A serious question about posting factual information

[uncle potts]

I have no problem with being corrected, my wife is ALWAYS telling me that I'm wrong!!!

[kalbert]

My time can be put to better use than argueing with someone I don't even know about something that dosen't usually even matter that much.

+1 I agree!

[Pete J.]

I don't mind the correction, but please reference the source whether it be 20 years as a mechanic or you found a source on the internet. If you don't it just comes across as "..cuz I said so!!!!" In others words don't just say I am wrong, give me better information.

[Ridge Rider]

I agree that facts and knowledge are welcome. I also understand you have to know your audience and how it will be received. If addressing a known confrontational poster I say pass, but if it's someone with familiarity or open to suggestions, I would think it fine. As you know a big problem with written words on the net is the sincerity, or lack of, what is trying to be communicated. The answer may be all or none of the suggestions, but the bottom line is you'll never please everyone--post away where applicable.

[southpier]

it's nice to be important, but sometimes it's important to be nice.

situations sometimes dictate.

[mnwildpunk]

Bill I'm a learner I love to learn! In fact there are a lot of guys on here you included Bill that I look for your responses to questions because I know you have done your research. Please correct my if I am wrong!! I look forward to getting the right info. A bit off subject but today I spent well over an hour on wiki and other sources reading about fisher bodies and how they became a part of GM. Then that leads me another subject and etc. etc. etc. I guess it all comes down to the type of person the info is coming from.

[Guest G Holding]

I don't mind the correction, but please reference the source whether it be 20 years as a mechanic or you found a source on the internet. If you don't it just comes across as "..cuz I said so!!!!" In others words don't just say I am wrong, give me better information.

[Ace-Garageguy]

it's nice to be important, but sometimes it's important to be nice.

situations sometimes dictate.

I try to be pretty honest and introspective when it comes to my own motives for doing anything, and I don't really believe I have any desire to be "important". If a member posts info I know to be WRONG and presents it as FACT, how are other modelers to know the RIGHT information if no one who actually KNOWS the right information stands up and corrects it ?

I've learned a LOT here from guys who know a lot of stuff I DON'T, and who took the time to post and explain.

And correcting fallacies has nothing to do with ME being right. It has only to do with the RIGHT INFORMATION being available on the board (which is why all you guys who mention referencing the source of the info are spot on. A photo or a website link lets anyone who wants to verify the info independently do so, rather than just taking an argument on faith.)

Edited May 19, 2013 by Ace-Garageguy

[Harry P.]

Just remember when posting "sources,"... just because you saw it on the internet doesn't make it so.

[Danno]

I try to be pretty honest and introspective when it comes to my own motives for doing anything, and I don't really believe I have any desire to be "important". If a member posts info I know to be WRONG and presents it as FACT, how are other modelers to know the RIGHT information if no one who actually KNOWS the right information stands up and corrects it ?

I've learned a LOT here from guys who know a lot of stuff I DON'T, and who took the time to post and explain.

And correcting fallacies has nothing to do with ME being right. It has only to do with the RIGHT INFORMATION being available on the board (which is why all you guys who mention referencing the source of the info are spot on. A photo or a website link lets anyone who wants to verify the info independently do so, rather than just taking an argument on faith.)

Full agreement here! Couldn't have said it any better.

[Pete J.]

Just remember when posting "sources,"... just because you saw it on the internet doesn't make it so.

NO, SAY IT AIN'T SO HARRY! Yea, there is a lot of hearsay on the internet just like there is in print. It just gets around on the internet a lot quicker. But the internet is always a good place to start. A good browser will give you a options for your source.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Just remember when posting "sources,"... just because you saw it on the internet doesn't make it so.

And that's an excellent point for anyone researching ANYTHING on the web. WikiP gets quoted a lot, but is often inaccurate. It's good to check your info at several independent sources, and to pay attention to the wording and flow of what you read. It's EXTREMELY common for web articles to have been lifted, almost word-for-word, from OTHER web articles, and all of it is wrong. It's the endless repetition of WRONG that we should be aware of.

If at all possible, try to find primary sources that were the FIRST to publish online about a particular topic, or historically more trustworthy sources like magazine articles or books that were published during the period in question. Even after doing that, try to independently verify facts. Folks are also sometimes quick to draw the wrong conclusions from SKIMMING web posts, where a CAREFUL reading of the material would have made the CORRECT interpretation obvious.

Edited May 20, 2013 by Ace-Garageguy

[Harry P.]

The internet, while it can be an incredible resource, is actually responsible for more incorrect information being passed around than print media ever was... simply by the fact that information can literally be passed around the world just about instantaneously and accessed immediately by millions of people. At least in print media, you'd have to actually see the piece (either own it outright or see it at a friend's house or the library or at school, etc.), so mistakes and incorrect information didn't spread as quickly. But the internet allows anyone to post anything, true or not, and that "information" is accessibly by anyone with access to the internet. There is probably as much BS on the internet as there is solid truths. Like Bill said, you should always try to find several sources before you decide that something you saw online is true. And even then, it still might be wrong, but at the very least don't assume that anything you see online is "automatically" true!

