Help each other; read before you post.

[Handy]

I am not a moderator, but I'm asking (or reminding) everyone to try reading the topic with some care before responding.

My main concern is that new shooters, coming to THR for advise, get good advise. Example: If someone who doesn't know the various brands real well asks for examples of decocker only DA 9mms, don't list the Hi-Power. If the poster asks about steel frames, don't bother to tell him about your Beretta. If he can only spend $300 on a CARRY gun, a Luger Artillery model is probably out. (You get the idea.)

It's one thing to make an aside ("...not what you asked for, but..."), another to type a model name and post.

The internet is a curse of misinformation. Gun shops are sometimes no better. Let's make this a place where a novice can get a straight answer to at least the simple questions. That makes for more knowledgeable shooters and less wasted time and money "trying out" stuff the new handgunner doesn't want or need.

Thank you.

 

[kalibear45]

Your welcome

 

[Kahr carrier]

Sounds good.

 

[JohnKSa]

I LIKE it!


But it's far too common sensical to catch on...
:banghead:

 

[Blackhawk]

Handy,

Loosen your tie, kick off your shoes, slouch if you want, and relax.

If everybody stuck to the topic, this place would read like a medical journal.

The oddball ideas sometimes elicit the most fun responses, and a public forum like this is more like a gab fest than a courtroom.

If the person asking something doesn't want to read what's posted in a thread, there is no penalty for skipping it. Really...!

 

[Jim K]

I guess I see Blackhawk's point, but I would like to see the responses answer the question FIRST, before going off on a tangent.

It is true that some questioners invite a wide range of replies by the breadth of the question. "What is a good gun?" will surely get a wider range of replies than "When was the Model 1911 adopted?"

Still, if there is a specific answer give it. Some guys seem to just want to ride their own favorite horse and will do so in any thread on any subject. The guy who asks about a reasonable price .22 auto pistol does not want to hear all about your .45 Kimber or that .50 BMG caliber rifle you are building.

Jim

 

[New_comer]

Errr....

Say what??

 

[Lone_Gunman]

I say, just get a Glock.

 

[Handy]

Actually, I wasn't talking about funny posts or tangents. I'm just talking about factually wrong answers because you didn't read the question:

Suppose I want a DA/SA that I can cock and lock. Among the responses is a S&W 3913. I read that, go to my dealer and ask to see one. He doesn't really let me play with it much (hey, I'm new) and puts it in the case. I ask if it has a manual safety and am told it does. So I buy it.

$500 later, did I get a cocked and locked auto after the good advice from THR?

 

[JohnKSa]

If everybody stuck to the topic, this place would read like a medical journal.

The oddball ideas sometimes elicit the most fun responses,

Sure, some come here to be entertained--that's fine. But others are here for the information and aren't going to stick around long enough to figure out all the ins & outs of each individual poster.

Any member can start a thread with the topic of his choice anytime. Since that is the case, there's no reason for a member to hijack a newbie's thread about pocket pistols by posting about the latest mod to his Desert Eagle. Or by ignoring the real question and therefore answering it incorrectly.

If the person asking something doesn't want to read what's posted in a thread, there is no penalty for skipping it.

One could also say: If the person answering a post doesn't want to answer the question as it was asked, there is no penalty for just not answering it.

 

[10-Ring]

Man, Lone_Gunman beat me to it. If all else fails, "get a Glock" to the rescue

 

[Blackhawk]

Actually, I wasn't talking about funny posts or tangents. I'm just talking about factually wrong answers because you didn't read the question:

Lots of wrong answers come from members who DID read the question, but just don't know what the right answer is even though they think they do.

Remember, all advice you get via the Internet is worth exactly what you pay for it, but the good news is that it comes with a TRIPLE money back guarantee!

Seriously, the information in posts is just something to check out and verify for yourself. If somebody says there's a Laser Powered Cheese Spreader Attachment available in France for Glocks, check it out before you ask your gun store to order one for you.

 

[citizen]

I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!!!!!!!!

In TRIPLICATE!!!!!!


Oh yea; where's the best place to order French Laser-Powered
Glock-fitting Cheese Spreaders?????Can they be imported on a Form 8? Who's bringin' them in?

 

[New_comer]

"Caveat Emptor: Let the buyer beware" is the moral most appropriate for everybody in the market, newbies included.

Nobody wants to be a suckered into a bad deal, but that doesn't mean one goes blaming everybody else for the decision he made alone, a decision one reaches whether by thorough intelligent research or by blindly agreeing to what everybody else says.

Advise sought, advise may be given or even denied. That's about all we could promise. Especially in a cyberworld like this forum, where practically everyone is still a stranger to another...

And the final step still rests with the buyer.

 

[Wildalaska]

The 45 is better than the 9mm
WildontopicAlaska

 

[voilsb]

sounds good.

make sure you specify you're not offering advice anymore when you go out of their range of limitations, or explain why yours should be an exception to their limits if you think it should be.
don't just offer your advice/information assuming it's what they want, when it's outside the bounds of the question/comment.
makes sense to me.

it sounds more like "answer the question, or tell them that you're giving them other/additional information than what they asked for."
aka: KISS (keep it simple, silly (stupid/poo-head/etc))

 

[JohnKSa]

Some useful phrases:

"This doesn't meet your requirements because...but..."
"This is just my opinion..."
"I don't have firsthand experience, but..."
"I'm not sure but I think..."

 

[Jim K]

Another area of concern is giving advice on legal issues. Sometimes, the advice, if followed, could result in a jail term, not a happy thought. We would probably all be better to reply "consult a lawyer" but at least any response should be assumed to be preceded by "I am not an attorney and cannot give legal advice, but..."

Jim

 

[.45FMJoe]

The 45 is better than the 9mm

Sorry guys, I couldn't resist

I see what is being said and agree we should do our best to help other shooters (newbies and non-newbies alike)

 

[Keith]

Where can I get one of those $300 Luger Artillery Models, and why are they such great carry guns?





Keith

 

[CWL]

What if the original posting is wrong, unanswerable, or simply misguided? Can we have fun then?

I like responding to posters who want the "Best Gun" or "Best One-Shot-Stop Bullet" or "X versus Y" answer. Let's not forget the "My Gun is Best Ever" posts either. It's fun to egg these guys on.

 

[dairycreek]

Not much different than a public library,

The printed page does not always provide pure truth. One of the skills the information gatherer needs to develop is that of discernment. Just because someone wrote it does not make it true. It is sad, but true. I don't see the net as being much different. Be careful. Look in more than one place. Try to resolve apparent differences. Skills for life. Good shooting

 

[cratz2]

The internet is a curse of misinformation.

Now that is an understatement.

These guys are giving you a hard time but this is good advice. Also noticing how many posts a user has helps in how you might respond. Of course, this being a new forum makes this more difficult. But on TFL, people would sometimes have these very long-winded answers to very simple questions. If the member only has 5 or 10 posts, you're likely going to overwhelm him or her.

 

[22luvr]

Wait a minute!

If we all stick to the topic, who am I going to flame?? I mean one of my great joys in life is to occasionally rebuke a dumb question or response. (yes Virginia, there are DUMB questions)

I'll agree that the internet is "a curse of misinformation" but it's also probably the last bastion of freedom of speech still out there.

Let's flip this thing over and ask BETTER QUESTIONS.

What'dya think??

 

[375nm]

I believe that 4th graders have no business flensing monkey spleens. Absolutely reprehensible.
<obligatory gun reference>And at gun point no less!</obligatory gun reference>