Robert Lane
February 25th, 2006, 02:13 AM
When I made the decision to go fully digital in my commercial business I also decided to take up most of my information gathering from a "digital perspective" - web forums, just like this one.
I used to be part of a forum (not mentioned) dedicated to DSLR's and all it's related technology. Often the "which is better" question would get asked and every-time, guaranteed, it would end up in a mass pile of opinions, trash talk, pissing contests and ego strokes. That's not information exchange, that's childish behavior, and it's one of the main reasons why most seasoned pros don't share the wealth of knowledge they possess on web-forums.
Instead of asking "which is better" about anything, ask a specific question based on capability, compatibility or availability.
For example:
"Can a PowerBook capture footage directly from an HVX?". The answer of course is, "yes". However, what if the answer were, "no"? If you know why not then explain why - but do it based on YOUR experience, not what you've read elsewhere or your "best guess".
The whole point of forums like this is to exchange usable information. Let me say that again, "Usable" information.
Many if not most of the members of this forum don't have deep pockets, they don't have unlimited time for testing and they don't have years of pro-level experience under their belts. They do however, have a real need to gather accurate, timely information about products, troubleshooting issues and new methods of doing things that others have already attempted and either failed or succeeded at.
If you want to know how to do something, ask us.
If you've got a problem or bug that you can't figure out, we're here to help.
If you're not sure about whether or not Product "X" will play well with Product "Z", see if anyone else has tried it.
But if you ask something as generic as "which is better?" about anything, you might as well toss a coin in the air, because that's in effect all you're doing.
If you know the answer to a question, answer it from your own knowledge. Don't guess. Don't pontificate about specs you've only read on paper and never put to use. Speak from experience or don't speak at all.
As I mentioned earlier, most forum members don't have the luxury of time and or money to burn, and bad advice - especially coming from a source that has no experience with the area of expertise that's being addressed - could potentially cause someone else to spend money in the wrong places.
Chris started a forum with a single mission: Share the wealth of experienced knowledge. Keep the pissing contests in the latrine and keep the trash talk in the gutter.
I used to be part of a forum (not mentioned) dedicated to DSLR's and all it's related technology. Often the "which is better" question would get asked and every-time, guaranteed, it would end up in a mass pile of opinions, trash talk, pissing contests and ego strokes. That's not information exchange, that's childish behavior, and it's one of the main reasons why most seasoned pros don't share the wealth of knowledge they possess on web-forums.
Instead of asking "which is better" about anything, ask a specific question based on capability, compatibility or availability.
For example:
"Can a PowerBook capture footage directly from an HVX?". The answer of course is, "yes". However, what if the answer were, "no"? If you know why not then explain why - but do it based on YOUR experience, not what you've read elsewhere or your "best guess".
The whole point of forums like this is to exchange usable information. Let me say that again, "Usable" information.
Many if not most of the members of this forum don't have deep pockets, they don't have unlimited time for testing and they don't have years of pro-level experience under their belts. They do however, have a real need to gather accurate, timely information about products, troubleshooting issues and new methods of doing things that others have already attempted and either failed or succeeded at.
If you want to know how to do something, ask us.
If you've got a problem or bug that you can't figure out, we're here to help.
If you're not sure about whether or not Product "X" will play well with Product "Z", see if anyone else has tried it.
But if you ask something as generic as "which is better?" about anything, you might as well toss a coin in the air, because that's in effect all you're doing.
If you know the answer to a question, answer it from your own knowledge. Don't guess. Don't pontificate about specs you've only read on paper and never put to use. Speak from experience or don't speak at all.
As I mentioned earlier, most forum members don't have the luxury of time and or money to burn, and bad advice - especially coming from a source that has no experience with the area of expertise that's being addressed - could potentially cause someone else to spend money in the wrong places.
Chris started a forum with a single mission: Share the wealth of experienced knowledge. Keep the pissing contests in the latrine and keep the trash talk in the gutter.