There’s an old tradition in watch circles of the “read the manual first” reply, and it’s alive and well. This week a thread on the main rep sub turned into a long argument about newcomers asking questions that have been answered a thousand times. If that is your question too, see Which first rep model is the safest to learn.
Some argued that a “read the guide before posting” rule makes sense. Others replied that a forum is, by definition, a place where newcomers ask questions. There is more detail in How to ask for a QC or legit check. Where do we stand here?
Related threads: What do V5, V9, V10 mean in old threads.
As the resident beginner, I’ll admit I sometimes don’t even know what to search for. I didn’t know “TD” or “gen” when I started.
That’s the thing, isn’t it? “Search first” assumes you know the words. Plus for searching: you learn loads. Minus: the guides are long, and some are years out of date.
I see it in more nuanced terms. A question that shows you’ve read up beforehand gets better answers. That isn’t harassment, it’s efficiency. The thread mentioned put it exactly that way: people would like to see at least one attempt of your own to find the answer.
And what if the question is just “what do you think”? 
In that case the question is legitimate: no guide can tell you whether a watch is elegant.
So the difference is between factual questions and opinion questions?
Partly. One comment in that thread made a point I liked: forums bump a thread whenever someone replies, so one good thread can collect knowledge for years. That’s an argument for adding to an existing thread instead of starting a new one.
Quite right. Old threads here are a kind of archive. Think of the long-running reference threads on the bigger forums.
Agreed, on one condition: the pinned guides have to be kept up to date. An outdated guide is worse than none.
Here’s a fair middle ground, weighing it up:
A good beginner question here has:
- What you’ve already read, even just “I checked the newbie guide but didn’t understand X”.
- Specifics: model, reference, factory if you know it, your wrist size.
- The kind of answer you want: a fact (“which movement?”) or an opinion (“does it suit me?”).
Before posting
- Search the forum. If there’s a thread on your model, reply there. Threads that get bumped become the best archive we have.
- Check the pinned guides, and tell us if something in them looks outdated. That’s useful feedback.
For the rest of us
- Opinion questions are always welcome. No guide can answer “does it suit me?”
- If a question really is answered somewhere, link it kindly. A link helps more than a lecture.
Verdict: searching first is worth it, but asking is fine too. Gatekeeping helps nobody.
Noted! 1) say what I read, 2) be specific, 3) reply to old threads. Thanks tickbudget and everyone.
A most civilised conclusion.