Here's a witty article about the many powters who seem unable to find information on the web on their own:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...DD3J1JB96L.DTL

Powters? How did that morph from people???

Help vampires... a new term for me but it certainly applies to many posters. I've never understood why some people seem so completely incapable of doing a little bit of research themselves or ask for help and then belittle the advice that's given if it doesn't suit them. An amusing article, thanks for sharing.

They're not incapable - they're lazy. Why do any work if you can ask for help and get it. The posters who make me crazy are those who book a trip yet have to ask what there is to do in the place they're going to. I always wonder what prompted the decision.

Then there are the posters who want information yet do not provide enough background to receive substantive help - they presume others have crystal balls and the crystal balls are in working order.

I don't think he's witty, I think he has a real ego and negative attitude. Just a whiner who thinks he's better than others and oh-so-clever.

Cute. I think I'll save it and just post the link the next time someone asks "What's There to Do in (______)?"

I can think of two reasons for this behavior.

One is the lack of, different, or ambiguous goals. If one focuses on finding a good fare, one books airline ticket and only then asks, well, what can I do at the destination?

Another one is probably the lack of a framework to fill the missing info. For example, there was a question on whether Lake Como can be done as a day trip from Rome. The natural question that could be asked is, well then, how long does it take to get there and is there enough hours in a day left?

Maybe from now on, I will answer yes to all questions that ask if it is possible to see such and such as day trip.

Why not? Let them go figure the rest out.