To think people should think before giving advice on here that is potentially illegal and/or damaging?

[wannaBe]

I'm sure people mean well. but...

e.g. I have just read on a thread someone telling an op to change the locks to prevent her ex from getting back into the family home. In fact this is a fairly common response on threads. Now while I'm sure wanting to change the locks is the understandable thing to do, it is, in fact, illegal. And I'm sure that if an op was posting that her ex had changed the locks the same posters would be telling her that for him to do so is illegal and to get a solicitor asap to force him to allow her access.

Or threads telling an op to withhold contact because of something the ex has said to the dc...

Or threads advising someone re health matters i.e. to ignore dr advice to not bf because of certain medications...

And so it goes..

Given that people are quick to point out that mn is some peoples' only source of support, people should surely think before giving advice which could potentially make someone's life more difficult in the long-term?

Of course the majority response is to often advise someone seek professional advice, but if someone is desperate, there's a chance they may take the advice which is based on emotional response rather than factual knowledge... which could be to their detriment...

I just think people should think first before wading in with advice that has no factual basis. After all it's still possible to offer support without giving potentially illegal advice..

I had someone try to patronise me on a thread about something medical...claiming they were a GP so they knew best.

When I suggested that merely typing the words 'I am a GP', didn't necessarily make them one, they told me my comment was libelous LOL!

Like they practiced under their MN name?!?!

Well they didn't say they were a lawyer, innit.

hmm will get my head nipped if I say what I really think, but to paraphrase:

I hate it when people say it is fine to indulge in activity X that increases risk of serious injury or death to babies, because a) back in the day we all used to do it b) I did it and my kids are fine.

Why don't people understand that it is unfair to promote risky things just because they did them and got away with it? Or because the human race survived a period in which activity X was recommended....

I had the same thing when half way down the thread the poster claimed to be a dr , I don't think they were by what they were saying but you never know. It is illegal to say your a dr or nurse when your not though

I think YABU the vast majority of people on MN are giving advice in good faith - they genuinely believe that they are proposing the correct course of action. Most threads have a range of advice and if someone says something which is really stupid or says something incorrect about medical advice, legal etc they are pulled up on it really quickly.

i think some posters have a specific axe to grind - a particular example is in the relationships section where people have certain opinions about affairs because they have been hurt by a partner who has had an affair, so they like to apply their beliefs / opinions to every situation as if its hard facts and applies to every single affair situation. when in reality things are not so black and white as certain posters would want to have you believe.

Trills "YABU, because you're suggesting that if people thought about what they were posting they would post something different. Which is silly.

Thinking won't stop people from posting poor advice, because no-one thinks that the advice they are giving is bad advice. Everyone thinks that they are giving good advice. Otherwise they wouldn't give it."

You're missing the point- it is not that simple. I often get the feeling that ppl post very quickly on here without necessarily thinking their response through thoroughly or considering how vulnerable the OP is at that time. I've had the feeling before that sometimes an OP is so frightened or upset that they would just do what random MNetters advise. That's quite a responsibility to consider if you're not completely sure the advice you are giving is correct.

Weirdly, you can normally tell the internet lawyers from the trufax lawyers, because only the fake ones ever give you legal advice!

Real ones normally say something like: I am lawyer but this does not constitute legal advice. (IDKY, maybe it is a rule?)

*a lawyer

I am lawyer; I am woman!

see I totally agree that people should take the advice given on the internet with a pinch of salt.

But reality is that not everyone thinks like that.

How often have I seen the line that "mn is their only source of support."? Now regardless of my opinions of mn being someones' only source of support, if that is genuinely the case for some people, then potentially you have someone who is vulnerable, emotionally fragile and not thinking straight, and one piece of advice might put them in a position where they feel empowered to make a change. Because let's be honest, often the worst advice is that which is given in the most forthright manner "change the locks and tell the bastard you'll see him in court" sort of thing iyswim.

Actually I think the worst ones are suicide threads where people try to get involved when actually none of us are qualified to do so. Fortunately we haven't had one for a while but I think there is often potential to do real harm there when posting personal advice rather than advising the op to seek professional help.