When Fluther started and all the facets were working, we weren’t allowed to repeat a question no matter how old the original was. There was a computer function that would first take you to similar questions like you were asking. You were expected to make certain your question hadn’t been asked before. Only then were you allowed to post your question.

So people are just sticking to that rusty old tradition?

It would seem so.

Some people don’t get the answer they want the first time – -second time – - – third time – - – - !!!

I get pissed off when it’s clear to me that the OP is asking for some kind of validation instead of actual answers. First I will just point them to their previous question. Then I will say that straight to them.

Since there are so few questions these days, one can assume most people have seen the question the first time and decided whether or not to answer. Posting it again a day or two later just clogs the pipes.

I’ve been known to post the same question several times (like five, or six).
So it is possible.
They were more of a game/quiz question though.

@rebbel I think the game question, which were often on-going, are a different story.

I think a year or two space between similar questions is ok since Jellies come and go, and if a question was asked a year ago, there are going to be new Jellies answering it now. However, to post within a few days or weeks of the same question is like shopping for a certain answer, or looking for a platform to talk about grandchildren stories, etc.

@janbb Tru dat.

I don’t get upset, but I tend to feel as @Mimishu1995, that the OP is wanting a specific answer rather than general opinions. I’d rather that be in the post, if that’s the case, rather than the same question over and over.
But do as you please, it doesn’t matter to me, not my site to police. :)

Ironically, this question was asked one day ago by @Hawaii_Jake and one month ago by @reddeerguy.

https://www.fluther.com/230083/have-you-had-covid-19/

https://www.fluther.com/229461/have-you-had-covid/

^hahaha Those old protocols are not working any more. I had no memory of the older question.

I wonder where the older one fits on the timeline of the recent Omicron-fueled surge.

^^ I think the protocols are still working. i just id a test and put in “Have you had Covid?” and previous iterations came up

When there is a moving target like Covid, it may be worth another person asking a similar question at a later time. i think the problem comes when the same person re-asks a question in a short amount of time which has happened sometimes, often by a new person.

^When I type questions, I never see a list of similar questions. I wonder if it’s because I’m typically on mobile.

@Hawaii_Jake Could well be. I’m on a desktop.

I’m on mobile and they don’t populate for me. Just tested Covid.

Sometimes I’ve thought it was because the OP did not seem to think answers written to someone else were good enough and they wanted fresh answers that were just for them.

I used to work with a woman who came into the office a little late, habitually, and went straight to the breakroom. She poured out the coffee in the communal pot and made a new one, even if the preceding one were full and only minutes old. Nothing but the freshest would do for her.

It seems like a kind of entitlement sometimes. That bugs people, even if they can’t put their finger on it.

In reality, of course, there’s often a legitimate reason, but the people who see that are probably not the ones getting pissed off.