How valuable are internet opinions?

S

sheepman

New member
I admit to spending too much time on the gun boards and can't help wondering how we sort out what to believe. Most if not all of the handguns I have had were the best and the worst ever made(per the experts).

As an example, 1911s are experts gun only, only reliable if loose, only accurate if very tight, and require hundreds' of $ of work if not custom made. All Glocks are perfect, will K Boom if shot with reloads, can not shoot lead bullets and ECT. Colt SAA and clones need lots of custom work to be reliable. Revolvers are more reliable than autos. All (insert the brand) are junk.
(the above are examples and not what I consider true)

Most of what we read are personal opinions and we all have different needs and requirements not to mention different physical size and hand shapes and strength. In short it is not possible for any one to pick what gun is best for you.

Reading gun magazines and internet opinions have cost me a lot of money and am still not satisfied that I have the perfect gun, still looking. Part of the problem is that my needs and wants keep changing as I age, the recoil that never bothered me before does now.

Hope you have as much fun in the search as I have had. Just remember that the opinions you receive on line are worth a little less than you paid for them :rolleyes:
 
I'm one who does LOTS of internet research on various forums before buying anything. I use Google and use the word "forum" along with my other search parameters to try to get away from advertisement sights and get right to places like The Firing Line to get answers. Even then, I don't normally look for opinions but rather look for posts relating to good or bad experiences, how to questions, etc.

By sifting through this information I can begin to form my own opinions as to whether or not I would want to own that particular item. I just went through this process before buying a new motorcycle and as of last week I'm now the proud owner of a Yamaha V-Star 1300 Tourer. Before doing the research, my simple visual observations of bikes on the rode were leading me towards other brands and models. It was the hard research that convinced me to look elsewhere.
 
Internet opinions are kind of like a GPS. Yes they can offer you good information but if you don't also use your own judgement you could end up in a lake (or with the wrong gun for you).
 
Online reviews, input....

I don't put a lot of stock in online reviews or opinions unless they have facts or can explain what they mean.
I started to read & check local restaurant reviews(the avg lifespan of a casual dining/non chain restaurant in my metro area is 2/3 years ;) ).
Recently I purchased a new white light(small flashlight) from www.galls.com .
It's the Fenix PD32. It's okay & has a 320lum LED light. It's small & weighs around 6oz with 2 C123A Li batteries.
The online reviews & youtube videos were mostly +. I also saw a Streamlight ProTac UL that ran approx $20.00 more than the Fenix brand. It's slightly larger but offers 600lum. I might buy it later to use on security details & keep the Fenix as a EDC/back-up/vehicle light.

I, for one, agree that a 1911a1 .45acp is far better for advanced shooters or armed professionals who can train/fire it more often.
In the past, I've taken gun/tactics classes with new or entry level students. They see the cadre's or teacher's 1911 series pistol & want to "be like Daddy" :rolleyes:.
Well trained or experienced class instructors should sway the new students towards weapons that they can afford, train with, carry, and really use. Some do but many(like gun forum members) let their emotions/opinions get in the way.
 
It baffles me on a consistent basis just how feeble some folks are when it comes to using the internet. No, really.

You have to have some level of skill to pick through what you find and absolutely, it takes time / energy / diligence to do your research, but opinions from real people are a HUGE part of that work, in my opinion.

Folks that scream & cry over "things they heard on the interwebs" are pretty much just standing up & admitting (to me) that they aren't bright enough to do quality research on the subject.

The same people discount Wikipedia in one fell swoop simply because "anyone can write anything they want" and enter it on a Wikipedia page. I won't thread drift further to explain how Wikipedia works for the knuckleheads that refuse to understand it, but it's a fine example or even a microcosm of what you can find "on the internet."

Nothing is easy, don't expect it to be. You can't get all the answers you seek in a 0.125 second page load. Put in the energy, take it all in and sort it out, just like humankind did in the past before the internet. News flash: real BS was alive and well and THRIVING even before the internet. :eek:
 
As already mentioned, you have to be careful when using the internet, but I find it much more valuable then reading gun magazines.
 
Internet opinions are worth every penny you pay for them.

