Cheating by using search engines

[rodbox]

It has become more and more obvious that the use of search engines to get answers has led to the decline in the number of new questions appearing on quiz-zone. What do other members think?

[Buzzie]

As far as I'm concerned this site is to challenge other quizzers' knowledge and attempt to answer their posts. That said, I have noticed that some, shall we say textbook, answers have been appearing recently.

If Search Engines are used then it would quickly become a "fastest finger first" website and that would spoil it for those, myself included, who like to have their minds stretched.
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Rodney Marsh: "So how's your wife…and my kids?"
Ian Botham: "The wife's fine, but the kids are retarded."

[Savage Hamster]

I (sadly) have to agree with all of the previous two posts
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[wildrover]

I've already said all I have to say on this - it really pisses me off when I research questions to try and make them interesting, challenging and (in some cases) informative only to have someone obviously spend 2 seconds on a Search engine to find the answer. I used to set a lot of questions on this site but I just can't be bothered now.

I've reached the point where, if I have the time, I Google the answer to my own questions before I set them and then change the question to make it more difficult to Google - that should not be necessary. If people want to use Search Engines then I am in favour of adding a new category which allows Search Engine and then setting very difficult questions (like you get in The Great Brain Quiz) which require research.

Search engines should only be used if a question has remained unanswered for, say, 3 or 4 days to give everyone a chance of guessing the answer. I honestly think that a few people using search engines has driven away many regulars and led to the decline of the QZ site. I think we should adopt the policy used on the IQAGB site and warn people once and then expel people from the site for frequent Googlabuse.