... your (or others') saved time.

Some of the users might have read the FAQs already, and might have avoided a basic questions. We will never know that.

Also, you, (or anybody else) if "decoding" a question to be answered by a "standard" answer, can avoid a lengthy answer simply by pointing to the appropriate FAQ (or the FAQs in general).

For example, Jon's "noob"&RS232 pdf's are offered regularly as basic reading here. The other question is, whether anybody cares to read it even if pointed to...

(And of course, the HUGE difference in the background of various posters is a problem, too)

JW

PS. If a FAQ/Tutorial system would get close to perfect, we would have only the question from the two far ends of spectrum: the most stupid and the most sophisticated. This might get annoying, too...