Just like the ones you get in real life.

pax
 
My post was some what tongue in cheek. There are some posters that have proven track record (know their stuff) and they are the ones I pay most attention to, PAX is one of them.
 
sheepman said:
. . . .There are some posters that have proven track record (know their stuff) and they are the ones I pay most attention to, PAX is one of them.
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And she's right again: Internet opinions are worth what you pay for them.

Then again, there's a reason I tend to hang out at just a few internet forums. That way, I can separate the wheat from the chaff, and learn whose opinions are worth the time it takes to read them, and whose are not.
 
In my opinion.... :D ........

I think you can find trends in the info you get off of gun forums...there are a lot of people on this, and other forums, that just get a kick out of bsing about guns....and if you decide you like their perspective, maybe it'll lead you to form some opinions of your own - that may help you make a decision about a handgun or shotgun or whatever....

We all have aspects of this hobby that we know a lot about / and things we don't know anything about ......and each of our respective collections are made up of guns we like individually...and we reject guns, or don't buy, guns that we don't like for any number of reasons. There are just too many guns out there ...to really be knowledgeable about everything / and speaking for myself, I learned a long time ago ...to restrict my interest, reading, research, etc ...into the guns I really like/and with mfg's that are similar to them ...and I don't pay much attention to the others. So most of us, just don't comment on threads where we don't have much knowledge....even though we may read them just to see what's up...

I've always appreciated input from experienced folks on this forum - whenever I've ventured into an area where I just don't have any experience. I can't say it was all good advice...but I find its generally good advice - or at least an honest opinion/and that's all I was after.
 
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the more research you do before carefully phrasing the question --
the better you can assess the answers.

of course doing the research may result in you stumbling upon the answer...
 
I think some of the information is good but you have to weed through it. Everyone has their own opinions,likes and dislikes -which often come in to play when asking a question.

I'm always amazed when a question is asked in regards to a specific handgun (for example) and the thread turns in to a Dear Abby column where everyone tells you what model you really need to get instead of answering the questions about the specific model you are asking for. If I am asking about a specific handgun . . . well, it would be nice if the answers were from folks who actually own or have owned the model and what, if any problems, they've had with it.

In the end . . . . after you wade through all of it, it's up to you to make the final decision in regards to what information is valid and which isn't. Like they say . . . "take it with a grain of salt".
 
When I was first looking for a carry gun I did a lot of internet reading to get opinions. I ended up with a 642, so, it turned out the opinions were correct with that gun as I have carried one almost every day since then.

I'm pretty good about wading through the BS, so, I've not made any bad purchases taking anyone elses opinion to heart. However, I do think you can get a pretty good feel for how reliable a certain gun is by reading forums.
 
The only opinion you should really value is your own. The rest are based on different experiences and different expectations. Use opinions as a suggestion but ultimately you are responsible for what you buy and what you like.
 
There are some posters that have proven track record (know their stuff) and they are the ones I pay most attention to
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Even they can be wrong at times. Like that time I thought is was OK to let Spats to lick that battery.

Turns out it's not.

The trick is skepticism, which is sadly in short supply. Many people can come off as experts, while some of the wisest folks rarely speak up. On technical matters, I'll often seek out original sources if given as the basis of an opinion.

Also, 9mm bounces off windshields, six shots is never enough for self-defense, and every tragedy since the Great Fire of London could have been prevented if only I had been there with my gun.
 
Depends on your ability to ferret out the truth.

Does the math add up?

Are facts corroborated by an authoritative source?

Is the opinion testable?

Is there confirmation bias?

And so on.

I wouldn't trust my life to an internet opinion, but they have frequently pointed me in good directions.

Over time I have come to trust certain people that post on the internet, to a degree. Those people tend to be folks that write clearly, give citations, and build their arguments in a transparent manner.
 
I read Internet opinions about guns and about other consumer products as well. If I purchase a large screen TV, you can bet I'm going to take a look at consumer reviews as well as reviews from those who make their living reviewing electronics. You do have to sift through the opinions and ultimately make up your own mind.
 
I has to be true if it's on the internet. They can't put anything on it that's not, so says the TV commercial.
 
you have to not only consider the source (internet) but who is giving the opinion and how they qualify their opinion. after all that has been considered there is no substitute for trying things yourself.
 
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