protocol for asking questions

people should acknowledge appropriately when they are getting something for nothing. theres fly by nighters who come on ask some questions, , get a lot of good feedback, dont acknowledge the help much, and they seldom if ever contribute back to the group. theres no rule saying they have to give thanks. but as i said, this site offers a pretty great free service. I fix computer faults for a living and i see it all the time, the better the job you do the more people expect, quite a few think i have nothing better to do than sort out their problems on a whim any time night or day and that i should thank them for giving me the work including when they expect it for free. some people come on and post the most vague question about looking for a tramp somewhere unspecified in nz, you have to question them before you can even start to get enough information to have a chance of giving a reasonable answer you want to tramp in NZ? good on you , but the range of difficulty here goes right up to about as tough and as dangerous as you'll find in most places in the world, you want scenic and remote? well you might bite off more than you can chew if you don't spell out your experience, and fitness and how well or not you are equipped. all sorts want to tramp in NZ, from the most capable to the most incapable, people used to staying at serviced accommodation who dont think getting to a tramping hut for cheap or free accom won't be that hard... people who take suitcases and high heeled shoes and street clothes on tramps with them when the forecast is dire. the people on this site have to work out where the questioners are at in their experience.

I figure there's no obligation to respond to questions in the first place. It's nice to get an acknowledgement but I don't get too offended if it doesn't happen.

It's a 'customer service' thing. Going the Extra Mile gets taken for granted & just becomes added mileage. Makes it sweeter when someone acknowledges the effort with "Thanks".

Open forums like this attract questions from all sorts of people, with different levels of experience and expectations. Often their initial question is poorly expressed, incomplete or misleading. Remember the newbie questioner has no more idea about the regulars here, than we do of them. The best approach is usually to try and tease out more context and detail around their question ... and usually their reply (or lack of one) will give you some idea of where to take it from there. And always try and keep in mind that on most sites like this, for every person who does post there are dozens of others reading who haven't done so yet. I've been around social sites like this since the late 90's so I'm none too bashful, but it's always worth remembering that for every person actively commenting, there is usually another much larger number passively reading who haven't quite worked up to the point where they want to actively participate. When they see other new commenters getting shat on ... trust me ... it put's them right off. It took even someone like myself who's pretty experienced with forums a couple of goes to feel comfortable here. People do vary enormously in this. The best approach to participating in sites like this is to have very few expectations about other people, and high ones for yourself.

@wayno "I fix computer faults for a living and i see it all the time, the better the job you do the more people expect, quite a few think i have nothing better to do than sort out their problems on a whim any time night or day and that i should thank them for giving me the work including when they expect it for free. " That's another whole question again. My field of industrial automation is closely related. Some people will be respectful of the skills you bring, others will be embarrassed by their helplessness and cover it up by not acknowledging your assistance. You really can't change this. It is THEIR problem ... not yours. A very old mate of mine taught me the most valuable lesson; he'd tell me "Your first loss is your best loss, take it and run". It took me a long time to work out just how subtle this was. Cheers!

I'm inclined to agree with @waynowski and @Pro-active... it does not require much of an effort to say thanks, as much as the amount expended on asking the original question. A lot of generous members on this forum offer their advice and experience and don't expect anything in return other than the hope the information is in some way useful. I often think they should be acknowledged more than they are - more's the pity really. Sign of the times. As for being put off posting a question for fear of a negative reply, I'm sure it happens. Yet behind the curmudgeonry comment is an enthusiastic tramper/recreationalist who really just want people venturing into the NZ outdoors to be safe, prepared and happy! Merry Christmas everyone!

I don't disagree that it's nice for people to say thanks and to get acknowledgement. That's awesome, and when people acknowledge some help I've tried to give, it affects how I see them and might treat them in future. I just tend to think that trying to force manners on anonymous people, who are often transient, and may never come back, is more trouble than it's worth. When I see someone I've never seen previously in the forums post a short question without detail and no guarantee that they'll ever be back, then I don't know what I think of them. I don't see myself as being in some kind of unpaid customer service role where I'm obliged to do anything, and so I don't usually bother investing much time in responding unless I hve some reason to think they'll be receptive to it. Maybe I will if it's just a topic that I find it interesting to rant about. Maybe it's also still worth responding if it feels like something that'll provoke or contribute to an interesting discussion with everyone else around here. But I get as much benefit from the responses and feedback of other people as from the original poster.

@izogi That sums it up for me as well. If I am doubtful about replying to a question, I'll try and ask for some clarification, and if I get a useful, engaged response I'll take it from there. Bear in mind this is a two-way street; people participate in forums like this for all sorts of reasons. For me, working now in Australia for some years, it's my way of not missing the hills and rivers of my home quite so much. So I get a lot back out of participating. I joined my first forum back in 1998. Over time I've learned that the only person you can have expectations of is yourself. Anything else is a bonus, and you conduct yourself accordingly. Cheers!

"Over time I've learned that the only person you can have expectations of is yourself. Anything else is a bonus, and you conduct yourself accordingly. " Nicely put, PhilipW. My sentiments entirely. I contribute for a variety of reasons but have zero expectations that anyone will bother to read them or benefit from anything I have to say. After all, everything I do these days is just filling in time until I die! lol I've done my biological duty as a human and now just enjoy life, whatever it brings me, and try to have no expectations. That way I can never be disappointed. I've found that often the greatest gifts I can give to others are ones that I'm not even aware that I give - I'm just being me. So why have expectations when I don't know what to expect? Christmas morning. Nice to find something to give out to others. Anyone out there receiving on this beautiful day? Just picked fresh strawberries and raspberries for breakfast. Another day in paradise. Happy Xmas!

"Over time I've learned that the only person you can have expectations of is yourself. Anything else is a bonus, and you conduct yourself accordingly. " Wonderfully put PhilipW - I've never articulated it so clearly, but that has been my own philosophy in all interactions with others. If I live up to my own expectations of generosity and honesty then that knowledge in itself is the reward I need or expect. But furthermore to plagerise / misquote Paul Cohelo: If we all only help or volunteer in anticipation of direct reward for that action, then we are limiting the generosity-economy to a simple barter system. Whereas if we all give, help, volunteer freely with no anticipation of direct reward (or acknowledgement or thanks) then we will all be rewarded in kind by the assistance, time and skills of other people further down the track who share our philosophy and give likewise. Generosity becomes a fully fledged economy where we bank favours with society (or god) when we are able to give, and draw down the balance in times of need. And a fully-fledged economy provides infinite opportunities to give and receive, compared to the limited transactions possible through barter.