Jump to content

Unofficial Home of Old Simplicity & Allis-Chalmers Garden Tractors

Unchallenged Wrong & Misleading Advice


Dutch

Recommended Posts

A member will ask a question, and receive responses. Most of the time, advice offered is correct and straightforward. Occasionally, advice offered is wrong or misleading. Sometimes, advice offered could be potentially dangerous. If one member’s advice is challenged, the other member could be viewed as a disagreeable troublemaker. What should other members do?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

From what i have read, Whineing works. Normally it is political in nature tho. I mean the whineing. If your refering to my method of breaking out the bad volt reg out of it phonolic resin. It can be dangerous. As I indicated and anyone attempting to buy the stuff would be aptly informed. If those who are currently working near the stuff, they no doubt know of it's dangers or know someone who can help them with their science project. For some reason i do not detect to much ignorance in this group. Except for myself. I enjoy hearing about the methods that work, more so, than how many yards of cash does it take to fix something. What to do with the info? Take it with the rest of the info, there seems to be no shortage of it here. Do what you feel comfy with. If folks are risk takers and try cleaning the grass off the blades while it is running there is a reward for them . At least a sign (I'm Stupid) Around the neck. In my life time i have only met one person who tried to start a mower without putting his foot on the deck and he lost his toes. Most folks are not as dumb as they look. Leroy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good question, Herb. Personally, if someone responds to advice with the claim that the advice is incorrect, I don't view that person as a troublemaker unless that person resorts to ridicule or name calling. I do many things that others consider unsafe. I see others do things that I consider unsafe. In either case, the damage could be caused to tools, equipment, or people. I don't think anyone will give information or advice with the intention of harming anything or anyone. The advice is from experience or education. I usually use common sense (something I am occasionally lacking in), or read up on an issue where two different ideas are given. Pat
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Herb, Isnt everything here subject to scrutiny? I would hope no one here is giving wrong or misleading info on purpose..........for what reason? With a little tactand etiquette, we can all be gentlemen regarding advice and disputing it. No man likes to be told hes stupid, hes nuts, his ideas are dumb. I think it would be in the way the other member was disagreeing, is it simply disagreeing or is it snipping, bickering, or simply trying to get a point across. We should be able to challenge anything all day long as long as it dont get into a #$%ing contest. Doug
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If occasionally advice offered is wrong, misleading, or possibly dangerous, we all have the ability and/or responsibility to speak up. If the advise is challenged in a polite tone, the problem is not with the person who presented the challenged advise, the problem is with the person who views them as a troublemaker. Dan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you'll notice, I certainly played CYA should someone follow bad advice... from the footer at the bottom of every page:
We (the Webmaster, club officers, or sponsors) assume NO RESPONSIBILITY for the accuracy or usability of any information here. Use at your own risk.
That said, I certainly hope that everyone feels free to step in and correct errors or to have other people correct their errors. I know that I've certainly had to go back and "eat my words" many times here... IMO, the last thing we want is for people to stop speaking up, either in offering advice, or in correcting others... The foot-draggin' Clubhouse Custodian...
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I must confess that I have been wrong in posting here. My description of how the condensor works to prevent arcing across the points was ok, except that I described it as being hooked up to the positive(battery) side of the coil. After I looked at the K-301, I saw that it is really connected to the ground side of the coil, at least in that application. I for one would rather be corrected than wrong and oblivious to it.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My two cents worth, Life is about strife and overcoming it. How a person overcomes obstacles is part of what makes a persons personality and all the factors of their environment. A challenge on an idea or process is what makes up quality improvement on an ambulance squad. The same from both thoughts could be applied here. How a person responds to a challenge and in what manner sums up there character. As I become more knowledgeable and begin to feel comfortable offering advice if I am wrong I wholeheartedly expect someone with more experience than myself to call me on it. In a tactful manner anyone should be able to challenge and debate anything. There you have it, all I can afford right now. Doug Freeman "Angel from above"
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The first time, someone knowingly gives wrong or dangerous advice, they should be reprimanded. The second time they should be shot. The third time they should be banned from the club......Art BTW...this is good advice......isn't it?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Art... The keyword in your post seems to be: The first time, someone knowingly gives wrong or dangerous advice.... The foot-draggin' Clubhouse Custodian...
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think if someone gives incorrect advise or information (knowingly or by mistake), their first born should be kidnapped by the geographically closest club member, and held for a tidy ransom. Same goes for those who make constant spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. That'll teach 'em! Tom(PK)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Advise that is given is usually given to inform or help. It's also usually something that just one man's opinion and should be taken as such. I would hope that noone here would be mean spirited enough to knowingly give wrong or dangerous advise. I believe that it is definitely up to all to watch for mistakes and to provide a counter point to bad advise. This forum is exactly the place for this to occur. When and if I'm wrong i hope that someone will politely correct me, experience is priceless and free speech and sharing ideas are what the internet is all about. Thanks for letting me ramble. Reed
