I'm sorry, but I have a rant. It simply must be said, even if it is taken down immediately thereafter, I will feel better.
May I ask why so many people on here respond to whatever question is being asked with "If you learn how to search..." or "look it up", or "there are 1000 threads on this already is you search for it".? I have two points to make on why this drives me nuts, and then I will effectively shut up and sit down.
1.) Personally, I only peruse WB during the day, killing in-between time at work, and I have read many other posters say the same. With that said, I don't have countless hours on my hands. Just a few minutes here and there to find the answer to a question I have. This is a forum/site designated for serious hikers, whether it be thru-hikers, section hikers or weekend warriors or even wanna be's, so it stands to reason that if I go on to this site and ask a question of all the many many, what I would consider "authorities" on the subject, that I am IN FACT searching, and looking it up. I am going to the place where many pros congregate to chat about what I want to know about. I consider coming to this site the very act of "looking it up". Why must I dig down to the first grain ever sprouted on a subject to get a respectful answer? Not only do people answer with "look it up", but they are often quite rude about it. Why is that?
2.) If it is only acceptable to ask a question and have it discussed thoroughly just one time on this site, then how is this site even still alive? I am sure if one were to search, every question that can be dreamed up has already been asked and answered at some point before here. Every thought that can be thought has been expressed. Every opinion represented. For those of you who have been on here for years and have thousands of posts, do you seriously expect to come here and read something fresh and new? For those people who have hiked the AT over and over, do you plan to come here and learn something now? Surely not. This keeps going because there are new people with old questions and view points that want answers to old questions from the people who truly know what the heck they are talking about. If that isn't true, then just publish a "whiteblaze book" of questions and answers once and for all and close the site down.
3.) Again, for the hikers who have hiked the AT over and over and a hundred other trails, known and unknown, if you are not coming on here to help the "baby hikers" then what do you hope to achieve? Your wisdom and knowledge is invaluable to us all and we are so glad you are here, but not if you eat our face off for asking what you deem to be a stupid question or a question that has already been answered before. When people behave that way it strips the of their value to the WB community and they just become an antagonist. What's the point?
Rant concluded. I am done.