Do you consider the emotional, sociatal and intilectual level of the Flutherer when you answer a question?

I always try to read the intent of the question. Some are clearly written to provoke and then all bets are off. But, if the question is genuine – even if ridiculous- I try to respect the “no such thing as a stupid question” rule.
This is quite challenging to do when the Q is very easy to find an answer to online or through other readily available channels.
If someone continually posts Q’s that really don’t require a collective effort to answer, and the asker is not taking onboard feedback, I may let diplomacy go out the window. But then, I’m open to feedback, so it’s a two-way street and fair.

I was just thinking that that situation would biased the website against people with learning disabilities who ask legitimate questions. Also, in the end, they would be made to feel unwelcome when they may be reaching out comfortably for the first time. If it is an ongoing problem where they are not getting it, then drop the thread and don’t answer anymore, but I guess I wonder if people consider that there may be reasons behind it. Reasons where if they were face to face with the people they would never dream of saying or doing the things they do on line. Some of these conditions would not allow them to realize what was really wrong with their asking their question here. To that point, this site is for questions. Everyone’s questions are easy for someone else, that is the bases for Fluther.

I wouldn’t be harsher with anyone here than I would be face-to-face, rather the opposite, because it is harder to read people without seeing them. But then again, I have gotten feedback at work that I can come across as a tad direct and blunt…
Again, if I get the impression the person is sincere, I will try to adress the question and tactfully give feedback if necessary. It’s when they don’t try to take the feedback I lose patience – and tact.

In the first place, it’s hard to determine a person’s emotional, societal and intellectual levels from a question, nearly impossible. If I had to guess a person’s IQ based upon their spelling abilities, for example, I would probably draw a very erroneous conclusion about that person. It’s also one of the reasons why I’m not fond of people correcting others’ spelling or grammatical mistakes on Fluther.

On the other hand, if the question is so poorly formulated, or there is really no question at all, my response, “What exactly are you asking?” may come across as arrogant when in reality what I’m trying to say is, “What exactly are you asking?”

As long as people can get the gist of what others are trying to say, how their opinion or advice is given shouldn’t matter.

Not really. Never invested that much thought into those considerations.
Sorry.

@ DeezerQueue – But your question “What exactly are you asking” is a question of clarification. “Do you even know what the hell this site is for” isn’t. One is an effort to help, one to hurt. I guess I am trying to figure out where make the decision to go down the road to inquire and help or take the opportunity to just hurt when there is no reason.

@Bri_L I think you just answered your own question. It is never a good idea to “just hurt when there is no reason.”

I think you have to show some understanding of the answering flutherites’s frustration as well as the asking flutherites’s ability. We’re all on (more or less) even foot here. Nobody’s here to handhold others. We’re all investing our time and attention equally. It’s not that surprising that people get annoyed when their time and attention seems wasted…
Not saying this excuses rudeness, but there’s always 3 sides to a story: his, hers and the truth.

I don’t think that we can be all things to all people. But I have been witness at times to what I considered to be callous and sometimes rude or insulting responses. While I can appreciate sarcasm and humor I think most people here are capable of recognizing when something written is downright hurtful to another poster. Instead of responding to it, it’s probably best to flag and let the moderators deal with it.

I think some people answer just for the points.
Depending on the question, I’ll decide wether or not I feel like answering intelligently

The nature of the Flutherer is revealed in the quality of their questions.

Occasionally, I’ll pop in with a flip response to a question simply based on its poor spelling – in cases where two meanings could be interpreted as a result of its vagueness. Just for fun, you know.

I understand frustration. No question. But how can the person who asked the question “force” the person to answer it? How can they “force” them to come back and repeatedly make comments? Isn’t the greater crime that the respondent’s expertise is being wasted on remedial off topic and sometimes hurtful commentary rather than helpful insight into other problems, not that a person who possibly has a mental or emotional problem and doesn’t understand the full range of their actions is trying to use the service?

I will admit to being a hypocrite when it comes to this because when I see bullying I want to chime in. But I am, in essence doing what I am talking about. Going off topic for reasons not related to the question. I don’t know the people or the history.

I do, however, know that I hope to come out of this thread a better person for your answers.

I usually try to answer the question at face value, and then also try to say something to the underlying context. The real problem, though, is that the best answers often contain something that the questioner really doesn’t want to hear anyway. You have to sort of resign yourself to giving an answer that is honest and accurate, and worry less about whether it might annoy or trouble them in some way.

Of course not. I only think about myself.

No I just answer the damn thing