Just Google it, Google is your friend etc

[xsquared]

Is a really irritating response when someone asks a question on a thread or starts a thread with a question.

I get that it's quicker to Google if you are currently wanting to know the weather forecast for the day or driving directions from York to Inverness, but when you are trying to get a conversation or debate going, then it's really annoying when someone pipes up with "just Google it", or "there's dozens of threads on this subject already, why don't you do a search on it?"

I know how to use Google, thank you, but sometimes I like asking about others about their experiences you know. It's like those sort of posters only come on the thread to shame you for starting one in the first place.

Rant over.

YABU. Clogging up the forums with inane questions is annoying.

If people think it's easily solved with a quick Google then I'm not sure how you think you could start a debate on the subject.

Read my post.

If you are wanting a discussion, debate or conversation, then how do you get that front Googling?

from

This comes up all the time. No need to go through all the different opinions again. Just Google it and read a previous thread

There's usually a clear difference between what is best googled and what is better asking for personal experience of or having a discussion about.

People ask all sorts of questions where it really is better to google and look on an official website, because on here half the answers are either completely wrong or irrelevant to the OPs situation, eg luggage allowances for an (often unspecified) airline or whether it is necessary to have a covid test to travel to a particular destination.

Or the 'survey' type questions which serve as nothing more than an illustration that if you ask a non representative sample of the population, you get a load of answers with no context or relevance to the OPs situation, eg often those about money 'if you are single how much is your mortgage', 'how much do you spend on groceries as family of 4' or if 'if you live in a 3 bed house how much are your utilities' are common ones.

I never know what the OP would do with the information from a load of people who usually have different budgets and priorities so not really relevant to their own situation.

As I said, if posters think it's easily solved with a quick Google then how can you start a discussion/debate? 🙄

Okay, so the examples I've seen recently was on the CF tourists thread, someone had asked what is NC500, and got given a link from a poster who said something along the lines of "Amazing what Google can do". Fair enough but would have been just as quick for somebody in the know to say "North Coast 500" without the attitude

There is a thread running about why men hate women so much and again, within the first 10 posts or so, someone says "Google for research". It's a conversation the OP wants, and if you have no other contribution other than telling them to Google, then just join another thread!

Yes, like the examples I gave about weather forecast and driving instructions which is fair enough.

However, I see we have xposted. The example in the last post is not something that has a yes or no answer and is clearly asking for debate.

But those examples are really different. The first one is much easier to google, rather than ask on a forum and potentially not get a reply, etc.

Second one is a bit different, I do think people should be more curious and look for research if they’re interested, but on a thread like that where someone has something specific in mind, it’s much easier to just post a link.

I kind of get what people mean though. I’ve got terrible morning sickness and wondering when will this end! I could start a thread - but it’s been discussed ten millions times. So I google old MN threads on it instead - they all say exactly the same thing.

I just think that "Just Google it" has become a knee jerk reaction for some posters.

Google is usually the first place most people would look of course, but if they're searching for someone's opinions of somewhere to eat or even how far it is to walk from A to B then they can do so.

But if you're reading a thread about tourists and see something you don't know what/where it is, you'd google it, surely rather than detracting from the conversation to ask a question that you could just google?

Asking what the NC500 is is just the same as asking what country a particular place is in, it's just silly.

There was a thread about savings the other day, and people were talking about putting your money in a Chase account and someone asked 'what is a Chase account'. If it's something you're interested in, you have to Google it anyway to find the website, so why don't do just that, rather than asking someone to do it for you?

It's not really detracting from the conversation if it is relevant though is it? There may have been others reading the thread and also thinking "What is NC500, Chase account, <insert item to google> , etc.

Anyway on that thread, it seems both asker and Just Googler detracted the thread anyway with their spat.

I find them annoying too. It is also not that easy depending on your device. If I need to Google anything I have to come off mn, then its a pain to find the thread and post. Sure I could watch thread and bookmark post but you can bet my last penny that if I don't know then there will be at least another 5 ppl who don't either.

Its just a mean thing to say imo

It's the tone that's used when saying it. Maybe a poster is better served looking it up themselves, but would you speak to someone like that it real life.
Some people do ask daft questions, I have known people do it as a way of starting a conversation, others are maybe just lazy, either way no need to be a knob about it.

Okay, so the examples I've seen recently was on the CF tourists thread, someone had asked what is NC500, and got given a link from a poster who said something along the lines of "Amazing what Google can do". Fair enough but would have been just as quick for somebody in the know to say "North Coast 500" without the attitude

But saying "north coast 500" isn't really any more helpful.

North coast 500 what?

Miles? KMs?
North coast of where?

Is it a road, a walking route?

Google will clarify all of this very quickly.

Sure, it is quicker to answer the question than to point out that Google has the answer. But it's not quicker to answer ten questions. Asking other people to use their time, no matter how little, to give you factual information you could have found for yourself with the same effort as it took to ask, is inconsiderate at best, and highlighting that in the hope that the person doesn't repeat that behaviour is worth the extra few seconds IMO.

Google it

It does depend on the subject - sometimes with Google you have to wade through lots of irrelevant results. I must admit on the thread you mentioned, I Googled NC500 and quickly got an answer; however you might be after the technical 'It's a road trip route around the Scottish coast' or you might be after more of a subjective view; e.g. 'it's a road trip route around the Scottish coast that tends to be popular with middle-class people in ginormous camper vans; locals don't like it because it clogs the road up.'

Happy to admit that it depends on the subject, but as some posters have said, it's usually the tone which I think comes across as being passive aggressive.

Maybe it's just me, but I think it's becoming an increasing common first response to any sort of question, and not just the ones available on Google.

Eg 1:
Poster 1: How far is York University from the station?
Poster 2: Is Google broken?

Fair enough, but still rude.

Eg 2:
Poster 1: We're having a day out in York, can you recommend a good place for lunch and dinner for vegetarians?
Poster 2: Google it.

The second one is subjective, and asks for tried and tested experiences to avoid disappointment.

Nobody is obliged to answer if they don't want to. If answers are not forthcoming then, maybe the asker will resort to good old Google, or take risks without prior research!

I do find the pregnancy boards are the same five threads repeated over and over.

Surely the whole point of MN is to interact with other people. Yes we could all sit here Googling every question that enters our heads, but most people are surely on MN to get involved in some sort of conversation? I hate seeing people trying to police what questions and discussions are allowed. It is very easy to scroll on by and ignore what you consider a pointless question.

OP this is AIBU.
Any views expressed on here are not necessarily those of the people posting them.

Typing “what is the nc500” takes the same length of time to type into Google as it does MN. Quicker if you use Alexis or Siri. And more importantly, it doesn’t presume your time is more important than the other people on the thread who you expect to answer your easily Googled query.

Eg 2: Poster 1: We're having a day out in York, can you recommend a good place for lunch and dinner for vegetarians? Poster 2: Google it.

I agree that "google it" isn't a helpful response to people asking for actual recommendations, but plenty of people will kindly offer suggestions to be met with a barrage of questions (not necessarily from the OP) along the lines of "ooh, that sounds good, do they have high chairs?" or "is it walkable from the train station?", "is it wheelchair accessible?" etc etc.

If it happens to be somewhere that you drove/got a taxi to and didn't have any children/wheelchair users with you, then you wouldn't necessarily be aware of the answer so, "google it" then becomes the appropriate response.