Why are people asking the same questions over and over again? (Or the Regulars' Chatroom) 🤷

[code-in-progress (Bill - I write code.)]

@Stiltjack

other people need to see how obnoxious we are.

If they can’t figure that out from our normal, day to day comments, they just aren’t paying attention…

[Sir_Goodenough ((SG) WhatAreWeFixing.Today)]

There’s understand… then there’s hyjack

[boheme61]

@NathanCu

@Arh

So how do we encourage people to read these docs before asking questions?

If you ever figure this out user experience folks everywhere

Not only !,i would say Everyone but IKEA ( Well for their furniture assemble , that is ) , even thou their Zigbee Hub with Devices and APP , is a “no brainer” , nothing much can go wrong, because one can’t do anything but click-through, “let it run” , and don’t ever think about what’s going on , behind the curtain !

[boheme61]

@zombies.aaargh

For example

The easiest option to edit configuration.yaml is to use the Studio Code Server add-on. This add-on runs VS Code, which offers live syntax checking and auto-fill of various Home Assistant entities.

For 98% of the population, this says a lot yet very little, and this is one of the most crucial parts of this particular document for a new user because it tells them where there need to go to do the thing that they want to do.

It’s Not !, easiest is installing File-Editor, basic although sufficient for most basic needs, and as simple as Anyone who can navigate and succeed in, in alot/most of use-cases ( first thing most people are thinking about actually “How Can I Edit A File”, " How Can i Find A File"
As Google as well as The Search Box in this Forum, can provide answers to this question, i find it somehow peculiar that this is/could even a problem for 98+1% of the Population , True i am aware that for -1%, even this is a “task to overcome”

[francisp (Francis)]

I agree, the VS Code add-on is a resource hog.

[Sir_Goodenough ((SG) WhatAreWeFixing.Today)]

Tips on Searching for Answers & Duplicate Topics in the Forum.

It is a wiki you can add to.

Also making one for the editor is something that could be done.
The best part of code server is the HA extension that helps with context and spacing, template formatting, entity lists, and the reload abilities right in the program. Resource hog yes, but it does many many things to help the user.

[boheme61]

Yeah i like(need) VS-Code for some tasks , but mostly use file-editor, and/or raw editor.

However for me to write a “Wiki”, it would require some time, going through my "de-railings " , sometimes i even wonder how i ended up in a particular “side-track” or “ahead of” , and /or people wonder what i mean, because i might already( in my head ) be 2-3 steps ahead / or on a side-track of the "conversation / current state in the discussed topic/planning/progress

But do remind me, as i currently have to focus on getting some firewood down/cut/split n stored, for next freaking cold season

[zombies.aaargh]

@boheme61

It’s Not !, easiest is installing File-Editor

Just so that you are aware, you’re arguing with the wrong person.

I didn’t write this. It’s a section from the official wiki that I was using as an example.

[FriedCheese (Ryan)]

@aceindy

Give a man a bread and his hunger problem is solved for a day.
Teach a man how to grow grain and won’t be hungry anymore

Throw a man from a plane and he’ll fly the rest of his life.

I couldn’t resist.

[Sir_Goodenough ((SG) WhatAreWeFixing.Today)]

My firewood for next year is the rest of some emerald ash borer victims filling up my yard and a storm downed honey locust in the neighbors yard, both killing the grass. To wet to get there with the tractor, though.

[FriedCheese (Ryan)]

I made some formatting changes to the cookbook post and added a few links.

[boheme61]

I Took the liberty to add some to your “Search-Wiki”
PS: Feel free to edit to your liking

[boheme61]

@zombies.aaargh

@boheme61

It’s Not !, easiest is installing File-Editor

Just so that you are aware, you’re arguing with the wrong person.

Im Not !, it was My opinion, but apparently you missed the last an most important part, which is a foundation for this Forum to stay as a Popular Interface( Solution Database/Forum ) for Search, Find and Help, And not cluttered down because everyone act and think like You, as your self mention.

@zombies.aaargh

I think that a lot of the repetition in questions that the forum is getting is probably due to people with a slightly different permutation or combination asking a question that’s specific to them because they’ve become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content available that’s close to what they want, but not exactly.

Which in the end is just another repetition !
Doe to this

@zombies.aaargh

Likewise, with existing threads, new users read them but don’t really understand how to put what is in them into practice in their specific circumstances. I’ve gone through a few troubleshooting threads and found that people are suggesting doing things, but aren’t giving any clues on how to do them. So it’s often easier and simpler to ask a new question and then get an answer that’s specific to you.

Trust me, most people have gone through the same phase , some chooses to read more, search more, test / try more, however a few (very few) decides to pump in tons of new Topics, thinking they are entitled to just because they find It’s easier, and “my case is special”

And you already think there is way to many Topics/Post in here ?

[ShadowFist]

@tom_l

I wouldn’t go that far. But reading what I could understand and skipping the bits I couldn’t got me a long way in the beginning. Then it was just a lot of time spent looking through all the integrations to see what I could use.

I’ve always gone with the mentality that “I can’t possibly be the only idiot who got stumped on this”. Sure enough, I’d almost always find a post or some random google result to nudge me forward just enough to invariably stumble on the next step. Rinse and repeat and eventually you’ll get there.

It’s a bit like playing Elden Ring (or anything by FromSoft) - you might fail a hundred times, but you only need to get it right just once to progress.

[Sir_Goodenough ((SG) WhatAreWeFixing.Today)]

TIL – found anther cool editing trick.
Start of line in here, type > then > a couple more times followed by a 3 -. No spaces.

---

Nice different dividing line.

[petro]

> in markdown is like quoting someone

[Sir_Goodenough ((SG) WhatAreWeFixing.Today)]

Stacking them made a cool effect, never seen before it slipped out.

[PeteRage]

Worth a read

“illustrates how talented people continuously design bad software-based products and why we need technology to work the way average people think.”

https://www.amazon.com/Inmates-Are-Running-Asylum-Products/dp/0672326140?nodl=1&dplnkId=4b764368-d99b-48c5-83bb-0af3a8f123a1

[tom_l]

Another guide for the cookbook list?

Why an availability template is important for energy template sensors

When defining a template sensor for use in the energy dashboard it is important to also use the availability template option. Without this you may see incorrect values in your energy dashboard. For example, consider this template sensor that sums two energy sensors to obtain a total: template: - sensor: - name: "Energy Total" unique_id: 094412db-6903-dead-beef-b40e0e41ea28 device_class: energy state_class: total_increasing unit_of_measurement: kWh …

[Sir_Goodenough ((SG) WhatAreWeFixing.Today)]

Done
You know, we won’t explode it you add these yourself…

Contributors

New posts in this series (or improvements to existing ones - each post is a wiki) are welcome.

• Make a post in Community Guides and tag it with cookbook.
• Include a link to the index
• Add a link from the index