Something else you might want to try is reading the "sticky" posts at the top of the threads. There's one right at the top of this one on "Effective use of the search function". There's also an excellent one at the top of the "Newbies questions" thread.
"Stickys" are put there because they contain answers to the most frequently asked questions and the mods/administrators/mentors all want people to be able to find them easily, so there they are....always at the top of the thread instead of buried 5 or 6 pages in.
The only time I will advise someone to "read the book" is when it's obvious that they haven't (and their profile shows they haven't) or to refer them to a specific page in the book where I located the answer to their question so they can go read it themselves.
And no...I'm not on anyone's payroll (except that of my regular full-time job). I volunteer my time here as do all the other mentors, mods and administrators. We want people to succeed in this way they've chosen and be able to find answers if anything, heaven forbid, should happen to this forum.
People post hundreds of questions here daily and usually receive quick answers to them, even if it's not always exactly what they wanted to hear.

Me again. It looks like some of you didn't read the part of my post where I mentioned that I DO know how to use the search function, and that I WASN'T trying to offend anybody. In fact, I have found invaluable information on this site, from recipes to exercise tips, to just general friendship.

I do appreciate the time and dedication most people put into this forum...trust me. I still think I have a point, but my intent was not to just throw insults. Sorry if anyone took it that way.

shutt22

Actually the reference to the search function was requested by Dupont, so other members were trying to help.

I think you also have to realize that there are almost 16,000 registered members, 63 thousand threads, total of 567 thousand posts to run through on this forum. There are around 18 mentor/moderators total. So we really do the best we can.

To be honest I didn't see anyone taking offense at your post. I think all the answers were trying to explain why we refer people to the book while also trying to answer questions.

Hi Shutt,

If you'll read back a few posts, you'll see that another poster, DuPont had questions about the search function.

As for not taking offence, you're making that a little difficult when you refer to a "lack of helpful responses!"

In fact, if you still think you "have a point" after the posts here explaining the reasons why we sometimes refer folk to the appropriate book, I can't help but feel you are being more than a little provocative.

Rosebud

I give up. I can't even say I'm sorry without getting rammed for it. From now on, I'll stick to just reading the threads, instead of originating them.

Thanks for explaining the search, still haven't found the "sticky" on effective use of the search function, but I have NOW seen other stickies that will be helpful to me.

I'm still confused about the whole fiber thing.

If you go back to rosebuds post and click the link, it will take you to the thread she is talking about.

Some posts are spotted with links that become evident when you move your cursor over them. Otherwise, they just look like words have been underlined.

I'll post some more links in your journal on fiber.

Karen

thanks Karen

shut22, I don't think that people were dissing you by trying to help you, in replies to your posts. After all, you were the one who threw out the little jab about ppl here being on the Atkin's payroll.
If you look about, as you say that you have, Atkins is NOT the only LC way of eating here... and there are many talented and well read individuals on each LC way of eating, who have the knowledge or can direct one to the way of an answer.
I would rather be directed to an answer, that is answered in full, perhaps that post was "more on my wavelength" than how another person could answer it,& that person sees that in the way I write/reply/post.
The thing is, a good way of learning is to ask questions, to put in your replies, after all, it is said, that the only stupid question is one not asked. Rather than taking a defensive stance, and thinking that everyone is against you, share the knowledge about what you have learned on your journey. You have several posts where you shared about foods that you found, that may be helpful to ppl who are looking for LC foods.
Start up a journal,post whatever you feel in it...vent in there,share in there, be sad,glad,mad in there... there's too many lurkers in the world the way it is, don't add to their number

Shutt...

