Members giving bad advice to legitimate questions

[DaveOmak]

Is anyone else concerned?
Some members think they are knowledgeable on all subjects and frequently give bad or dangerous advice.
Appears member of the month posts is the holy grail.

I would propose, if you don't have knowledge on a subject, sit back and learn something. No advice is better than bad advice.

Don't intend to tick anyone off personally. I just find when someone is in need of help, due to lack of experience as I have been on occasion and posted needing help, bad advice could get people in trouble.

With all sincerity, Dave

 

[mrpoppy58]

Dave,
You are so right about that. Some People can give very bad advice some times.
Poppy

 

[Skyco]

Well it is the internet, and worth what ya' pay for the advice:laughing:
I see lots of factual errors posted, I have a flaw where I feel compelled to correct them and usually cite a source. I find it interesting that the posters of factual errors rarely acknowledge they were wrong, even when presented with the evidence
I really get set off when the words "always" or "never" or used...:licking:

 

[dcyrilc]

Well it is the internet, and worth what ya' pay for the advice:laughing:
I see lots of factual errors posted, I have a flaw where I feel compelled to correct them and usually cite a source. I find it interesting that the posters of factual errors rarely acknowledge they were wrong, even when presented with the evidence
I really get set off when the words "always" or "never" or used...:licking:

Really? I never noticed.:laughing:

You "always" have good intentions though...

...and it can make for some interesting reading.


I'm hoping you see the humor I'm attempting to inject here. If you find any offense in this then my appoligies in advance.:thumbsup:





As for bad advice, It's my belief that most of the members who have been on here for a while are trying to give good advice. Not saying that someone can't be wrong or misinformed, but I don't think any of them intentionally try to lead anyone toward something which could hurt them or their equipment.

 

[brin]

cyrlll....I agree with you....Get the latest issue of Readers Digest and it has a whole article on Doctors that admit to giving bad advice or the wrong diagnosis resulting in the death of the patient or near death.....We all make mistakes. I absolutely do not believe anyone on TBN would intentionally give bad or incorrect advice. Do I believe we TBN members have Egos...certainly !

All I can say in closing is I have sure learned an awful lot since being a member of TBN...Thanks to all who contribute..:thumbsup:

Really? I never noticed.:laughing:

You "always" have good intentions though...

...and it can make for some interesting reading.


I'm hoping you see the humor I'm attempting to inject here. If you find any offense in this then my appoligies in advance.:thumbsup:





As for bad advice, It's my belief that most of the members who have been on here for a while are trying to give good advice. Not saying that someone can't be wrong or misinformed, but I don't think any of them intentionally try to lead anyone toward something which could hurt them or their equipment.

 

[sandman2234]

Due to the enormous size of the world we live in, there probably isn't any such thing as good advice. What works for one part of the world may or may not work in another. What probably works in Florida (where I live) probably won't work in Alaska, as far as most anything with a tractor involved anyway.
Most people post with a good reason in mind, or past experience and a person looking for answers really should only be looking for guidance, not answers. As with any guidance, you should consider EXACTLY what your doing, and ALL the facts that surround it. Taking any or all of these members posts as "HOLY GRAIL" is a good way to find yourself in trouble.
An example would be my previous posts on mowing a hillside. I always thought a Steiner 525 would be a good way to mow a hillside, as I have seen one doing a serious incline on a nearby overpass. However, that hillside is nothing compared to some recent hillsides I have seen in a recent trip, and somebody was keeping them mowed on a regular basis.(manicured yards). Does that mean that I have been posting in error for several years? Hopefully any posts I made on that subject only added suggestions to the buyer of a new mower to take a look at them, and maybe consider them. Does not mean that he should take my word for it and go spend in excess of $20K on my word.
Buyer beware and advice on the internet is worth what you pay for it. Consider all options and read all precautions before acting.
David from jax

 

[W7XYZ]

I think you have to judge the person that makes a reply. Does their answer make sense? How about spelling and grammar? Do they post any background information? Are they online just to argue? Forums are filled with a bunch of nuts to varying degrees. If you follow individuals for a while, you can tell who's worth reading.

 

[ragkar]

Sometimes I wonder if the same person giving me the same advice in a bar would be believable. Unfortunately you don't know the posters credentials.
Then you have to consider the orientation of the advice. Some years ago I was looking for a good wet/dry vacuum and took the advice as to the best one. Unfortunately it was geared towards a wood shop vacuum and is so big that I've never used it. You can get the same sort of answer here by asking 'What is the best tractor for me?'
I've also been guilty of misunderstanding the question and answering what I thought was asked. I got some good advice from the IEEE when I got my degree. 'An engineer will never offer advice unless he's sure that it's good advice.'
My pet phrase that sets me off is 'I'm sure that ...' What the poster means is 'I think/hope that ...'

 

[Inspector507]

A lot of posts are from prior experiences without any issues that they "know" of. It seemed to work for them so why not? It may not always be the right or correct thing to do. I've always tried to give good advice, especially after I see dangerous or incorrect information passed along. There are areas of discussion on here that I don't respond to anymore. There's way too many "experts" saying "It worked for me, it will for them".

On the other hand, there are a lot of knowledgeable people on here giving good advice too. The only problem is, how do you tell the difference? If I ask a question and get 12 answers, not knowing the minority were actually correct, I'll probably follow the advice of the majority and do it wrong.

 

[crusty 1]

Just my 2 cents but most advice I,ve seen given usually is prefaced with warnings to be careful and safe.I guess I personnaly can,t think of one that I,d be able to say was dangerous advice.Dealing with tractors etc. is dangerous and I guess I would hope people looking for advice know if they are in over thier heads,that old common sense goes a long way:thumbsupave