How many topics/issues do you not have an opinion on?

[thunderchicken]

To actually stand in others shoes is the thing. How I see a situation by my lifes experiences will not match yours or his. Maybe slightly or maybe not at all.
This is the same with "Opinions we express in the Forum. It is hard to read in the true emotion or inflection to the typed/printed word.
How you or I responded in that thread was in no way meant to incite. But it did.

Point very well taken. But voicing opinion and hearing what those who have lived it have to say can be enlightening and educational. Having an opinion doesn't require being an expert on a subject. But expression without having lived it seems to stir the pot rather than open conversation. Sometimes those who have lived it should explain how the process works and give justification for why it is how it is. I had a pm from Que that gave insight and has maybe changed my opinion a bit.

 

[KJQ6945]

Hell KJ I cant hear much of anything these days.....

Its hell getting old.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I'm finding over the year or so my interests are changing. Some of the things I used to care about and follow closely...Meh.

On the other hand, I've got a thread to go look up that I had been disregarding because I didn't have an opinion on it (at least based on the thread title).

 

[OurDee]

I just deleted my first attempt at a response. I delete most of my responses. I don't want to come off like I'm bragging. I don't want to talk if the statute of limitations hasn't expired. I don't want to put out info I'm not sure of. I don't want to get people angry for no reason. I don't want some opinion posted that will come off bad in court if I have to defend myself after a legal defensive act. I don't want to attract attention to myself. Every great once in a while there is a mistake I've made and can share to help another not repeat it. Sometimes I ask questions because I don't want to stay ignorant.

 

[Topshot]

I rarely state my opinion on anything. I'm not very forthcoming with information and I tend to let other's do the talking, writing, etc.

I truly believe that opinions are like...well never mind.

This! I also prefer to live under a rock as far as news goes because there's just too much that would frustrate or annoy me, and I have more important things to do with my time. So while I'm an engineer with high IQ, I often don't feel qualified to debate on many topics. I do enjoy reading others opinions though.

 

[IndyDave1776]

I see several different issues here...

It is indeed interesting how some people feel the need to offer an answer to every question regardless of the quality of that answer. Personally, I feel no such need.

There are occasionally subjects posts in which I have an interest but no useful information. For example, there was a thread posted a few days ago regarding information on a particular Krag. I love Krag rifles. I used to own one I thoroughly enjoyed which was stolen about 20 years ago. I have been working (or not working) on building a Krag carbine for a couple of years now. My heart is really in this topic. That said, I was not able to add anything of value to the conversation and therefore didn't.

Sometimes there are subjects where I could add something but choose not to. Increasingly, I am finding this in political topics given that the days seem to have come and gone when we could have a discussion or even a debate rather than having a thread degenerate into an irritating cacophony of bickering. It is becoming easier every day to look at it and say to myself, "let's not and say I did, or maybe not even bother saying that I did."

Of course, there are those times that I jump in.

In any event, the growth rate on my post count has been slowing.

 

[vitamink]

I only comment if I have done X as a job, or lived in X, or have extensive experience with X. So most topics I keep my mouth shut and try to absorb as much as possible from people who have done, lived, or have extensive experience with X.

 

[rob63]

Not really looking for answers to a question here, more trying to provide some food for thought for those interested in spending the time....

When was the last time you read a thread here on INGO, saw something on the news or social media or had someone bring up a topic and you thought to yourself "I honestly don't think I have enough experience/information to begin to form a halfway educated opinion"? Do you ever? I'm not accusing anyone of anything or commenting about any specific situations here on INGO. This thought does cross my mind on a pretty regular basis and I'm just curious how many others do the same. Sometimes it seems a lot of people almost feel obligated to state an opinion about anything that comes up.

Just curious.

A lot. I also am one that even if I have an opinion, I choose to stay out of a lot of topics just because I can see the ****-storm coming. Even on subjects that I am actually quite well informed about, I find it is seldom worth the effort to argue with those that have such strong opinions regardless of whether they know anything or not.

I think it is a recurring theme throughout history that nations often make miss-steps simply because the strong-willed usually rule things rather than those that are introspective. People are attracted to leaders that project the image that they have the answers rather than the guy that admits he doesn't know for sure.

I also find that as I get older I no longer see much point in even trying to have an educated opinion about most things. I've kind of taken a cue from the old quote about newspapers and decided it is better for my blood-pressure to just choose to be uninformed rather than misinformed.

 

[BGDave]

I tend to get a pretty big kick out of the "what's it worth" threads. Those things bring out the juiciest comments.

 

[femurphy77]

A lot of topics out there that I don't have enough experience about to post an opinion but it sure is fun throwing bottle rockets in a fire isn't it?

 

[gregkl]

It is hard to read in the true emotion or inflection to the typed/printed word.

This is so true. I say at times that most of us are not Shakespeare where we can display emotion, intent and desires through the written word. Writing in this forum is actually good for me as I am trying to learn to do just that.

But without seeing body language and hearing voice inflection things "said" on the forum can be taken in a number of ways, often times not the way the writer intended it.

This is why I stick to the more technical firearms threads and events threads...mostly.

