Answers

[scoobydooby]

This question is aimed mainly at the regulars who have, in most circumstances, given constructive answers to questions and have been well-known for a while now - you know who you are! - and you are well respected by those of us who don't post that often but simply read the questions and answers. What do you think about the idiots who answer a question when they clearly don't know what the answer Is? Many new-comers genuinely need answers to questions but their answers are often from people who 'think' they know what the answer is, or what they think it should be - when infact it's wrong! I've just read (and responded) to a question in law which has seriously annoyed me. I would never claim to know the answers to everything (far from it) but I also would never answer a question unless I knew the answer, or felt I was helping someone in some way. If we continue to allow people to answer questions (such as in law) according to their opinions, as opposed to law itself - then what use is the AB?

[##Wardy##]

Personally, you can't go wrong with a Zanussi. However, I have an Ariston, which has a better spin cycle.

[gasman]

I have given out advice to hundreds of people asking for help and advice in my field of expertise in the Home & Garden and How it works sections. I too have found answers from other AB'ers that have been totally wrong and very confusing or even not relevant to the question. i Agree that people should only answer if they actually know the answers or advice given is correct instead of giving guessing and giving out false advice.

[raysparx1]

I would not even attempt to answer a question if I didn't know anything about the subject, some people do think they know everything about every subject, we can all have an opinion but if somebody wants an answer on law or something else I know nothing about I stay well away,in fact I have never even looked in that section.

[whiffey]

I think you need to ask why people ever ask questions on AB at all. In 99% of cases a factual answer can be found via Google or Wikipedia. However the human and chatty element is missing from those two. So, provided you accept that there is a small group of people who answer every question in every section, and you can cut through that lot, then AB is the place for you !

[rugeleyboy]

i struggle to give great answers to some questions because i struggle for the right words to explain myself, so when i do know something (usually H&G) i tend to wait for someone else to answer it as i will make myself look foolish with my blunt answers?

[Theland]

I agree with whiffey. Also, sometimes an answer can point you in the right direction for a fuller answer. I found this regarding a health question I asked.

[jno]

there are warnings about relying on ABers' advice in things like health and law, which seems reasonable. I only answer that sort of Q if I know the answer... but sometimes I get it wrong even so. I have a brainstorm or just think I know something I don't. That's the sort of thing that can happen, and my guess is most questioners take human fallibility into account. One of the things about AB is that you can get quite a few answers to a Q; if so, it'll soon be clear if one is way out of line.

And also... believe it or not, Google and Wikipedia don't know everything. And sometimes ABers can fill in the gaps.

[Hard@it]

This is maybe not a proper answer but I have a lot of respect for people like 'gasman','raysparx1', 'Thunderbird' and 'Clanaad'. In general most ABers are good guys and genuinely want to help, there are others who, regardless of a persons' problem or concern, give out some stupid remark and thoughtless. (But then it takes all kinds)
Cheers Hard@it

[curlyfilm]

i am never serious and very rarely ask serious questions, those questions i ask are normally for cheeky answers, i'm a student of life, who seeks answers, but when someone asks a serious question i will give it a serious answer, if i know the answer or have an opinion

[MrBen5]

Hmmm, what you have to remember scoobydoobydoo, is that everyone is different. They will answer the question in a way they see fit. The guy in question might not be an idiot, its simply what he beleives is the right answer or been led to believe is the right answer. Obviously, the AB is not gonna get all professionals like yourself on it. You are always gonna get a minority which just likes to have a chip in at things. I hope you corrected the other persons wrong answer in your reply and made it clear that the other answer was wrong. This way it helps the questioner even more, as they can then understand that not everything they get an answer to will be true...

[scoobydooby]

Oh dear - I think I was having a bad night last night! Please forgive me - I think it's the stress of Christmas!!!! Still, am off work now until Wednesday so hopefully I can get organised. Not usually such a moaning whinging old bag - just now and again! Have a good Christmas all. x

[Octavius]

I got an answer wrong. Once. I never forgave myself and I still sometimes wake up in the middle of the night sweating.

We are just human and sometimes we do get it wrong, although points of law is something I wouldn't really be bothered about answering as there are plenty of people out there in the real world willing to give a precise answer for more than a few quid.

If you are talking about answers which bear no relevance to the Q and degenerate into tedious chat between thrill chasers then that is a different matter. I'm not one of those, just an ABer who gets a Q wrong, well... A question in 2003

[zimzam]

I would not attempt to answer a question that I was out of my depth with. If anyone asks something and says "any ideas" or "any suggestions" then I may contribute but I don't answer anything that I really don't know the answer to. Mind you, I do save the question and read replies as this means I am learning something and I get inquisitive wanting to know the answer.

[Carakeel]

I normally don't give an answer unless I actually have something sensible to say and I am pretty sure about my knowledge on the subject matter. Some threads are clearly posted to entice chat, which in my eyes is fine and if the subject is something I can relate to or have expertise on I will join in. Occasionally though we do see threads that are clearly going nowhere, so I stay out of those altogether.

scoobydooby, people are sometimes convinced they DO know about a subject and, in trying to help, unfortunately give out wrong information. This is always going to happen. This is after all a public AB and not a law firm! If you want concrete answers on law that are guaranteed to be right, then you need to talk to (and pay for) a proper lawyer / solicitor. The same goes for medical advice. In reality none of us know who the other is, not their profession, their real gender etc. Anyone can claim to be a lawyer on the AB, but you will never know if in fact their claim is true. So, in reality what you get here is opinions - mostly by lovely people who want to help with their answers. I do get your point, but I think you are asking a bit much if you do not want opinions allowed in law etc.

[B00]

Also, you have to bear in mind that alot of the AB posts aren't questions at all but asking for someone's/everyone's opinion, so it's only natural these posts get chatty.

What I do dislike however are the questions seeking genuine answers and a small minority think it's fun to give stupid replies.

[Athley]

I thought it was funny when you posted a question on the Christmas section about where to buy cellophane. The person who answered you just guessed it may be a florist - wonder if they had read your post on here!!

[johnny37]

Its not just this forum, Ive noticed others where some members have nothing better to do than waste time with stupid questions and replies just because they can. (bbc forums are just as bad). I cant see the point in posting a wierd question about dog poo or giving an even more nonsensical answer. Have people really got time time to wade through all this nonsense? This sort of thing gives the intenet a bad name a well as wasting time.