[Harry P.]

Another problem with online "information" is that it tends to not only be inaccurate at times, but it can actually reinforce one's own inaccurate thinking. For example, no matter what your own personal opinion of anything is, you'll be able to find online sources that agree with your thinking, no matter how outlandish or crazy your ideas may be! So even if you're flat out WRONG on a subject, you can find various online sources that back up your thinking, and reinforce your incorrect ideas. The wrong get "wronger!"

[Danno]

The internet, while it can be an incredible resource, is actually responsible for more incorrect information being passed around than print media ever was... simply by the fact that information can literally be passed around the world just about instantaneously and accessed immediately by millions of people. At least in print media, you'd have to actually see the piece (either own it outright or see it at a friend's house or the library or at school, etc.), so mistakes and incorrect information didn't spread as quickly. But the internet allows anyone to post anything, true or not, and that "information" is accessibly by anyone with access to the internet. There is probably as much BS on the internet as there is solid truths. Like Bill said, you should always try to find several sources before you decide that something you saw online is true. And even then, it still might be wrong, but at the very least don't assume that anything you see online is "automatically" true!

SAY IT AIN'T SO, HARRY!!!!! SAY IT AIN'T SO.

I read on the internet that anything you read on the internet is true! Al Gore said so when he invented it.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I read on the internet that anything you read on the internet is true! Al Gore said so when he invented it.

I heard that he invented pants, too.

Edited May 20, 2013 by Ace-Garageguy

[Harry P.]

SAY IT AIN'T SO, HARRY!!!!! SAY IT AIN'T SO.

I read on the internet that anything you read on the internet is true! Al Gore said so when he invented it.

Oh yeah. I forgot about Al inventing the internet.

Has he sold it to al-jazeera yet?

[Danno]

Oh yeah. I forgot about Al inventing the internet.

Has he sold it to al-jazeera yet?

Not yet. He's still trying to explain 'carbon footprints' and 'carbon credits' to them. And, he's trying to convert them to 'green' raw materials for their special vests.

Edited May 20, 2013 by Danno

[MAGNUM4342]

Another problem with online "information" is that it tends to not only be inaccurate at times, but it can actually reinforce one's own inaccurate thinking. For example, no matter what your own personal opinion of anything is, you'll be able to find online sources that agree with your thinking, no matter how outlandish or crazy your ideas may be! So even if you're flat out WRONG on a subject, you can find various online sources that back up your thinking, and reinforce your incorrect ideas. The wrong get "wronger!"

Based on this statement Harry, i'm sorry but I will have to stop agreeing with you. I cannot back up anything more that you say as it may or may not be true and accurate. From now on when you write something I will have to check with Al Gore before responding.

[southpier]

does all this mean if i tell you i've been doing something for 40 years you (collectively) will not believe me?

Harumph!

[Harry P.]

From now on when you write something I will have to check with Al Gore before responding.

Well, can't say that I blame you for wanting to check with a reliable source.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Another problem with online "information" is that it tends to not only be inaccurate at times, but it can actually reinforce one's own inaccurate thinking. For example, no matter what your own personal opinion of anything is, you'll be able to find online sources that agree with your thinking, no matter how outlandish or crazy your ideas may be! So even if you're flat out WRONG on a subject, you can find various online sources that back up your thinking, and reinforce your incorrect ideas. The wrong get "wronger!"

A slightly different spin on this...a recent article in Scientific American takes some of the more popular search engines to task for their use of web-tracking info to determine the ranking of web results that will be displayed to any particular browsing individual. For instance, if tracking shows you have a recent history of looking for results for "is the earth flat?", subsequent searches for anything containing the word "earth" will tend to return higher-ranked results stating the earth IS flat, rather than a balanced set of results for flat, round and ovoid...thus reinforcing the possible belief in the mind of a not-too-critical thinker that the earth is INDEED flat.

And the problem with scanning web posts carelessly is that, to SOME readers, the above paragraph would be interpreted as "Ace-garageguy said the earth is flat", taking the last line completely out of context and missing the point entirely. I see this all the time.

[Ace-Garageguy]

:lol:

[Harry P.]

Wait. What? The earth isn't flat?!!!

[Harry P.]

Speaking of the earth being flat... didja ever wonder how the people back then who were convinced it really was flat pictured "the ends of the Earth?" Was there a big wall around the edges that kept the oceans from spilling over? There had to be something holding back the water. Who built the wall? How did they hold back the oceans while the walls were being built? What was holding back the oceans before the walls were built? What was on the underside of the Earth? How did all the stuff on that side keep from falling off?

Yep, I would have been a real PITA back then!

(and I can already hear many of you thinking "PITA then??? He's a real PITA now!")