Telling people to search for the answer

I'm sure you've seen this...

A member asks a question, and they get the classic reply "go search for it."

How do you feel about that sort of response? Will you give that response? Do you think that response is justifiable? If no, why? If yes, why?

I don’t tell members to search for it, I’d rather do my best to help them.

The response is rude and isn’t user friendly.

If it is a question that I have seen asked over and over and over and answered over and over and over, then yes, I have no problems with telling someone to perform a search for it. I will also mention that it has been asked and answered numerous times.
Is that talking down? Some may think so, but there reaches a point where people need to get to be somewhat self-sufficient and at least make an attempt at finding the answer before just asking.
Of course, that may also be a difference in attitude... as I have always preferred to try to figure stuff out myself first before asking for assistance.

Go search for it.

Cpvr said:

I don’t tell members to search for it, I’d rather do my best to help them.

The response is rude and isn’t user friendly.

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I share the same opinion.

I also think if you're trying to build your authority or expertise in a niche and you say that--you're only hurting your reputation.

Shawn Gossman said:

I also think if you're trying to build your authority or expertise in a niche and you say that--you're only hurting your reputation.

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As the admin/staff of a site, I agree, you have a duty to try to help. And that CAN be by simply putting a link for the user to search with the query already done and encouraging that user to actually do research themselves instead of expecting to have it handed to them on a platter.
And honestly... even in a niche, the same question being asked and answered over and over amounts to duplicate content, something you really don't want even though it does add to post counts (something that people fixate on), so encouraging your users to research is not a bad thing in many niches.

As a user of a site, I disagree. Why is it a bad thing to encourage users to at least check first instead of taking the easy way out? But as I mentioned, I grew up being taught to be self-reliant and it carried over to stuff like this. For many, it's easier just to ask a question and then complain when nobody answers it (frequently because it has already been asked/answered ad nauseam).