Moderators, Experts and Misinformation in the forums - A discussion

[Statistical Steven]

Marc -

I appreciate the Cove, and find it quite informative. With the volume of posts and the volunteer forum moderators too much misinformation is being spread. Not sure how to fix the problem outside of a credentials check.

Sorry for the bitching!

[Howard Atkins]

Originally Posted by Statistical Steven

Marc -

I appreciate the Cove, and find it quite informative. With the volume of posts and the volunteer forum moderators too much misinformation is being spread. Not sure how to fix the problem outside of a credentials check.

Sorry for the bitching!

I am interested in what you are saying.
The misinformation in what form is it? Is it in the area of beliefs and opinions or real factually errors.
Please can you give some examples to enable us to discuss the situation and perform corrective action

[tarheels4]

Originally Posted by Statistical Steven

Marc -

I appreciate the Cove, and find it quite informative. With the volume of posts and the volunteer forum moderators too much misinformation is being spread. Not sure how to fix the problem outside of a credentials check.

Sorry for the bitching!

I thought the moderators were always right.

[Howard Atkins]

Originally Posted by tarheels4

I thought the moderators were always right.

I trust that this is tongue in cheek.
None of the moderators have ever claimed to be infallible. Most of our time is spent in trying to help people get answers for their problems. This is a voluntary position which we do in the attempt to return to others what we have gained.
To much time is wasted on petty squabbles between adults who act as children in what is supposed to be a professional, informed and adult forum.

[Statistical Steven]

Originally Posted by Howard Atkins

I am interested in what you are saying.
The misinformation in what form is it? Is it in the area of beliefs and opinions or real factually errors.
Please can you give some examples to enable us to discuss the situation and perform corrective action

Part of it is beliefs and opinion and part of it is factual errors. For example, interpretation of ISO or TS standards. Most people opine on what they believe is correct. It is this opinion without factual basis that scares me. I am a statistician by trade and profession. I work with companies that usually need assistance or 3rd party review of their statistical approach. If I just gave them my opinion without any discussion of why I chose the approach, I would be out of a job. Here on the Cove, you can just opine and not worry if you give misinformation. Unfortunately, I think many people take comments here as gospel because they do not know the credentials of the poster.

[Jim Wynne]

Originally Posted by Howard Atkins

I am interested in what you are saying.
The misinformation in what form is it? Is it in the area of beliefs and opinions or real factually errors.
Please can you give some examples to enable us to discuss the situation and perform corrective action

Yes--examples would be good, especially examples of factual misinformation that wasn't corrected.

[Al Rosen]

Originally Posted by tarheels4

I thought the moderators were always right.

Moderator does not equal expert. As with any open forum, information gained here should be verified and substantiated from a primary source.

[Howard Atkins]

Steven,
I do not disagree with what you are saying and there used to be a convention of the use of IMO a lot more than there is today.
I think that it is important to question and in a lot of questions some one asks for an interpretation which then is discussed thoughly.
Any one who takes a 'pronouncement as gospel has a problem and I do not remember any case where there was any dogmatic claim of righteousness.
This is a discussion group and as Al said
Moderator does not equal expert. As with any open forum, information gained here should be verified and substantiated from a primary source.
This is true and is also true in respect to others whose professional status is known and accepted. In most issues here there is no absolute