Are we getting 'trolled'?

[Sparky]

It seems to me there is a sudden flood of new users that are asking super-vague questions without details that seem calculated to use up as much research time for a answer-er as possible. And getting them to clarify what they're asking about is like pulling teeth.

This is beyond the usual lazy 'please-tell-me-everything-without-me-having-research-it-myself' type that could answer their own questions with a 30 second google search. This seems...... calculated.

How well built is the FAQ? If you were a new user, how well could ypu find your question and answer there?

As an adept solar builder / user, what would you add to it?

 

[the_colorist]

As long as they realize there is a learning curve, it should be fine. If there are some trolls, so be it - I might have wasted a reply, but rather that then not replying to people who genuinely don't know how to start and might not even know how a forum works (I see this sadly way too often).

It's true. Besides that, any reply left may help someone else in the future. For every new user that gets up the gumption to post, 5-10 other people just read everything they can find. Which unfortunately can be more to their detriment than benefit, unbeknownst to them. Many of them have no frame of reference or very little of one.

Another point is that market availability and technology are changing quickly. As we are seeing with the EVE cells etc. I attempt to stay on the cutting edge because it's my job but even then it's hard. There are installations I've done in the past or had initially specced to do a more "traditional" way but have since gone back to the client and said there was a more effective/efficient/economical option for their specific installation due to dropping prices of components. For example with the efficiency of lithium and the low cost of panels, even used ones, in many cases it makes more sense to install more panels at less ideal angles than fewer panels and optimal racking (ground in many cases). Even if they start charging later in the morning or cut off earlier in the afternoon. This isn't always the case but at times it is.

Same thing with charge controllers vs PV inverters. I'm finding that micros and string inverters are making more and more sense cost-wise than high-end MPPT's (Victron etc). Again not always the case but more and more so as time moves forward. Plus they can be much faster/easier to install.

 

[svetz]

How well built is the FAQ? If you were a new user, how well could ypu find your question and answer there?

I've always hoped folks would complain about anything that was confusing or hard to find in there... so it could be fixed.

 

[magic8192]

I am new here, but I don't think you guys are getting trolled. More power instability and government instability makes people look around at where they are vulnerable. It seems logical that people would like to have more reliable power systems that they are in charge of.

I know more than most about solar, but the places I learned this was from installer forums and the power company. I felt like those people hated me and now that I know more about it, I am pretty sure that they do hate the DIYer. Both groups feel like I am taking money out of their pocket. At least that is my experience.

I have enjoyed my short time on this site. It has already been very useful.