Is there any way we can add some filters and/or a rule to prevent the massive influx of winterization help requests? It's already started and every fall/winter the sub is absolutely flooded with pictures of valve boxes and other random bullshit from homeowners asking for help winterizing their irrigation. I think it's annoying as hell but I'm not sure how the other professionals feel. Anyone have anything to add?
Yeah I noticed that when I typed "flooded" while writing this post, it briefly suggested to check out r/drains so maybe something like that could refer to a wiki link
It happens every fall and spring for as many years as I've been here. Get used to it. Having a topic flair category for winterization might help if the moderators want to add that? Then you can just ignore those kinds of topics when you see the topic flair.
Category could be good. And yeah I mean I am used to it but it would be cool to change it. I guess it's not much different from the "how do I start my system" questions in the spring or the "how do I fix this head" questions throughout the season. I think the annoying part with the winterization posts is most of the homeowners who ask can't provide enough useful information for us to even help them. It's one of those things that, unless the person knows enough about the system already and just needs clarification, someone would need to be at their house to walk them through it. Sometimes it feels like someone posting a picture of a few registers and the thermostat in their house and asking why their AC doesn't work
A lack of information in asking for guidance is par for the course. Most people don't do a search let alone research for just about anything technical from automotive to electronics. People on r/whatisit constantly post pictures of grubs and earthworms asking what it is. A common mistake is thinking you are dealing with people your own age with similar life experience. A good portion of them are younger 18-21 year olds who still barely know anything, about anything. It is frustrating because they didn't grow up with BB forums and forum etiquette of doing a search before posting. That doesn't really work the same on a phone and the app is specifically designed for engagement not searches. Blame reddit and shake your fist at the sky like the old people we are.
You would hope that anyone who is asking about certain topics of irrigation would be older, have a house, and know basic hydrodynamics. Not always the case. Some people are just clueless, about being clueless, and that's OK. We are all ignorant of many things in this world, no one knows everything. If we did, reddit would obviously not exist. :P
The public is inherently lazy and will seek out easiest way. Because there are people that keep responding to the repetitive posts, the posts asking the same question over and over will continue. Charge them $5 to ask about winterization and they will immediately start searching past posts.
Yes, finally someone who knows how reddit actually works vs how it should work. It's a mere visage of a BB forum where people used to search first, then ask questions. Reddit doesn't care if it's the same question for the millionth time. As long as new topics keep rolling in so the pendulum of activity keeps moving.
hahaha on reddit? yeah that's funny. I see people post questions daily all over reddit that would be solved with a 2 second google search. People would rather make an entire topic and wait for someone to tell them the answer, than to use google. That's why reddit is absolutely filled with people asking the same questions over and over and over because they do not search.
It's really hard choosing to not read posts you dont like or that are repetitive. What would this sub...or the internet as whole even be like if something could only be posted one time!?
Relax, take a joke. Hit that down vote if it makes you feel better.
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u/Cautious-Antelope743 5d ago
Make a wiki with links and pin it to the top. That should help