Pro tip: I was giving terrible advice in this forum for months without knowing it

For a long time, I'd jump into threads here and just give the first answer that popped into my head. I thought being fast was being helpful. Then, about two months ago, someone asked about fixing a noisy furnace. I gave my usual quick fix, but the person came back a week later saying it made the problem worse. They had to call a real HVAC tech out in Phoenix, and it cost them $200. That was the tip-off. I realized I was treating 'ask anything' like a trivia game, not like real people with real problems. I wasn't taking the time to ask follow-up questions or admit when I didn't know. Now I try to slow down and sometimes just point people to better resources. Has anyone else had a moment like that, where you realized your way of helping here was actually kind of unhelpful?

2 comments

2 Comments

craig.grant11d ago

Been there. Gave a guy advice on patching a stucco wall once. Told him the cheap mix from the hardware store would work fine. It did not. Whole patch crumbled after the first rain. Felt like a real jerk. Now if it's not chain link or wood fence related, I usually just shut up. Speed is useless if the advice is wrong.

nora_chen10d ago

Always test a small batch first to avoid that sinking feeling.