Difficulty answering questions

[The_Doc_Man]

If someone asks a question when the solution is in the Language Reference, that they don't appear to have bothered to read.

I'll post links for those folks.

One factor that keeps me from totally popping the old cork (the one that keeps my brains from spilling out) is that in some cases, Access doesn't call something by an obvious name, or the name in question is obvious but the context isn't. For that reason, I offer the links or tell them to search for some specific search string.

 

[jdraw]

I find there is an over 50 group also. But I've been around Access and various forums for many years and have grown and watched others grow over time. As for posters and posts, they continue to run a common range - neophyte to nerd/guru. Some have great questions and a keen interest to learn; some (especially younger??) seem to want a complete, error free system based on a vague (quasi-incoherent) description often in database "jargonese". This latter group assumes we are clairvoyant and all-knowing and can accurately interpret gobblety-gook. This group also thinks "doesn't work" clearly defines the current issue. I don't think this is specific to Access. There is a "younger group" that feels some sort of "entitlement" for answers, money.... without much effort, experience or research (anything that involves activity) on their part.
I've been retired for several years (~ 3 lustrums) and don't do any development. So getting an interesting post and a keen poster is welcomed. If a post seems piecemeal, I often ask for a "simple description of business issue to be solved in plain English" - and the response or lack thereof determines my next action ---ignore/lurk, provide a link(s) or continue to draw out the poster. I often provide or suggest the links in my signature.

Too many think Access is going to build something for them magically. All in all it provides a learning opportunity for me.

I also find that some responders/repliers do interpret nebulous specs and offer detailed code to the OP. Then in subsequent posts, the OP asks what that custom code means.

 

[NauticalGent]

I'm resurrecting this 14y old thread.

Are things better or worse!

For me, they are worse, but then the issue is on my part. I have learned a lot from this site but what this site has REALLY thought me was how to find what I am looking for. Self advocacy is the best gift of all...

The questions I cant answer without look-up - I have a bit of the Gasman in me; if I can GDB, they can too!
The questions I CAN answer are usually answered before I can even read the question - and - they have been asked over and over again. Sometimes I simply do not want to weigh in because it's all been said before. It's a good thing the members here didnt feel the same way when I started posting...

I do find it harder to participate in the tech forums but again, I think it is due to my perspective for the most part.

 

[KitaYama]

I'm not an expert and it's not within my ability to answer the questions. So maybe I shouldn't post in this thread.
I just wanted to ask how you guys understand the questions? To me, most of what is asked is a puzzle. Not in database terms, but as a sentence.
Normally, I read the replies to understand what was the question.
English is not my native language, and when I want to post something, I check with google translate, my friends and mostly my son and also double checking my spelling. I think it's the least respect for the forum and for those who try to help.
Being clear comes first.

To me, not trying to ask clearly, is worst than not putting effort to solve their problem.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

I've been retired for several years (~ 3 lustrums)

Now THAT one forced me to look it up - and I took Latin many moons ago. Maybe 11 lustrums ago. Learn something new (or old) every day here!

 

[NauticalGent]

Now THAT one forced me to look it up - and I took Latin many moons ago. Maybe 11 lustrums ago. Learn something new (or old) every day here!

Same

 

[cheekybuddha]

>> Most times I do not know the answer, but a quick Google gets me the answer, or something to work with. <<

You do have the experience to know what to ask Google - for many newbies, if they don't really know what they're looking for, then they don't know what to ask.

That's why they ask here!

I get more frustrated with people asking questions with what they think is the bare minimum info that they think you need to answer the question, and get annoyed when you ask for more info around their question because you might be coming up with a solution that they hadn't considered.

 

[Minty]

I just wanted to ask how you guys understand the questions? To me, most of what is asked is a puzzle. Not in database terms, but as a sentence.
Normally, I read the replies to understand what was the question.

To me, not trying to ask clearly, is worst than not putting effort to solve their problem.

After working as a consultant and in a variety of businesses, you do get an innate "feel" for the general direction of a badly worded question.
And sometimes you have to simply say - I have no idea what that question means, can you post a picture or a sample DB to demonstrate.
Sometimes a picture really does say a thousand words, especially if someone is using the incorrect terminology.

 

[jdraw]

I recall a movie where John Wayne referenced "lustrum" and rarely do I get a chance to use it.

UPDATE: Just found the lustrum reference was True Grit, Rooster Cogburn.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

I'm not an expert and it's not within my ability to answer the questions. So maybe I shouldn't post in this thread.
I just wanted to ask how you guys understand the questions? To me, most of what is asked is a puzzle. Not in database terms, but as a sentence.
Normally, I read the replies to understand what was the question.
English is not my native language, and when I want to post something, I check with google translate, my friends and mostly my son and also double checking my spelling. I think it's the least respect for the forum and for those who try to help.
Being clear comes first.

To me, not trying to ask clearly, is worst than not putting effort to solve their problem.

Your observation (much of what is asked is just a puzzle) is spot on, and in that sense, you don't have the language barrier you might have thought. You are correct in your assessment.

