Banter / Misinformation - where do you draw the line?

I'm all for having a bit of banter on the forums, and it's easy to take the **** out of someone who asks a stupid question - but regardless of how stupid the question may seem to seasoned landy owners, if it's a newbie asking, then they're probably hoping for a helpful answer amongst the banter, the same as I was when I came on here a couple of years ago with zero mechanical knowledge and a large immovable object in my garage.

There are certain individuals who have never posted anything constructive relating to Range Rovers that I've noticed, but still feel the need to come in to the Range Rover section to share their own particular brand of humour.

All well and good if it's obviously banter, and balanced with some constructive posts as well, but when someone is asking a silly (to you) technical question, and you reply with a silly (to you) technical answer, then there's a risk of people wasting money or injuring themselves by taking your stupid response at face value.

Misinformation isn't funny if someone has just spent their hard-earned cash on the wrong part, or crashed their car because you though it would be funny to post the first number which came in to your head when they asked for advice on tyre pressures.

In my mind you have to earn the right to take the **** in the specific vehicle forums vehicle forums by posting something constructive and on-topic once in a blue moon. There's always the General Chat forum for a bit of general banter, and Anything Goes if you have self control issues.

Rant over.

You can tear this thread to shreds if you really want - just don't tell newbie's to inflate their tyres to 90psi, or to buy an engine you know won't fit their car, etc

Understand the sentiment but in my opinion and experience the only time I have seen anything like misinformation is after whoever posted the question has been told to search the forum it is usually on commonly asked questions and I am sure there is no malice meant anyway the members that do it can answer better than me

Oh really, come on. If somebody, newbie or not, is willing to take the word of some random stranger they have never met before on matters of safety or finance without any form of self investigation or conformation then they kind of deserve all they get.
This isnt the only forum on the internet, there are other sources of information that can be found with just a little effort, if all somebody can do is join one forum and post a question and then take the first answer as gospel, should they really be in control of a two and a bit tonne killing machine in the first place?

I understand your wish to rant but it doesnt stop me from thinking you are just being a :Cry::baby:

good grief.... why does everyone complain.. you either stay or go .. simples.

*minty* said:

good grief.... why does everyone complain.. you either stay or go .. simples.

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Well said

A valid point (ish) but has sweet f**k all to do wiff Range Rovers. No need to be all defensive just 'cus we recommended black round ones made of rubber...


Anyfink goes, surely?

I have seen several occasions of people expecting gold-plated advice for zero effort, but I don't ever recall seeing anyone being given deliberately wrong advice. And anyway DiscoPol has it right - you have to take any advice (which is given at arms length anyway) with some caution.

Pete

Ta for the edit, Ratbag

Sorry Endie but you've missed one of the most important aspects of Landyzone.
Why is it the size it is?
Why do newbie's gravitate on here when they have issues?
How is it that most queries get an answer with minutes?

It's because we're not a bunch of boring old farts sitting around in cardigans and slippers and having serious discussions about the relative merits of styles of pipes. It's a bit mad on here and it's the madness that keeps people on here and coming back.

I hear what you are saying but I spent a couple of weeks lurking as a guest before I joined so was quite prepared for what I got. Anybody who comes straight in with a question without knowing what they're getting into deserves exactly what they'd get if they barged into a conversation in a local pub. They might be accepted, eventually, but they'll probably start by putting a few backs up.

dogsbody said:

Sorry Endie but you've missed one of the most important aspects of Landyzone.
Why is it the size it is?
Why do newbie's gravitate on here when they have issues?
How is it that most queries get an answer with minutes?

It's because we're not a bunch of boring old farts sitting around in cardigans and slippers and having serious discussions about the relative merits of styles of pipes. It's a bit mad on here and it's the madness that keeps people on here and coming back.

I hear what you are saying but I spent a couple of weeks lurking as a guest before I joined so was quite prepared for what I got. Anybody who comes straight in with a question without knowing what they're getting into deserves exactly what they'd get if they barged into a conversation in a local pub. They might be accepted, eventually, but they'll probably start by putting a few backs up.

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I second that comment. I lurked for a long time before I bought my P38. I have rarely had to ask a question as nearly all the questions I have needed answers to have already been covered. There is some confusion over searching though. Most, me included, see the Google search before the LZ search button which is not helpful so searches often fail to pull up relevant info for the newbie.
Without doubt this is the most informative site for the P38 this side of the Atlantic.

