Alice's reading habits
Dear Alice,
Do you "really" read all questions that have been sent to you? I mean, I have sent many and many good questions that have never been answered before. And I was pretty confident that once you read them, you'll answer. I mean, they were interesting, important, and apply to a lot of people. So what's the deal? Do you indeed look at every one of them?
— a long time viewer
Dear a long time viewer,
Yes, indeed! Every one of your questions is read — the site gets anywhere from 40 to 70 questions every day. Once the question is read, and then read over again, the Go Ask Alice! team decides whether or not the question is one that can be answered. It is, for sure, as frustrating to be unable to answer all of your questions as it is to not have your question answered. However, it's possible that readers find the process of composing and submitting a question helpful — even if it doesn't receive an online response! In any case, here is some background that could help to illuminate why your question may not have been answered on Go Ask Alice!:
- It has already been answered on GAA!. Due to the number of questions that Go Ask Alice! receives weekly, many of the submitted questions have been already addressed on the site. Thus, when a question is sent in that has already been answered, that question isn’t re-answered. This allows for more room to be allocated for other questions that have not been addressed on Go Ask Alice!. If you haven't received an answer to your question, you might find your answer to a similar inquiry in the Q&A archives, which have grown tremendously over the years.
- It’s asking for a diagnosis. Sometimes questions will be sent to Go Ask Alice! that request a particular diagnosis of a pain, illness, or disorder. Diagnosing an individual's particular ailment isn’t in the scope of Go Ask Alice!’s work. Only a health care provider that works directly with the individual can make an accurate diagnosis. GAA! provides individuals with relevant and reliable health information and isn’t intended to be medical advice.
While Go Ask Alice! may not be able to help you answer all of your questions, you may think about where else you might be able to go for assistance! You can try your teachers, friends, parents, health care providers, library, or even a mental health professional for more information.
More questions will be answered each week in the future, and the site may even expand to better serve readers. Until then, stay tuned — and stay talkative!
Originally published Apr 07, 2000
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