not knowing if your answer has helped?

i sometimes feel the same way, i sit for quite a while sometimes writing it all out or even googling for them, then others just do a one worder for the 2 points!!, i often wonder if it helped them at all, would be interesting to know wouldnt it.

When you do your best to give a helpful, informed answer, are you doing it to be helpful, or to get something in return? The point of the site is to share information. Thumbs up and down mean mean nothing. I wouldn't take much stock for either of them. We all know there are people who scroll through answers giving thumbs down just for kicks, but people do the same for thumbs up too... giving them just to be nice whether the answer is a good answer or now. I've seen thumbs up given for wrong answers more than for good answers.

There is no accountability with anoniminity, emotions aside they are careless, not mean, but you are nice to care.

well they might not reply but I think your help is probably appreciated just not replied to.So well done you for trying to help gives big pat on back.