Is there any interest in a Electrical education thread?

/pine · Nov 16, 2017

FWIW...I'm sure somewhere in the terms of service or end user agreement (must be checked to become a member)...there is a liability disclaimer...

I'm familiar with and a member of another message board that partially deals with small engines... a little as 10 years ago the owners of the site were so paranoid of getting sued over things posted on the forum...
If anyone so much as hinted at explaining how to do something like remove or "adjust" the governor on an engine...the penalty was total banning from the site...!

tungularafishcamp · Nov 16, 2017

As we all know anything you everything you wanted to know (and a lot we don't) is out there on the web. Trouble is finding it and then wondering if it's legit.

That's the best thing about TBN in my opinion, you have this vast wealth of varied knowledge sharing information! I know just enough about electricity to get myself in trouble, so for me having a specific electrical forum would be great. Besides SUGGESTING the proper way to do things, being given a heads up that I am going to get my self cooked would be a great asset, as well as sharing other sites and links to reliable web resources.

I have a hard time believing that even in our sue happy country that Internet "advice" given freely would carry any liability for the giver much less TBN. Wouldn't it be like me telling someone going rabid in friendly politics to go jump in a lake, and then when they get dizzy from all that hot air and fall overboard I shouldn't have to worry about being sued

ultrarunner · Nov 16, 2017

outinthetalgrass said:
Here is my take on this, I worked for 30+ years as an "electrician" in a large commercial facility. I have worked on everything from cat5 wiring, 12 volt control systems, 120, 220, 208 3 phase, and 477 3 phase. Things have changed a lot in codes and the way things are done.
I retired 2 years ago to enjoy life but got bored just playing around the house and barn. I missed the 48-60 hour weeks and being on rotating call to take care of problems with systems/lines that always seemed to happen. So I decided to return to work.
I got a very part time job in the electrical department in a national "big box" home improvement store.
I get some of the strangest questions from customers, it is clear there are those that have no business working on electric systems.
I would never give electrical advise except to contact a licensed electrician, I wouldn't feel qualified to try and teach those that have no idea what a meter is used for or how to wire things. (Think, I changed out the 3 light switches for my family room light with single pole switches, and now they won't work, or blow the breaker when I turn on one of the switches what should I do?)

There are some great Home Improvement Books and the big box stores sell them.

Your situation sounds similar to mine working in a Hospital, not being a Nurse or Doctor and having people ask medical questions every day... especially when wearing scubs.

California · Nov 16, 2017

ultrarunner said:
Your situation sounds similar to mine working in a Hospital, not being a Nurse or Doctor and having people ask medical questions every day... especially when wearing scubs.

Neighborhood Christmas party, Doctor to Attorney: "Should I charge people who ask me questions when I'm off duty?' Attorney: Of course. That will be $175 please."

ultrarunner · Nov 16, 2017

Advice is worth what you pay for it...

TBN is a fantastic forum because of the discussions generated... someone asks a questions and often many will respond sharing their own experience and with a little reading it is often possible for a consensus to develop.

I am not a lawyer but I am a State Certified Consumer Arbitrator and all of my cases have to do with someone paying for a good or service with the allegation they did not receive what they paid for...

jaxs · Nov 16, 2017

/pine said:
FWIW...I'm sure somewhere in the terms of service or end user agreement (must be checked to become a member)...there is a liability disclaimer...

I'm familiar with and a member of another message board that partially deals with small engines... a little as 10 years ago the owners of the site were so paranoid of getting sued over things posted on the forum...
If anyone so much as hinted at explaining how to do something like remove or "adjust" the governor on an engine...the penalty was total banning from the site...!

How about cutting to the chase plus sparing yourself the trouble of carrying this around to all the forums on TBN.
Are you of the opinion it would be wise to discontinue internet how to forums in light of possible liability? Or do you think some conversations are safe?

CobyRupert · Nov 16, 2017

I’m not a lawyer, but I’d guess a different standard is applied to liability if you get your advice from Ilovefarts42 on the internet than from someone who represents themselves as a professional.
Example: If Jenny McCarthy says don’t get vaccines, that’s her free speech, if a Doctor says drink a glass of diesel fuel to cure headaches, there’s a different standard in applying liability to the results.

/pine · Nov 17, 2017

jaxs said:
How about cutting to the chase plus sparing yourself the trouble of carrying this around to all the forums on TBN.
Are you of the opinion it would be wise to discontinue internet how to forums in light of possible liability? Or do you think some conversations are safe?

That is not and was not my agenda for relating the fact...it just seemed germane to where the topic had drifted...
IMO the Internet is the greatest advancement for personal education since the printed word...

John Fitzgerald · Nov 17, 2017

/pine said:
IMO the Internet is the greatest advancement for personal education since the printed word...

I agree. It has saved me untold "book research" hours and saved on projects I have done that I would have hired out otherwise. I am more experienced and mechanically competent, and probably work safer because of the internet.