How about------
Those who respond to a specific question answer because they have specific and actual knowledge, which they believe can help the asker
I know that wasn't the actual thread, but in reality, that's what happens when I either ask or respond to a question. I have on three occasions, talked person to person on the phone helping with a particular problem with which I have personally dealt with. Isn't this what the forum is for?
I look for advice--- I receive 3 completely different solutions, then I use what I think will help.
I actually appreciate each response. As each person took the time to respond.
IMO if your uncomfortable, don't do it!!!
If you need to ask this forum if your liable if you answer their question, then I'm not sure your asking the right group.
Perhaps a lawyer you know and trust----but--------
Chris,
This isn't a get help line. Well I wish it wasn't. But many use it as such. You don't need to go on line to find an expert to help you w your problems. A forum is mostly about ideas. A think tank for people that like to think and go places w their thoughts and ideas.
You can learn what kind of oil to use in your boat engine just by reading the manual. Many think their mechanic is qualified to say but he isn't. He may know but what he says may likely be just his own opinion. And a boat dealer will only tell you what benefits his boat dealership. To get the real answer you need a lubrication engineer and the easiest route to his recomendation is through the engines manual. That is the common route to what kind of oil to use in your engine.
So why ask someone on the internet? Maybe "chat room" is what a forum should be called. A place to chat about things. A vast pool of ideas. Most all of them incorrect but interesting to talk about and w enough ideas one can actually
use their brain to apply those ideas and remarks to their personal situation. Or perhaps to provide a base to evaluate what other people say about things like what oil to use. While chatting on the forum one does over time accumulate a wide range of ideas about many specific issues.
We here on a forum are not NA's or engineers (w a very few exceptions) but the people here actually can become your friends. So it's social. We have a good time (when we're not too frustrated) and some here (though they may not realize it) use this forum as their social life. Most probably just expand their social life here. Many introverts can't relate to people one on one/face to face very well so the internet forum is a gold mine for them.
But many here do use this forum as get answers to solve your problems. I'll tell you how you can tell who they are. They don't just get what information they need and then disappear. You see them over and over again. You get to know them and enjoy reading them and socially interact w them. You talk about WHY one should use syn oil or why not. You're not just getting an answer to take away. We talk away our time unconsciously waiting for the " oh yeah .. that's interesting". Now that you say that, I wonder about .... " and it goes on. Part friendship and part ideas. Short on facts w/o fault. Facts help to be sure but most of the time aren't required for good conversation about ideas. One can say something very interesting, stimulating and it likely will lead to other ideas and facts .. to balance the ideas. Chat room.
But taking the facts and disappearing over the hilltop is not the stuff of forums. Staying and kicking around both the facts (as we see them) and the ideas. Both the facts and ideas must lead and evolve to be the stuff of forums.
So Chris K you can get your facts or ideas and go over the hill but you will leave food for the rest of us to use as a dog uses a bone.
It's a weird place to live sometimes, but it's also one of the most fun places I've ever lived.
