Advice for those asking for advice

U

UncleEd

New member
Regularly, someone relatively new to guns or at least certain kinds of guns, hand gun or long gun, asks for advice about what kind or gun or what to look for.

But the poster doesn't give a general indication where he/she lives.

I think if the poster would do that, a lot of knowledgeable forum members could point them to specific places close by for what is being sought.

For instance, the poster can just say he/she lives in the Atlanta area or
Birmingham area or Los Angeles area or St. Louis area.
 
good info.... Would also add something similar for those giving advice as well.

I see this all the time. A very specific question gets asked or a specific call out on a question is given such as.....

I'm looking for a XXXX type of firearm but I don't like YYYY so please do not offer suggestions like that.

Generally with in the first 2 or 3 posts you will see.


Well you should really consider YYYY because its the best.

Sometimes just answering the questions asked as opposed to one that was not is a nice gesture of respect.
 
We could make a long list of great suggestions!

1) descriptive and concise subject line

2) where are you at?

3) honest assessment of your skill/experience

4) the SEARCH ENGINE! No, we don't mind re-answering old questions that have been asked before, but the search engine gives you instant results AND can give you fantastic responses that you may not get this time

5) use punctuation, capitalization and line breaks please

6) be courteous, be friendly, set the early tone

7) update your situation, how did you resolve it? And do this in the SAME THREAD!
These are just the most important, IMO. Most folks here love to help!
 
7) update your situation, how did you resolve it? And do this in the SAME THREAD!
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This is a good suggestion for all kinds of forums. Someone has a problem and suggestions are made but we never know what the resolution was. It would be helpful how the results were and what, if any, suggestions worked.
 
...and maybe it's just a wee bit of OCD in me, but I think it's senseless to start a new thread that says "hey, you guys are great, I asked for help with _____ and here is what happened _____"

Far better is to simply add a NEW reply to the original thread, so the whole scenario plays out in one place. Less threads, less muck on the front page of each area. More content, less schmaltz.

Do it for the children! :cool:
 
What about when the OP does come back and tells everyone what he got or what he did and the advice keeps on coming, paying no attention that the OP's dilemma has been rectified?
 
That's also a rampant virus, but it sure as heck isn't the fault of the thread subject -- the new guy asking for advice. That's clearly the fault of the lazy folks who slap down a reply with no care or no interest on what has already been said.

Yep, I'd love to see that improve also... but that's a whole other issue.
 
Good suggestions.

I think it would be nice for the OP to:

A) return and participate in thr conversation

B) Tell us what they want....i want a Glock.....is different than i want a gun....for whst?

C) So, what did you do and how did it work out?
 
I kind of wish the 'location' field were mandatory even though I admit I had to force down a little paranoia before I admitted to being in the Twin Cities, MN.

There's LOTS of times we get questions like,
'where could I find a range that rents guns'
'where could I find a gun store that handles xyz'
'where could I find a range that shoots out to xyz yards'
etc. etc.

Your location would really help us answer these questions...then again I suppose everyone just assumes we have their location because, you know, that paranoia thing again.
 
Y'all are asking too much....... it seems the world today just wants instant gratification with their instant information.
 
^^^^ +1; the techno-geek generation seems the most inept at using Google.....

Any poster asking for help needs to provide as much info as they can, whether it is about buying/selling something, getting a valuation, determining a reload, etc.
 
What about when the OP does come back and tells everyone what he got or what he did and the advice keeps on coming, paying no attention that the OP's dilemma has been rectified?
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I think a lot of that comes from people reading a post and immediately replying, without reading the entire thread first.

Part of it is some really just don't pay attention very well, or just skim over the posts too quickly.

The "what should I buy" threads are pointless after about 10 replies because most just recommend their personal favorites whether it's what the OP asked about or not.
 
Someone (who is not me) should come up with a Gun Buyer's Paradigm or Flow Chart. In fact, I'd bet some techno-savy person could even develop an app for this in the form a 10-15 question format. Then, at the end, the app would recommend all guns that fit the 10-15-answer criteria. It would go something like this:

1. Price Range
2. Current Production Only; All guns
3. Handgun Shotgun Rifle
4. Caliber
5. Action - check all that apply: Semi-auto, Single-shot, Pump Action, Lever Action, Revolver, Hammer DAO, Striker DAO, Hamer DA/SA......SAO, DA/SA, Striker DAO.....
6. Materials: Polymer, Alloy, Stainless, Blued...
7. Capacity
 
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While its good, is this thread gun related enough to stay open??
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I always wonder why there's a "general discussion" section that doesn't allow "general discussions".

Forums can nit pick their way to self destruction.
 
While its good, is this thread gun related enough to stay open??
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How is this not gun related? We're generally discussing how best to direct someone new to guns in their quest for the "right" gun.
 
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