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Underground > Policy & Help >

Using Barbelith as an information source

All Acting Regiment

09:53 / 16.05.05

Just a quick policy question: how acceptable is it to start a thread with a request for information about xyz subject?

The possible problem being that it's just using the members as an encyclopedia?

Is it more acceptable in the conversation than in the Head Shop, say?

12:25 / 16.05.05

It's probably more informative for the truly inquisive to use Google, Wikipedia, The CIA World Factboook and trusted news sites such as the BBC and others as a first port of call for self directed learning rather than continually asking others.

13:52 / 16.05.05

There is always the random Q & A thread in conversation and various other similar threads in other fora which allow you to ask questions. I'd say if you're asking for basic facts & information you should just try Google, but if you want more detailed advice or to start a discussion of the topic in question then it is fine to quiz the 'lith.

23:36 / 16.05.05

Don't most threads start with a request for information - what do you know about this, what do you think of that? Seems like a perfectly proper reason to start a thread, or bump an existing one, to me. I don't really see what's *wrong* with using Barbelith like an encyclopedia, providing that you're not always hitchiker and are sometimes the guide.

Are you trying to get a steer on your own posting behaviour, Legba, or are you just raising it as general policy matter? I see that one in four of your posts are new threads, so perhaps you have a tendancy to jump to 'New Topic' more than most, but not so I'd noticed. Is there a particular type of thread you're concerned about? Any examples?

All Acting Regiment

14:07 / 17.05.05

I was vaguely wondering if anyone had noticed, but it doesn't seem so, Smoothly. Was more just checking up.