Do They Really Know What They Are Talking About?

There is a reason why doctors suggest a person get a second opinion. Genealogists should consider this as well. If I join a new message board for an area or topic with which I am unfamiliar, I generally wait to post a question until I have an idea of who knows their stuff and who does not.It still can be difficult to know, but often a person gets an idea of who is knowledgeable and who is not. I'm generally not inclined to take advice from mailing list or message board posters who post anonymously and I also usually wait to "act on suggestions" until I've gotten more than one response.

Of course, if there is someone on the list or board that I already know to be reliable, that's different. But random, off-the-wall responses may not be quite on the mark.