Why is it a big deal when u repeat a question that has been already answered?

Some people think you aren’t really searching the site for information. Some questions are just repeated too often, i.e. iphone questions. Some questions, like “what’s your favorite cereal?” can be asked every so often, due to new users joining, but some people are annoyed by it anyway.

ok well sorry to all the people I’ve annoyed ...

Yeah, but what about those of us who you didn’t annoy?

well there’s always room for more

There is no room for repeats! Since this is the 19,134th question on fluther; there is not much you have to look thru in order to find the answers you seek!~..~!

Complete sarcasm!

As long as it hasn’t been asked within a 24 hr period, it doesn’t bother me! Most people give links to similar questions just to help, and not necessarily to be assholes!

ok well thanks everyone for ur feedback

Repeat questions are a waste of everyones time. I mean come on, would it kill you to just search first? Im not saying dig through 20 pages of questions or anything. Just search the first page or so, if you dont see it there, chances are it hasnt been asked.

just hate when people are complete butt holes about it to other people… Wouldn’t u think people would be asking the question if they didn’t search for hours on google? Unless if its a oppinionated question but thanks everyone for the feedback!

The thing is people dont search for hours on google. Thats why we get pissed. And its not just searching google im talking about. Search the sites index, it takes two seconds. That way people wont be such “butt holes” as you put it.

would it kill you to actually spell out a three letter word?

I think it’s because Fluther’s quasi-messageboard approach has people seeing the site as both a forum and a reference source. Repeats are fine for the first but muddle the efficiency of the second…

Personally I’m fine with it as I like the conversation and don’t mind searching. I find it vaguely annoying if people bring up long, difficult questions too often because there’s always a preamble to those that is the same beginning . i.e. abortion, racism, etc.

I guess I just never get tired of voicing my very lopsided opinions!

I’m not bothered if the previous question is about a week old, mainly because if new users join every week we can get more opinions and answers without bumping old questions (which I do find annoying).

I feel stupid because of yesterday when I asked two questions that had already been asked, and not all that long ago. I blame that fully on the fact that I Fluther mostly while I’m at work, and so I can be easily distracted, and forget that, hey, maybe I should search this first!

Honest mistakes happen. But you usually aren’t going to get a previous answer link (from me, at least) unless the question has been asked repeatedly or recently.

I think mostly it’s a respect issue – if you want me to make the effort to make a considered, thorough answer, then I expect you to have made the effort to see if it’s already been answered here.

I think most of us who ask a lot of questions on fluther have made this mistake so I don’t get to riled up about it. What I do get tired of seeing are when people ask the same troubleshooting questions regarding their iPhones when all you need to do is hit the Apple website for this (unless it is a truly unique problem).
By the way, aren’t the moderators supposed to weed out some of these repeat questions? I realized they have a lot to look at but thought this was one of their tasks.

I never get annoyed, but if something triggers my memory, I post the link or links to disseminate more information.

I am always interested in the sociology of groups and like to ponder on the whys and wherefores of questions that are constantly repeated…(So for me it is research for the book that I will never write, but perhaps RichardHenry will, on the dynamics of groups.)

I am not sure you should take the posting of previous threads as a correction. If one is genuinely interested in the topic they are asking about, it follows that they would be genuinely interested in earlier responses on that same topic. Does it not?

Good point, Marina