I mean if you don't like it...don't post.
With the greatest of respect, Dastrick, I think that is just one way of looking at things - and I respect that choice - really, I do.
But...
If you typed that sort of incomprehensible talk into a search engine, I wonder what the result would be? By now, I would fully expect the average user to know the 'garbage-in/garbage-out' rule of computing.
Of course, since the increase in web-applications with onboard spellchecking, the environment is much more forgiving... but it only goes so far. Computers can't read your mind (...
just yet!).
So no one would dream of treating a search engine or inanimate machine like that, because they know damn well what kind of result they can expect - yet we human users are expected to magic up a useful answer, to suport a completely nebulous query. We are expected to give gold from garbage, like we are some kind of
information alchemists.
The reason this, or any forum,
works at all - is because people post and people reply. People post because they're puzzled by something and the more knowledgable reply because they enjoy helping others. It's much easier and more enjoyable for them to answer a set of straight, intelligent questions, than have to struggle to second-guess the querant's meaning. People also hope they will be appreciated when they solve a problem for someone and personally, I don't think "??????" exactly gives that impression, do you?
Now so far, that's just me, moralizing, without giving you a good reason why I should want to reply to it. You're quite right, in that ignoring the question is a perfectly valid response... but surely, the point of forums like this, are to help people? As such, (and because we're not computers - we're people) I would expect at least one person to feel like rescuing the querant from their mistake.
So - quite apart from the feeling of wanting to correct a social faux pas, any answer which directs the querant towards a more thorough, comprehensive - and therefore more
useful line of questioning, is potentially helping that person to help themselves.
Because we're not obliged to reply at all - to anything - likewise, we are not obliged always to respond favourably (as long as we are not overly abusive).
Therefore, I think, whether or not we
like a question or not, is neither here nor there. A suitable answer has been given, nevertheless... whether you personally
like it or not.
Likewise, if you don't like the answers given to the question someone else didn't like, you are not obliged to post, either. But I'm glad you did and I don't hold anything against you for doing so.
Dr. V
