Why don't people use a search engine to answer their questions?

Well you are right of course, but then I think for some questions, what people are looking for are a more personal experience answer. It depends on the question.

Asking it here sometimes gets a quick and easy answer. Some things are a bit hard to find the answer to just on a google or yahoo search. But yes, good point.

Actually, I find it's only half and half.

On one hand, yes they could get the answer easily by using a search engine. On the other hand, people assume too much, think that they are stupid and just haven't checked a search engine first, when most do.

Also, when looking for an answer, guess which websites show up first? Yahoo Answers.

Then there's the rest of them, people wh already know the answer to their question but want to hear that answer from someone else, comfirming what they already have in mind. Those poeple don't want to learn.

And then on occassion, someone comes along and sincerely asks a question and they really want to know :)

Ignore the others, they would have gone away by now if people didn't give them attention in the first place.

You're absolutely right Linda. Most people can use a search engine such as yahoo or google to get an answer.

However, for those people who prefer a more personal touch from human beings as opposed to asking a machine, these people choose to ask their questions at ask.yahoo.com and get their answers that way.

Especially for those people who are having a serious interpersonal problem with family or boyfriends or girlfriends, they have the luxury of getting many different viewpoints and opinions from other live people.

For those less personal questions a person can either go to yahoo search engine or yahoo ask.

I guess that's their perogative.

I agree entirely. Heck, that's what most of us do when we see a question here for which we don't know the answer anyway.

But, I have a question for you: Why do people post a question here and then answer it themselves...hmmmmm?

(Just messin' with you. Have a great day!)

i frequently do use a search engine.

unless i happen to have an opinion or some tidbit of experience. (like your answer about bronze, good job by the way.)

Search engines arent always as exact, and topical as a direct forum.

Use MSN, YAhoo, Google, you get a lot of commercial crap along with real info in your returns. Its a pain to sift thru.

These forums can give specific info, and are more fun than a stupid search program designed to grab your interests, so they can spam you.

Lazyness, lethargic, unwilling to search for the answers??

why? because they love us answer-addicts of course ;p

consulting google is just like talking to an answering machine...too impersonal?

Here's the answers I found to your question when I did a yahoo search.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Anezw...

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Au3dX...

Much more fun here