hhmoore
Joined: 24 Nov 2007
Posts: 532
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 Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 12:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | If you are making a statement that could affect the welfare of other's animals, is it not owed to the readers a researched and supported source so they know the information given is correct? |
If people want a researched and supported source, they can look it up for themselves. We don't OWE anybody anything.
Some people that participate on forums have a considerable amount of knowledge and experience. Are you suggesting that they shouldn't make statements that could affect the welfare of somebody's animal(s) based upon what they have already learned?
I do understand your point - the information passed along is often regurgitated 3-4 times over by people that don't really know for sure, and have never even seen the situation being discussed. The information might get skewed, or be totally inappropriate to the situation at hand. That is the biggest hazard of asking for advice/information online....you never know the qualifications of the people responding, or how much (or little) they know about any given topic.
Expecting "citations", however, would significantly decrease the input on any given topic. I know I wouldn't bother to go find what I consider an acceptable reference, just so I can prove to somebody that what I am saying is correct. IF I looked up the information for somebody, I am quite willing to cite the source...but, more often than not, I'm drawing on what is already in my head (or occasionally, things I have noted at some point).
Why not, instead, expect that anybody ASKING a question demonstrate that they have put some legitimate effort into finding the answer? Why not expect that, after receiving responses to their inquiries, they research further to confirm or disprove what they were told?
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