Searching seems so easy that I usually do it to avoid making a fool of myself. Many people have said that you should be more polite about it. Here is my 5 minute guide to polite searching. (It isn't necessary to do all of them.):
1. At least post a link to the search feature. Some people may not have noticed it. You can usually judge this by their number of posts.
2. Better yet provide a little explanation of why they should search and ask or even how.
3. Give them a link to your results.
4. Pick out a relevant result.
5. Quote the information they need.
6. Explain it in your own words.
7. It is fine–even a good idea–to explain that they should have searched, but patience is a virtue. Assume innocence until proven guilty. If there is any possibility that they might have searched don't bug them about it. The most you should say is, "My search turned up ______.
8. Do not include multiple exclation marks or angry faces. (Strive for none at all.)
Any corrections or additions are welcome.
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Signed,
Brian Schack
"DOS Computers, manufactured by millions of companies, are by far the most popular, with about 70 million machines in use worldwide. Macintosh fans, on the other hand, may note that cockroaches are far more numerous than humans, and that numbers alone do not denote a higher life form."
--The New York Times, November 26, 1991 (also quoted in MacAddict 4)