I don't think anyone here intended to slam you, ram you or dis you in general and I'm sorry if you feel that way.
I will say, though, that I still feel that there are instances where telling someone to read the book for their chosen plan (or even to choose a plan and then read the book) is still an entirely appropriate response and I don't think I've ever read a post where all the reply said was "read the book".
The moderators, administrators and mentors here are giving responses based on having read the books for at least one plan, usually several, plus months and in some cases, years of experience. Many have done some extensive research on the web as well. BUT....nothing can replace the comprehensive and often detailed information found in the books put out by the authors of each plan. The two work together. You read the books and if you still don't understand something, you ask people here what their take on it is.
There are a lot of people who wander through here never having read word one from any low carb book and just winging it on what they've heard from the friend of a friend and those are the ones who are usually advised to pick a plan and read the book. Just winging this without any kind of working knowledge of what you are doing and why could result in some serious health consequences and those are usually the ones you hear about when they have a problem and claim that "low carb" wrecked their health when, in fact, they weren't doing any sort of low carb plan as it was meant to be done. As a general rule, the more you know, the better you'll do, especially if this is going to be a lifetime plan. Looking for answers will often answer questions that you haven't even though of asking yet.
Please feel free to post questions if you have them. Flaming and put-downs are not allowed here and there's nothing wrong with healthy, friendly debating.

One other reason to try to be sure that newbies are reading the book of their chosen plan is this: we are not doctors and are NOT trying to give medical advice. Each of the books on the various eating plans has been written and researched by doctors and they have put a lot of work into explaining what to do and why it works and also into stating who should not adopt the particular eating plan. Low carbing is NOT for everyone because of some medical conditions and each person has the responsibility to find that out by reading the book completely.

It's not that we don't want to answer questions and be supportive. It's not that most questions have already been answered a dozen times a month. It is that adopting a new way of eating is an individual's personal decision and we want to help ensure that they are making an informed decision by reading the book of their chosen plan.

Quite honestly, it would take most people less time to just read the book than to post all the questions as they come up and wait for the answers.

It is an oft-repeated truth that low-carbing is not a quick weight loss diet. It is a change in one's way of eating that will last for the rest of one's life. The quick answer is not the most helpful one, even if 'read the book' doesn't seem helpful. It is never given flippantly.

...what everyone else said.

It is vital that people do some reading.

And y'know what? I see nothing wrong with encouraging people to buy books, and no, I'm not on any publisher's payroll. Recording artists deserve compensation for your enjoyment of their music, right? Isn't it wrong to steal music using Napster or another P2P? So don't authors also deserve compenstion for your use of their information? If the mods/mentors of this board were telling everyone exactly how to follow their respective LC plans and said, "don't bother buying the book, we have all the info here," it would be wrong, IMHO.

Just a slightly different perspective.

I've run and moderated a variety of listservers and bbs's for nearly 10 years now, and the interesting thing is that this topic applies to every subject you can imagine.

It doesn't matter what the subject is. There can be a small number of books by experts that outline everything you could want to know about a subject, but people will still not feel like reading the books, and would rather get everything from someone in an email or something.

Or bizarrely, they read a books, remember utterly nothing about it, and so what was the point.

Or worse, they read the book, but decide the author, a world expert, is really expecting too much of them by expecting some degree of dedication -- surely they can become an expert at something just by talking about it 10 minutes a night online?

I think it's almost a side-effect of our culture becoming used to the 20-second soundbytes and 45-minutes of classroom attention span.

I have places where I've put info online, headed by two sentences in bold red, and then another notice before the materials are reached, and then someone gripes and when I point out the multiple advisories they HAD to see that had the information they needed, I have actually gotten responses like, "Yeah, but I'm an American, I don't bother reading instructions." (?! Like what am I?!)

So, it isn't limited to low-carb discussion... it's just discussion, period. Human nature, or something.

PJ

I've only told people to read the book when they ask a general simple question that makes it SO obvious they don't have a clue. (as in their first post being "how many carbs can you have on induction??")

I am grateful that this forum exists. As in all areas of my life, I do not agree with everything I hear(read) and I don't always post perfect posts and I don't always read perfect posts.

And I have learned so much.

Three cheers for all the moderators and mentors who take the time to help when they can.

It might be helpful to remember that communicating with strangers via email is a new form of communication for human beings. We don't have visual cues like body language, we can't get a sense of the person's energy. . . and many of us (this is SO SO true for me) are not fully aware of the impact of our words, esp. words in print.

Let's give all of ourselves a break, be happy we have found LC WOL and thanks for all who contribute in any way.