Search Feature

Options
pippywillow
pippywillow Posts: 253 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
This is one of my biggest pet peeves on this forum. If someone asks a question it doesn't help to tell them to use the search feature. Some people want to start a new conversation about something, or they want to share their personal experiences. Not everyone wants to just search for and read information. Each of us have a unique approach to weight loss, and unique concerns about this process. Sure things get repeated, but a forum is for conversation.

Not to mention it's very rude, and if you don't have time to answer a question move on.

Replies

  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    Options
    Each of us have a unique approach to weight loss, and unique concerns about this process.

    Exactly. Which is why starting a thread every hour on the hour about who eats their exercise calories back and who doesn't shouldn't matter, since everyone is unique.

    And pointing it out isn't rude. Some people don't know it's there.
  • sk_pirate
    sk_pirate Posts: 282 Member
    Options
    oh dear...
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    Options
    I do agree that the WAY people point it out can be rude, but I don't think there's anything wrong with letting a newbie know that the search feature is available next time they have a common question. If they search and don't find what they're looking for, of course they're welcome to start a new topic about it.

    It just gets frustrating when three of the five "recent forum topics" that show up on the MFP sidebar are all about the EXACT same thing (usually "why do I have to eat exercise calories back?") It clutters things up and makes it harder for legitimate questions to be seen and answered.
  • EmilyOfTheSun
    EmilyOfTheSun Posts: 1,548 Member
    Options
    This is gonna be fun.
  • Animallover32
    Animallover32 Posts: 9 Member
    Options
    Pointing out that there is a search feature is actually helpful. Starting a new post is great but some of the older posts have helpful information you might miss out on if you dont check them out. You should appreciate someone taking the time to point that out to you when they dont have to.
  • cingle87
    cingle87 Posts: 717 Member
    Options
    This is gonna be fun.

    I will grab the popcorn
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Options
    I've stepped it up a level. There are a few questions I see posted several times a day like being over on sugar, being over on fat, being over on protein, how do lose fat from [insert problem area here]?, etc. so I've written and saved answers I can copy and paste to these posts.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    Options
    Fact: Every time someone posts "I'm lifting and eating at a deficit but I'm getting bulky/I'm lifting and my clothes are looser but the scale won't move' a goldfish dies. Telling people to use the search function is just trying to save the goldfish.
  • britzzie
    britzzie Posts: 341 Member
    Options
    If you want to tell a personal story, fine. I love those.

    If you want to ask how many calories you should eat. Search the forums. Oh, you didn't know that feature existed? Well isn't it great that someone pointed it out?!
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    Options
    Some people have no idea that the search function exists. I politely let them know how to use it and I also post a vast amount of links for them to look through. I've been thanked numerous times for posting this.

    The forums get clogged with the same NON personal questions a lot so the people who really do have questions in which their personal experience/info is needed post threads and those threads can be pushed out of sight and not get seen/answered.

    The majority of posts being posted where someone tells them to use the search function, have all been posted countless times and the user could easily find their answer by just looking at a past thread.

    Examples: daily sugar allowance, eating back exercise calories, raspberry ketones, green tea extract, protein powder recommendations, HRM recommendations, etc. <---- All of those have been answered before many many times.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    Options
    :yawn: you probably could of used the search feature to find out if this thread has been done before......
  • britzzie
    britzzie Posts: 341 Member
    Options
    :yawn: you probably could of used the search feature to find out if this thread has been done before......

    bahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
  • pippywillow
    pippywillow Posts: 253 Member
    Options
    The point is if someone is new, you're right they don't know about the search feature. And maybe after you give a helpful response to their question you could politely point it out. But if they're just starting out on a weight loss journey and they worked up the courage to ask a question, even if it's something we see every day, it might be a big step to them. And then the first answer they get is along the lines of "hey dummy everyone asks that use the search feature," they might just turn away from this great community.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Options
    Fact: Every time someone posts "I'm lifting and eating at a deficit but I'm getting bulky/I'm lifting and my clothes are looser but the scale won't move' a goldfish dies. Telling people to use the search function if just trying to save the goldfish.
    U wot m8
  • britzzie
    britzzie Posts: 341 Member
    Options
    The point is if someone is new, you're right they don't know about the search feature. And maybe after you give a helpful response to their question you could politely point it out. But if they're just starting out on a weight loss journey and they worked up the courage to ask a question, even if it's something we see every day, it might be a big step to them. And then the first answer they get is along the lines of "hey dummy everyone asks that use the search feature," they might just turn away from this great community.

    Alright, Pippy. I'll give you that one. Maybe it's kinda snarky to do that. And we really don't want to scare people away. But it does get annoying. Doesn't give us the right to make people feel bad.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Options
    I don't say it, but I do wish more people would use the search feature. Or at least lurked around a bit to get a feel for the place. I never had to ask many questions because I found the answers by lurking.

    However, the search feature on here absolutely sucks. You're better off searching "myfitnesspal.com" plus whatever you want to look for on Google than using the in-site search.
  • britzzie
    britzzie Posts: 341 Member
    Options
    I don't say it, but I do wish more people would use the search feature. Or at least lurked around a bit to get a feel for the place. I never had to ask many questions because I found the answers by lurking.

    However, the search feature on here absolutely sucks. You're better off searching "myfitnesspal.com" plus whatever you want to look for on Google than using the in-site search.

    Genius.
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    Options
    ike_where_this_thread_is_going-vi.jpg
  • da_bears10089
    da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
    Options
    I don't say it, but I do wish more people would use the search feature. Or at least lurked around a bit to get a feel for the place. I never had to ask many questions because I found the answers by lurking.

    However, the search feature on here absolutely sucks. You're better off searching "myfitnesspal.com" plus whatever you want to look for on Google than using the in-site search.

    YES! Lurking should be mandatory.
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    Options
    I don't say it, but I do wish more people would use the search feature. Or at least lurked around a bit to get a feel for the place. I never had to ask many questions because I found the answers by lurking.

    However, the search feature on here absolutely sucks. You're better off searching "myfitnesspal.com" plus whatever you want to look for on Google than using the in-site search.

    YES! Lurking should be mandatory.

    Yup...I creeped for months

Categories