Quote:
Originally Posted by
Andrew_WOT 
And THAT is even bigger problem than flipping for profit. No gear, no opinion, period, doesn't matter what you've read or heard, even from people you trust, everything in this hobby is highly opinionated and repeating someone's opinion w/o having your own does much more harm to it than anything else.
Stop trying to be helpful at *everything*!
That strikes me as idiotic and narrow-minded. I've never been to Spain, but if I hear someone saying that they are considering going there and I've read a trusted review of a good restaurant, play, or museum - I'll make them aware of it and maybe even recommend it with the citation of the article. Since neither of us have been to Spain, making someone aware of a trusted source's opinion can be helpful.
Since even a firsthand listener will not have my ears or brain, his or her opinion could be LESS helpful than a secondhand opinion from someone I trust who is relaying info from someone HE trusts. We've established an affinity for similar qualities, and that's why it may be a better source than a firsthand one.
But what really makes me smile is that there's no way for you to enforce your desire on the greater community.