 

[Expat]

I avoid a lot of topics, to avoid the drama that will ensue. The military disability thread is a good example. It has turned into a **** show. I wanted to post, but thought better of it. After reading all of it, I'm glad I stayed out of it.

I hadn't even read it until I saw this post this morning. That is a thread that even if I had an opinion, I wouldn't post in it. Unless it was one of those quick hit and run attempts at humor.

 

[WebSnyper]

I spend most of my time here in the break room. It's the safest place. The rest of INGO is referred to as the big scary.

Other than that, I tend to stick to the the gun stuff ( general, pistols, long guns, and NFA) and try to avoid the political. INGO is for fun, not drama.

I avoid a lot of topics, to avoid the drama that will ensue. The military disability thread is a good example. It has turned into a **** show. I wanted to post, but thought better of it. After reading all of it, I'm glad I stayed out of it.

Similar, but not because I consider it the "big scary" but I just tend to stay out of those areas as it doesn't really interest me. For the longest time I only was in the General Firearms and Handguns sub forums because that's the interest I have. A few years ago I decided to checkout the break room and glad I did, because it is interesting to see other topics, and learn more about other INGO'ers.
But yeah, I stay out of most of the other sub forums all together, because I don't have much interest/knowledge in those areas. Every once in a while if I see an interesting thread title as the latest thread in one of those areas, I'll check it out and click around a bit.

To Phylo's original post, there are plenty of things here on INGO and elsewhere, that I don't have enough info, interest, experience to offer any real input or a true opinion on. I often find myself answering my kids' questions starting with, "Given what you have asked, I don't have enough info to form a solid opinion, but will provide them with what I do know/think...", and then tell them to look into it more with outside sources and let me know what they think.

Also, I tend to take people for their word when they express "knowledge" on something I know little about, but when they then at some point express that same "knowledge" as adamantly about something I do know a thing or 2 about, and if they then show themselves to not have any knowledge on the topic, I then tend to discount their opinions/knowledge on a lot of things going forward. It is one thing to say, "I'm not sure, but here is my experience" maybe not be authoritative, than to say , "I know this topic inside and out and here is the end all be all on the subject" and show that one really doesn't know it.

Me too. I didn't foresee it going the way it has. That's the problem in threads that are open to opinion, someone has to be the bad guy.

To actually stand in others shoes is the thing. How I see a situation by my lifes experiences will not match yours or his. Maybe slightly or maybe not at all.
This is the same with "Opinions we express in the Forum. It is hard to read in the true emotion or inflection to the typed/printed word.
How you or I responded in that thread was in no way meant to incite. But it did.

Point very well taken. But voicing opinion and hearing what those who have lived it have to say can be enlightening and educational. Having an opinion doesn't require being an expert on a subject. But expression without having lived it seems to stir the pot rather than open conversation. Sometimes those who have lived it should explain how the process works and give justification for why it is how it is. I had a pm from Que that gave insight and has maybe changed my opinion a bit.

I thought both of you guys opened that conversation up a bit, and politely provided some input from another perspective. I learned some things from the military guys in that thread as well and came out better for it. And I think a good civil discussion, hell even a well discussed argument (which is NOT one that devolves to name calling, shouting, etc) is where folks learn the most, so I for one was glad you guys did provide input and that you pulled some deeper responses from folks.

That's what makes INGO one of the better forums, IMO. Good civil discussions and a lot of knowledge base, that is put forward in a good way and when it is not, is moderated well.

 

[Leadeye]

Everybody has an opinion, mine is that I find this place both informative and humorous. I try to give some back, both humor and info.

 

[Butch627]

I try not to give my .02 on topics that I am not well versed in. If I am giving advice, making a point, or disputing something someone else said it is based on my direct experiences not on speculation, something I heard, or something I dreamed up. In a former career we were taught to cover our ass when writing things down for legal reasons. I have opinions on a lot of things that I don't post about because I can't back them up with facts, knowledge or experience.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

On a related note, any time that I do click to open a news story, and I'm faced with completing a survey, I feel like it's my duty to always give inaccurate answers. In fact, I used to click "skip the survey" when I could, but now I dutifully complete each one, with inaccurate answers. Am I the only one who does this?

 

[Ark]

The critical question has always been "Do I care enough to have an opinion one way or another?"

Followed closely by "If I don't care enough for an actual opinion, do I care enough to make jokes about it?"

 

[IndyDave1776]

On a related note, any time that I do click to open a news story, and I'm faced with completing a survey, I feel like it's my duty to always give inaccurate answers. In fact, I used to click "skip the survey" when I could, but now I dutifully complete each one, with inaccurate answers. Am I the only one who does this?

You mean like telling the you are voting for Hillary to induce the consternation that happened when she lost in spite of stratospheric margins in the polls?

 

[T.Lex]

I avoid posting in threads where I don't really care. Sometimes I'll read them to find out if I should care.

Many times, I avoid posting in threads I *do* have an opinion in, just because I know the discussion will devolve into something singularly unhelpful.

 

[rlfrye]

I stay pretty quite, although I do enjoy stirring things on occasion. I had someone ask once "Why does anybody need an ar?". My response was "I need an ar because I cannot afford a 50BMG. Not the conversation she was looking for, but the look on her face was priceless.