Dave,
One of the reasons I answer so many newbie questions is that all newbie posts (esp those with links to other sites) are Moderated so that no one sees them before a moderator checks them out.
As a Moderator, I have to open each of them I see and decide if it is spam or it the post is for real. I delete the SPAM and allow the real ones. While there, I like to help the newbie as far as I feel up to doing, hence my preference for posting about the search facility.

these things happen behind the scenes and most members of the forum are blissfully unaware of this additional work, just to keep spam off the forum.

Sometimes we make mistakes or the spammer has disguised his intention, so we do appreciate Forum Members reporting posts which are inappropriate or plainly SPAM.

I also hope that you will eventually appreciate some of the posts I make.

Regards,
Tony