How do I...?

[silverx10]

I'll be honest: this website has been more than handy in helping me to identify different features of the DROID, as well as the solutions to more than just a few particular problems here and there. But I've begun to notice that there are quite a few people that are asking for help when they could be helping themselves quite a bit more quickly.

Of course, I refer to Google.

The DROID is, by its very nature, a Google device. Maps, voice, calendars, and the search engine itself are at your disposal! Even if you're not on your DROID, Google is but a few keystrokes (or shortcut links) away.

</rant>

Just posting this here, since one of the many things I live by these days is the saying, "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime."

 

[Martin030908]

the Search function is grossly under-used.

 

[silverx10]

Agreed, and I did mean to mention that in the original post.

 

[superglen99]

I've said it before people, long press and menu key. use them...problem solved 95% of the time.

 

[silverx10]

Agreed. I broke it down a step further by telling my friend that with the exception of the shortcuts on the homescreen, he can think of long-press as the Android equivalent of right-click, and he was set.

Problem with most people these days is that they're afraid their toys are gonna 'splode if they play around with settings, when more times than not, the phone will confirm the important settings, if not each individual one.

 

[Crispy]

Hey.. give us a break.. for some of us (like me), this is the first smart phone we've owned. Your point, however, is ligetament and understood.

 

[silverx10]

I'm glad no offense was taken, Crispy, as none is meant. It just seems to me that despite the amount of kowtowing that people do to Google, a lot of them seem to take its abilities for granted.

Hell, most questions I answer at work, I due it through my own usage of Google.

 

[Crispy]

Silver, the more I think about it, the more I realize you're right. Us newbies to this whole "freedom phone" world need to step back and not let ourselves get overwhelmed. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself"

 

[silverx10]

An outstanding and very mature approach to be sure!

But of course, should anybody require assistance beyond what Google can provide, these forums (again), have an almost limitless potential for aid.

 

[HarleyDad09]

Silver...Another Va Beacher here! What VZW store do you go to?? and did u get a Tshirt yet? Also, I agree with you 100%

 

[keiichi25]

Actually, I like to point out that it has nothing to do with looking down at 'newbie' smartphone users.

What I find to be the general problem with most users is the "I don't know how to do it, so I will pester someone to tell me how to do it."

My expectation of new users is for them to take a moment, try and figure it out. It's frustrating, I know, trying to figure out what something can do, but at the same time, I stop, find a computer, and search for things. I find a place, like here, that seems to discuss enough about what I am looking for and lurk around to find the answers or play with something to a degree to make sure what I am reading makes sense.

Now I will admit, I do ask other people how do they do something, like my parent corporation's IT department on things that is running on their environment because it is trying to be compliant to their standards on things we have not broached upon yet.

With the smartphones to general users, however, the real problem is that there is no 'right answer' to everything. Each user will want to use their phone a particular way. No one smartphone is going to be the 'best' for everyone and, as proven in many posts in discussions here, people will have varying opinion of how things should be.

The important thing about places like this is use the search function. Google it, look around. There will eventually be an answer covered and if not, then ask. You will be surprised how many times people ask the same question answered by another thread and it is mostly because people don't take the time to search for the answer, they flat out ask it and people who have responded to this question time and time again go, "It's right here, search for it!"

I believe that is just people having the normal expectation to do the research before asking a question already answered.