Your posts are generally clear and we can usually tell when language has become an issue. But you are right. I don't know whether it is a matter of bragging or self-delusion, but I have developed the ability to work with inferences a lot better to decide what the user is trying to do. From actual responses, I think I'm above 50% on my "educated guess" of intent these days, but there is something to be said about clarity or a total lack thereof. I have to apologize to those folks whose English is SO poor that they cannot communicate the question, but for various reasons I have lost my German (through non-use), never took Spanish, and nobody posts in Latin any more. (The answers would be chiseled in stone if they did, I guess.) Which only leaves my fractured Cajun French or English. And even there, determining what is wrong sometimes is on the same order of difficulty as pulling teeth from a fully conscious and unrestrained Bengal tiger.

 

[NauticalGent]

You do have the experience to know what to ask Google -

That does cast a different shadow, doesn't it...?

 

[isladogs]

Jack
Can you tell me what a lustrum is to save me looking it up as well?
Just kidding - that's certainly a word I've not heard in the 5 year period I've been a member of this forum!

 

[NauticalGent]

UPDATE: Just found the lustrum reference

It's the one comment that does it for me...

 

[Lightwave]

I have answered questions but I m often unsatisfied with my own answers. I often make the effort purely because I think I learn as much from answering as asking. I do accept that if I am going to ask a question I should if possible create a worked example of the starting point and the target end point simplified to the absolute max except for the imporant points. That nearly always gets an answer. These days those questions tend to focus on correct SQL to try and infer a result from a starting point. I think generally answering a question is likely to be more useful for the solver thant the question proposer. There appears times when a question is asked someone writes an answer and yet the questioner still hasn't got a clue.

 

[jdraw]

It's the one comment that does it for me...

Just read the page, removed the reference link.

 

[cheekybuddha]

Just read the page, removed the reference link.

Haha! I didn't read the comment the first time

 

[NauticalGent]

Just read the page, removed the reference link.

What concerns me is how my attention was drawn to it straight away...

 

[AngelSpeaks]

I've received a lot of great code and suggestions here. I like links to tutorials because even at my age, I'm eager to learn.

 

[AccessBlaster]

Not everyone who ventures onto this forum has the need or desire to learn VBA or the logic behind it. Some folks have been assigned a task by a boss to solve a particular issue. Others might be trying on their own to help a team member or a non-profit organization. They're probably are not looking for a new career in programming.

A few months back I had a check engine light on my dashboard. I have an inexpensive code reader I plugged into my dashboard. It turns out it was the MAF sensor. I quickly googled it and found out that if I got some CRC electrical cleaner and cleaned the contacts really good I would not need a new $100 dollar part. That invaluable information came with no strings attached.

My point is I'm not looking to become a professional car Mechanic I just wanted to fix my current situation. Not everyone is looking to be the next best programmer, circumstances brought them here and they may never return. They might just need a little help to get over an issue not of their making.

You guys and gals do a great job at solving problems, keep up the good work.

 

[Pat Hartman]

I just wanted to ask how you guys understand the questions?

A lot of it is just plain experience. The rest is because I've made most of the same stupid mistakes myself. My blessing or curse depending on how you want to look at it is that I remember my errors and usually the solution as well.

@KitaYama Your English is better than that of many native speakers. I studied both French and Spanish in school. For some reason, I could never speak French but I could read and write just fine. But I was able to actually speak Spanish so I always felt more comfortable with it. Today, I could barely get through a greeting. French is a beautiful language when spoken by a native. When I speak French, it's like nails on a blackboard and brings tears to your eyes. When I was in Kuwait, I tried to learn a little Arabic. Our translator, used to say to me, "You will be so beautiful when you speak Arabic.". Note the future tense I never knew if he was hitting on me or was telling me gently that my accent needed work It is important to practice or you loose your vocabulary. I'm sure your English (reading/writing at least) has improved substantially since you have been actively posting.

This is the first forum I ever discovered and I started answering questions not long after I joined. As a professional programmer, it was easier for me to learn Access than it is for others because I already knew SQL and I could code in a different language so I understood the discipline that good practice requires. But, it was still a hurdle. Access is an event driven model and that is quite different from the more linier code I was writing in COBOL transactions (the mainframe version of an interactive form). For a very long time, having code distributed hither, thither, and yon in various events was disturbing to me but I'm OK with it now and even feel it helps when drilling into a problem.

I would like to encourage all newcomers to attempt to answer questions. You don't want to embarrass yourself so be judicious in what you try to answer. But, believe me, you will learn so much more about Access if you try to understand other developer's problems and solve them yourself. My husband (also a programmer) and I used to joke about one of our co-workers because he had 2 years of experience 10 times. Every new project is an adventure and a new business process to understand. The more business processes you understand, the easier it will be to design applications that work. It is your tool (Access) that you need to master and if you read and try to solve questions, you will end up with much more experience than if you just keep your head down and stick to just your own project.