What makes a TBN member's advice more credible to you?

[jonyyuma]

Even if an OP has to try a few opposing solutions to his question, he will hopefully land upon the right one, and learn something along the way.

Personally when I have a hole in my knowledge or understanding of something, and I ask a question, I evaluate the answers against what I do know and understand. Do they make sense? Two people might both have the right answer but one of them explains it better. Two others might both have wrong answers, but one graciously accepts and learns while the other falls back on straw arguments and personal insults. I just wade through the mix and evaluate the posts on their own merits without regard to the posters' post count, membership date or other personal forum statistics.

xtn

Well put, and it did not cost a fee for most answers...

 

[kootch88]

A lot of folks seem to think length of membership is important, and though I do not dismiss it, content of a reply is most important to me. I've been lurking on this site for years but did not join because I did not have a tractor, but hung around so I could learn about the different tractors.I knew nothing when I started and still don't know much, but have learned quite a bit. Once I made a decision whjat to buy, I joined.

Just like any public site there are quite a few morons looking for an argument or who know more about a subject or tractor than an owner or person in the profession. Why people listen to their doctor for mechanical advice instead of a mechanic baffles me, but I guess most listen because they feel there is no agenda with the mechanic doctor, and that goes for any subject, whether it be law, insurance, carpentry etc.

I do taxes and have for years and had to argue with one client because her oil service tech said something was a legal deduction. Needless to say I am done with her. There are so many really good, logical minds on this site however. Some of you guys who are not mechanics should be!!

 

[LD1]

Wow, I missed this good thread:confused2: Took awhile to read the 10 pages:confused2:

I cant really add much to what others have said. Pretty much all of the above. If the answer I get makes sense in my head, then thats what I go with.

But after being here awhile, ya kinda get to know people. Like a big family where everyone here is friends. In "real" life, I know which friends turn to for different advise. And I also know which ones just dont know a lick about nuthin but are good BS'ers. Kinda the same goes for here. There are many members whom always give excellent advise, and it just kinda gets taken for granted that when you read it, you know its right.

On the flip side, there are members here who have alot of posts but have never really said anything.

So post count for me isnt really an indicator, for me its just more of who I have grown to know if ya know what I mean. If I ask a tough question though and arent getting much good answers, and a newbie makes an answer, I am leary at first on trusting the advise. Because its like trusting a total stranger for an answer instead of someone you have been chatting for the last 5 years. An example of that was in a thread about a week or two ago I asked about a meaning of a road weight limit sign. Didnt get anything solid and then out of the blue a newbie comes in and makes an answer that makes TOTAL sense. But I was leary. So I asked him how he knew that. Turns out he was in road and bridge construction for 13 years:thumbsup:

There are also members with a high post count that I never see many of their posts. Maybe we dont have much in common. But (for me anyway) it is usually the same handful of "seasoned" members that seem to participate in almost EVERY thread I get in on. So you kinda get to know people well.

And Lastly Wheres all this free beer I keep hearing about

 

[jonyyuma]

LD1, Agreed, some of it depends on how much time is spent on the site, Daily??Mostly everyone here is friendly and bound by the common usage for term of Tractor?

 

[dmccarty]

Wow, I missed this good thread:confused2: Took awhile to read the 10 pages:confused2:
....

But after being here awhile, ya kinda get to know people. Like a big family where everyone here is friends. In "real" life, I know which friends turn to for different advise. And I also know which ones just dont know a lick about nuthin but are good BS'ers. Kinda the same goes for here. There are many members whom always give excellent advise, and it just kinda gets taken for granted that when you read it, you know its right.
....

And Lastly Wheres all this free beer I keep hearing about

Are the people talking about free beer in the

... I also know which ones just dont know a lick about nuthin but are good BS'ers...

group?

Later,
Dan

 

[LD1]

Are the people talking about free beer in the group?

Later,
Dan

I dont remember

 

[JDgreen227]

I dont remember

OP here, well, LD1...if I was asking a technical question and you submitted your nickle's worth I would give your response serious consideration just because of that long list of equipment you have. I would figger that anybody here with THAT much equipment must know PLENTY. Would I be making a mistake?

 

[LD1]

OP here, well, LD1...if I was asking a technical question and you submitted your nickle's worth I would give your response serious consideration just because of that long list of equipment you have. I would figger that anybody here with THAT much equipment must know PLENTY. Would I be making a mistake?

Well, I gotta say, If I was stumped and asked a technical question...I'd probabaly trust my own answers too....wait, that didnt make sense:confused2:

I know my equipment very well. So if you are asking a technical question about something I have (or have had in the past) then yes, I know what I am talking about most of the time.

If I dont know the answer to a technical question, then I wont reply, or I'll offer suggestions as to what "I" would do if I were stumped to give some general Idea.

But overall, I try not to give bad info. Even though this is the internet and the advise is worth what is paid for it, I dont want to look like an idiot by giving someone incorrect info.

But in general, most people that I know (not just online) that have a stable of older equipment are pretty knowledgable at working on them. On the flip side, someone who has a stable full of all new stuff probabally dont know as much about the mechanicals, but would be a good person to trust about the buying/pricing, and is model x better than model y type questions:thumbsup:

Edit: I also forgot to mention, dont go by just the equipment some list in their sig lines. Because there are some members here that dont list what they have. (and some have WAY too much to list on one page). I list mine for the very reason of this thread. It ISNT for bragging rights. Its rather to let people know what I have so if they have any questions about something I got, they can look me up. There have been several people that have PM me with specific questions about something I have, or specs, diagrams etc.