, that I do think people could benefit from searching previous threads more often than they do. Why re-invent the wheel?0 -
People at any age telling each other what a nice *kitten* they have on a public forum count as gross, in my book. These just happen to be parent/grandparent age.More irritating to me are the gross old people on the chat forum
At what age do we old people become "gross"?0 -
I don't do research here. Are you kidding?
I use the forums for
-trolling
-****-talking
-lurking
-general mockery
Also, to find sweet water recipes.0 -
I looked through My Fitness Pal's tutorials, the FAQs, and watched Youtube videos on features; it answered a lot of my questions. I've found out an eating schedule that works for me through trial and error: adjusting for what works best for me. I am subscribed to fitness channels on Youtube, read up on studies about exercise and nutrition, watched documentaries about a variety of different food topics like agriculture, dangers of sugar, juicing etc. I've weeded out the information that doesn't make sense to me and generally used common sense this whole weight loss journey.
Do you get frustrated when people jump on the forums and questions that could've taken 4 seconds to type in a search bar? I just find that there are personality types that don't understand that this is a lifestyle change and not a fad diet or book or pill that you take that will help you with your goals.
The most "ranty" way to explain I how I feel is: If people are too lazy to look something up they could do while sitting, are they really going to cook healthy meals, exercise, log their food properly? A successful person strives in every facet as much as possible because everything is related. Once you assume one thing is separate or not integral to another part you've missed the point.
No. Not at all. The whole spirit of mfp is to help others.
Some folks new to mfp are making a new start in their lives and may not be savvy in navigating their way around the site.
Sure, they could google, but why not ask people who have had real experiences of what they are dealing with?? If you think people are lazy etc, then move on...0 -
More irritating to me are the gross old people on the chat forum
At what age do we old people become "gross"?
I'm gross and approaching middle age (even though my three-year old thinks I'm old...five years old)0 -
There's nothing wrong with searching on the internet of course, but you can find just as much BS out there as you can in the forums and vice versa. Does hearing the same questions such as "I'm eating 900 cals a day. Why am I stalling?" get old? Yes. But how are new people supposed to know that and how else are they supposed to find MFP friends to help support them? New people also don't realize how much the same questions are asked all the time, so try to give them a break. Also, as someone else said, there is a ton of conflicting information online (both on MFP and not)- sometimes it's helpful to find actual people you can relate to and see what worked for them, specifically.
Not using a search function doesn't make people lazy. They might make time to work out and cook because that directly affects their health. In other words, they prioritize. It seems kinda ironic that you're ranting about this- not only is it under "motivation and support," but it's something that has been ranted about on countless threads, which you would have known if you had searched the topic...just sayin'...0 -
. More irritating to me are the gross old people on the chat forum
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Maybe you should of researched this...0
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People at any age telling each other what a nice *kitten* they have on a public forum count as gross, in my book. These just happen to be parent/grandparent age.More irritating to me are the gross old people on the chat forum
At what age do we old people become "gross"?
nice *kitten*, sister!0 -
If you use the search function, this question has already been answered.
I feel like there should be a gong sound after you read this.0 -
It must be awesome to know everything and not need peer feedback. Congrats on that.0
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the gross old people
Shoot. 32. Gross? Damn, just got schooled by a child.
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So, in some ways, for some questions, forums are the easy way out. But with nutrition, there are so many conflicting opinions, and so much 'common knowledge' that it can be really easy to get lost. At times, it's best to stand on the shoulders of others. They KNOW what works, they have b&a pictures, and can be seen as authority figures in this 'journey'.
In other ways, it's totally irritating to see people who have bypassed all of the FAQ's and come to the forum to ask if vegetables have calories. And sadly, these people are often the ones that won't weather a plateau, and will jump ship after a short while. But I try not to assume they're all like that. I try to assume that they're exactly where I was when I first started, lost and needing a direction to be pointed in and maybe in need of someone to say, for the first time, that they CAN do it, but they don't know how to ask so they lamely post a topic asking if vegetables have calories.
Ultimately I think I feel like forums are a more social person's way of asking for help and navigating the mines of weight loss. More irritating to me are the gross old people on the chat forum that come just shy of cybering and overuse this emote : :drinker:
Aw, hon, I was with ya until ya called out the old people. Seeing as I'm one of em (and I'm on your friends list lol!)
I probably do use the :drinker: emoticon too much. It's my version of a "thumbs up" for stuff I like, sometimes.
As for the rest of your post, I agree.0 -
i dunno....when i was a newbie...i searched through the forums at first...then asked my own FL for suggestions....
sometimes a newbie just needs to ask the question and get some supportive or smack on the butt answers to get themselves off to a start.
^^This.0
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