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always assume everyone trys to give the best advise they have in regards to their own experiences. None of us are always correct. I encourage anyone to tell me, "there is a better and safer method". The best advise I could offer to anyone is; WHAT YOU LEARN AFTER YOU KNOW IT ALL, IS WHAT REALLY COUNTS.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am in a trade association with an unofficial motto "Not one of us is as smart as all of us" I think that applies to this club in spades. I also think that each member is here for the same reason - to share what little each of us know about the subject. Some know a lot more than others do. Me - I just don't know a lot about one anything. So far I see a lot of good people trying to help other good people and I like the way it is being done or I would not be a member. Dan www.family-fishing.com
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are standard ways of doing things, and then there are the "off the wall" solutions that also work. I know that many times I have suggested methods that many of the other members would consider wrong. I do not, however, suggest any methods that I have not done successfully, or have not seen someone else do successfully. Many things can be accomplished by methods that can be considered dangerous if not executed properly. I feel in these cases that it is the job of the members to alert others to these hazards. Also many of us may know how to do something, but in the description we may mis-state a part of the procedure. I would hope the others would question this, and at least give the poster a chance to clean up his advice. I think we all work well together as long as we don't start getting derrogatory in our statements about someone else's advice. I have not noted any deliberate or malicious mis-advice on this forum. We all have our opinions, and just because we disagree with something that someone else says doesn't mean it is wrong. Who among us is perfect, and can pass absolute judgment on whether someone else's advice is right or wrong? Rod H.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a lot I could say on this subject. there is a saying that goes If you can not say anything good about some one or something say nothing at all. I have been trying to do this lately.
quote:
Who among us is perfect, and can pass absolute judgment on whether someone else's advice is right or wrong?
They know who they are just ask them. Anything free is worth what you pay for it This & $1.00 might get you a small Coffee Maynard aka/UCD
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As someone working in education and training, I always encourage and EXPECT students and colleagues to challenge any idea I put forth. I do not get offended by such challenges, but expect them to be brought forward in a non-confrontational manner. There are days where I learn a lot more from students than they learn from me. "Good judgement comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgement" Will Rogers
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My opinion on giving opinions and advice is to remember one simple rule. RTFM or Read The "Flipping" Manual. Most times that is the proper advice and THEN if the person needs a clarification or explanation about what is read, members can and should help out. In an emergency situation member's opinions should defer to the manual. Simplicity makes it so easy to obtain a manual there is no excuse for NOT having the appropriate answers at your fingertips. Members should take the time and expense to have manuals on hand.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Like the old saying "A picture is worth a thousand words", sometimes manuals are written in "abstract" and not straight-forward whereas the average educated person will understand. Sometimes the manuals are in error on certain points. A lot of "technical writers" know how to write technically oriented documents correctly, they just don't know the subject matter that they are actually writing about. This does not allow for errors to be caught by others in time prior to publication.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good point, gretsch... For example, we've discovered that the B-Series Service Manual is flat WRONG in how it shows the washers going on the arbors of the 42" mower deck. If you follow those pictures/procedures exactly, you can bind the bearing and burn it up quickly... That said, it gets tiresome sometimes, repeatedly answering questions that people could quickly answer for themselves. I do wish people would try to find the info for themselves, sometimes.... The foot-draggin' Clubhouse Custodian...
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have two questions that are posted on large signs on my office door, and anyone who enters with a problem knows that I will ask these two questions without exception: 1. Did you try to look it up (usually followed by where did you try to look it up)? 2. What do you think? Within a few months, most newcomers realize that they will not get any help from me until they have suitable answers for both of these questions. Pat
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On another post the elimination of a key switch was brought up. When I posted my two cent opinion I was cautious about how I worded my post. I knew I saw a dangerous situation unfolding but I didn't want to step on anyone's toes. I think members will come up with solutions to ANY problem presented to them, including, for example, elimination of a key switch. Any of us can get caught up in devising solutions to a presented problem without realising the possible consequences. For this reason we must simply trust the membership to chime in when this happens. Forgot to mention: I sound like a "flipping" Englishman a couple of replies back. haha
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...