Back in IAP/BOTP we were told (and retold, and retold) that upon commissioning it would be in our best interests to listen to, seek advice from, pay attention to and get to know the NCMs working under us. For the simple reason that as a young 2Lt with 4 years in...we don't really know how things work. Sgts are a wealth of knowledge...use them or ignore them at your own peril we were told. Maybe I just had good course staff but I thought that this point was being driven home to most OCDTs now.
George Wallace said:
Yes you are partially correct. I am getting frustrated, pissed off, etc. when I see so many lazy, self-centered, egos with humongous senses of entitlement come onto the site and use illiterate means to communicate that they want to become our future leaders. On the other hand, I wanted to temper that frustration and try to ask a balanced question: "Are you para 1 or are you para 2 and have you bothered to do some research as to what may be expected of you? There are just as many who come onto the site, and have used their initiative to do some research, or at the very least admit to their lack of knowledge, and ask questions pertaining to answers they have discovered on the site. I look at these people as showing more potential and probably more likely to have people give them constructive answers. Perhaps I need a vacation.
To be fair...this isn't your average site and these aren't your average forums. Sure, people are
supposed to read the rules before they post their first response but I dare say that that doesn't always happen. Today's tech savy kids (35 and under....myself included) have clicked "I Agree" to so many online legal documents that internet rules don't mean much if anything except being one step closer to where you wanted to be 10 clicks ago. They (we) have been to numerous different sites and forums, have sought advice on everything from acne to changing a tie rod end to how to hack a cell phone.
This site...where they (we) are chastised for repeating an already answered question is an anomaly, a total black sheep. Most forums don't instruct users to search first and certainly don't include hostile "get it together...you want a job...learn to search" responses.
I'm not saying that new users shouldn't search (God knows I've used the line on other forums) I'm simply saying that newbies aren't used to having to search and aren't used to getting online attitude. I cringe when I think of how many potentially excellent members have been turned off of the military by the attitude they have received here (although we aren't associated with the DND).
In the end...my point is this...once in the military, this type of behaviour (repeating questions, using shorthand or textalk) isn't tolerated, which is a good thing (I think). I think its very bold if not a little unreasonable to expect the same of non CF members who are unfamiliar with how things work in "our" real world but are intimately familiar with usual online etiquette and use. Site rules can be posted until you are blue in the face but in this day and age you will never get rid of the repeated questions or the shorthand completely, it is simply too prevalent online. So, do we learn to accept it? Do we continue to chastise posters in the hope that we can teach them a thing or two about the military before they even apply or is there another answer?
I think a vacation is in order.