Canned Responses (and why you should use the search button)

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ihatewaiting said:

I feel like this topic has been mentioned several times as well... try using the search button next time.

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Probably because people have to be reminded not to be so lazy and actually do some research on their own. Next time someone actually puts up a truly original thread that is actually on-topic and not totally esoteric or irrelevant to 90% of premeds I may have to give them...a cookie.

7starmantis said:

It may be off putting but it gets the point across. There is even a search feature when you start to make a new thread. Seems like they are much more likely to find relevant and needed information searching past threads than starting another one that will probably garner some to ignore it. Making a sticky doesn't solve the problem of getting people to read it. On that note, those who keep answering their questions just fuel the fire and teach new users they have no need for the search function. They should learn that they are required to do a tiny bit of research to find their answers rather than just posting whatever they like and getting what they are after. I was an admin at a pretty big forum and it really took some work to get people back to the search feature once they weren't directed to it for their answers. Once they learned to use it, it was much nicer for all involved.

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Right. And I totally understand it can be off-putting to get that response. OTOH, some people need it. I also posted this partially in response to a few threads we've had as of late where the OP started out w/ something along the lines of "I searched but got too many responses and didn't want to take the time to look through them, so I'm posting a new thread instead."

FlowRate said:

LOL

either
3.2<GPA<3.45
32<MCAT<36
Average EC's (premed club, volunteered a bit, whatever)

or

3.6<GPA<3.95
25<MCAT<32
Average EC's (premed club, volunteered a bit, whatever)

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hahaha...yep. I don't even go on there anymore. That was what the med school selector spreadsheet was for. But now that I can't just point them to that, I don't even bother, lol.... But the spreadsheet almost always gave the exact same advice I would have (especially after I added the thing on the chance me page where it actually gives plain-text advice to the user; those were actually kind of fun to write and probably not far from what any SDN veteran would have written to someone who chose the options that generated each response from the spreadsheet -- "canned responses" in the truest sense of all!).

Catalystik said:

I think a lot of topics aren't searchable because we all use abbreviations/terms that are too short: ECs, GPA, Bio, VS, BS, PS, Top ten, URM, ORM, age, ER, OR, ICU, SMP, lab, etc.

Apumic, when you do explain things in detail, you do a really nice job though. I especially like your numeric analysis answers.

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Thanks for the compliment. I just get tired of doing the research (to find those numbers) and rewriting responses to the same question every time someone asks it! lol... and it definitely comes across in the sarcasm sometimes...