What's the best add lib ..: guidelines proposed

Trelja, lovely! Elgordo, surely you've heard that the Lab-rador Statement was actually breeded by Cello!!! It is said to outperform the Golden Retriever on all accounts (speed, warmth, reliability/trust, attention to detail, etc).

I recommend the Golden Retriever as best all around dog. Anything with "Golden" in it's name is made by Cardas. The Lab would be a good choice but "Lab" is, of course, made by Radio Shack.

My favorite posts are those where people ask for help in making a choice from two, diametrically opposed types of components. It's like they're asking us should they buy a Chihuahua or an Akita.

Examples:
===========================================================
I am asking for help in my next system upgrade, I would appreciate opinions on which is better between the(depending on what component they want to purchase) -
1) AMPS: Wavelength Gemini, with 45 output tubes or the Krell FPB600 monoblocks
2) PREAMPS: Purest Sound Systems passive or the CAT SL1
3) SPEAKERS: Dynaudio Contour 3 or the Calix Horns
4) CABLES: Nordost Red Dawn or MIT Shotgun
===========================================================

Of course, these types of questions never follow any of the pertinent ancillaries that Gregm has laid out. Often, they're two or three sentence queries. Things like knowing about the person, room, music, and taste have to be asked by those participating in the thread. And, as Dekay states, they often never come back with a response.

Perhaps we can have Audiogon generate an automatic response to these threads that states, "You have no idea what you are looking for at this time. Please go back, and do your homework, and come back when you have narrowed your choices down to two components that live in the same galaxy. Thank you!"

Also high on the list to make me laugh is, "Does anyone use the ?" question. Automated response should be, "Yes, they do."

Oh, by the way, I recommend the Akita. Of course, I don't know if you live in the city or country, size of your house/yard, whether you have children or not, how old you are, how much you travel...

True, there is may be a "hidden" side to such questions as D-K suggests. But imagine questions such as, say, "how good are Kronzilla /Krell 600 (i.e. mega$) amps -- I'm considering buying them".

The obvious answer would be, "good amps, buy if it tickles yr fancy (i.e., it's yr pleasure & money". A more careful approach would be, "what on earth are going to drive with, say, 2x600 mono watts? Why do you need them?" Ok, questions are more subtle than my examples above -- but I think the idea is the same.

Sorry Subaru, I had originally titled the thread (...add lib). The formatting doesn't show.

Greg:

What I enjoy are the posters who suddenly become mute once these questions are asked of them.

Makes me think that:

...Ask a lame question @ A'Gon...
...Get hit by a truck the next day.

Cripes, I don't even know what an "add lib" is, except an attempt to balance a Republican Convention!

Perhaps, some of our more esteemed posters could propose a standard template for newbies?

Folks who don't post useful questions or contributions generally don't rate a response from me, or if I choose to respond anyway, I'll usually say something about their lack of info provided, hoping people will get a hint. My feeling is, if someone doesn't have the good sense to provide some context or details for their query, then they'll probably get about as helpful a group of replies as they deserve. I do regard it as essentially inconsiderate to presume to make a request of other members' time and attention if a poster can't be bothered to give of the same themselves.

True, it would be very helpful. Perhaps a few will read your good suggestions and follow your advice but I suspect we will just need to keep asking for the details post by post. Maybe we could just cut and paste your post to save some time ...

I agree. I often want to give advice on a cartridge, and the doesn't say what arm he has, or what his phono stage is. This makes it nearly impossible to give a decent recommendation. Same with all the other stuff too.

I would think that people asking questions would know that we have to know the necessary info, to answer them.

I don't know how to change this.

Too many of us, blah, blah, blah...when we should blah, blah, blah...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....