Fully agree that the banter is a large part of what makes LandyZone, and I spent almost a year lurking myself before I finally had to register to ask something that I couldn't find by searching. This forum, and the Range Rover section in particular is much more enjoyable and helpful than any others I've come across.

I was really ranting about the one or two people (and it is only one or two) who don't appear to _ever_ have anything on-topic or useful to contribute when they come on to the Range Rover section, particularly if they give advice which sounds vaguely feasible enough that it's not obvious they're joking.

Anyway, since I posted that rant I discovered there's a setting in the control panel to ignore specific individuals, so my problem is solved

Datatek said:

Most, me included, see the Google search before the LZ search button which is not helpful so searches often fail to pull up relevant info for the newbie.
Without doubt this is the most informative site for the P38 this side of the Atlantic.

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I'd never noticed the other search button before! Another top tip from Datatek! :tea:

Agree this is the most informative P38 site I know of

This site helped me massively when looking to buy my first P38. Almost all google searches lead back to LZ. So when i took he plunge & bought one, the first thing i did was register on here both for the banter & the opportunity to contribute where possible.

Datatek said:

I second that comment. I lurked for a long time before I bought my P38. I have rarely had to ask a question as nearly all the questions I have needed answers to have already been covered. There is some confusion over searching though. Most, me included, see the Google search before the LZ search button which is not helpful so searches often fail to pull up relevant info for the newbie.
Without doubt this is the most informative site for the P38 this side of the Atlantic.

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I, too, have similarly only asked maybe a dozen at most questions once a search has failed to throw anything up - the other 1100+ posts have been to offer some form of advice or help...based on my previous experiances...

I am not always right and, at times, completly wrong, but atleast I have tried to help my fellow RR driver and surely that is the point of the forum....

Another thing that gets my goat is the 'One Post Wonder' really irks me that....

I work, I work hard, but I try to spend a few moments a day checking the forum to see if I can help someone....so when you offer advice to someone and take time out of your day to do so...then they just feck off without so much as a thank you or to let you know what the outcome was...that I think is just rude....

Saint.V8 said:

I, too, have similarly only asked maybe a dozen at most questions once a search has failed to throw anything up - the other 1100+ posts have been to offer some form of advice or help...based on my previous experiances...

I am not always right and, at times, completly wrong, but atleast I have tried to help my fellow RR driver and surely that is the point of the forum....

Another thing that gets my goat is the 'One Post Wonder' really irks me that....

I work, I work hard, but I try to spend a few moments a day checking the forum to see if I can help someone....so when you offer advice to someone and take time out of your day to do so...then they just feck off without so much as a thank you or to let you know what the outcome was...that I think is just rude....

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As Above!

Anyone know where I can buy a compression straightner

JohnP38 said:

As Above!

Anyone know where I can buy a compression straightner

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They are free with every complete box of 10 sparks from your local factors.

Datatek said:

I second that comment. I lurked for a long time before I bought my P38. I have rarely had to ask a question as nearly all the questions I have needed answers to have already been covered. There is some confusion over searching though. Most, me included, see the Google search before the LZ search button which is not helpful so searches often fail to pull up relevant info for the newbie.
Without doubt this is the most informative site for the P38 this side of the Atlantic.

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Or this side.

I was one of those noobs who arrived here in a panic because of some problem with my RRC asking questions and expecting rapid answers. I was oh so civilly dressed down by the old guard and that was that.

You either get LandyZone or you don't. But one thing is for sure. No whining allowed.

as i have blocked the said few people over 2 years ago, i cant see their comments, makes such a difference lol

1992lse said:

as i have blocked the said few people over 2 years ago, i cant see their comments, makes such a difference lol

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Head in sand, ya can't beat it :hysterically_laughi:hysterically_laughi

West Slope Rover said:

Or this side.

I was one of those noobs who arrived here in a panic because of some problem with my RRC asking questions and expecting rapid answers. I was oh so civilly dressed down by the old guard and that was that.

You either get LandyZone or you don't. But one thing is for sure. No whining allowed.

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1. look at the owners experience here, work out if this is the place for you
2. buy LR
3. introduce yourself politely
4. when you eventually have a question, search, then ask it politely
5. expect a bit of banter