stewhead2ub17_ESO wrote: »

I find your post to be a little bit of a head scratcher. IMO most people answer believing that they are providing the "right" answer. How would they know if their information was incorrect when they believe it is correct? Or if it's a case of someone answering "I'm not sure but I think..." well then at least it may point someone in the right direction or is an opportunity for them to learn the right answer.
Answering a question with "full conviction that they are correct while they are totally wrong" is simply part of human nature.
Doesn't really seem like something to get worked up over.

Not always.

Example: I watch a lot of space documentaries and have a decent amount of knowledge on space related topics. I have no formal education in it. I dont think I am a reliable source of valid information. If someone asks me "How far away is the sun from the earth" I would answer "I think its something like 95m miles from us". I just googled it. Its 93m miles. Thus why I said "I am thinking its something like" and not "Its 95m miles". A lot of people answer with 100% conviction. They dont say "I think" or "maybe" or "I am not sure but maybe this". They answer straight up. Without knowing for sure. Just leave it to people who know or answer AFTER informing people you are not sure but this is your guess.

I couldn't care less if people take a guess or try and recollect information if they inform people its what they are doing. Its the people who answer without knowing and then defend their answer without knowing. Who then get mad when they are informed they are wrong. This just makes the community less informed and then those people go and misinform people.

Yea its human nature but like its not hard to just not answer a question if you are not sure OR to at least tell people you are not sure but x y or z is what you think it might be...

If you are looking to learn from a question than dont answer the question. You are looking to learn and not inform.

Cuddlypuff wrote: »

This is probably a symptom of the unusual popularity of all the casual and non-meta content creators that this game has. I have nothing against them but everything they say always seems to be misconstrued by their viewers, and then distorted into their own narrative and regurgitated elsewhere. The original content usually qualifies their takes with some caveats or nuances. These are ultimately all lost in translation.

I agree.

Cuddlypuff wrote: »

I believe the OP is referring to groupthink where people post their answers based on what they perceive the overwhelming consensus to be, rather than based on actual fact or anecdotal evidence. A lot of the popular opinion in this game is unfortunately not all that accurate or effective. That's why we see so many outrageous takes in topics ranging from endgame dps requirements, pvp balance, how to make gold, how to grind exp etc.

I agree and its also on smaller topics which I will talk about below.

proprio.meb16_ESO wrote: »

Well, welcome to the real world...

People do that all the time, they're usually not trying to troll (9 times on 10 theyve just been misleaded by someone else or wrongly assume their perception are correct), and there's absolutely no way you can stop it making a complaining post on the forum.

Also when it happens to make a false statement, a good half of the people (if not more) will try defending their position even when demonstrated false, instead of apologizing or say they were wrong... this tendency fortunately decreases as you age up, so you can have an indirect glimpse of who youre talking with just looking at his posts.

It's just human nature, you cannot do anything about it.

Best thing you can do, when you receive an answer which is really important to you, is to check by yourself looking other sources, or at least wait for someone to actually agree/disagree with the given answer.
Reading something in the official ESO forum, or worse in guild/zone chat, is never a guarantee of absolute correctness.

Yea yea, young people smooth brain and welcome to the real world which you are already in. Whenever someone posts or says anything you dont like they are just complaining. We get it.

Below is not in response to above quotes.

I am talking about the pointless small things that people have no need to answer when they are not sure. Not 100% sure.

If someone asks does X gear drop from X dungeon and gets 10 answers. 7 of which are wrong. It makes you wonder why they are answering. Just leave it. If you dont know for sure... dont answer...

I will use my above example... I know a decent amount about space. If someone asks me something simple like "How far away is the sun from earth" I will say "Something like 95m miles, not sure". After googling it... its 93m miles. Thus why I wouldn't answer it with conviction and I would inform the person I am not really sure. So many people skip the crucial part of informing people they are not sure.

Its odd and it misinforms people.

robwolf666 wrote: »

When I answer something it's based on my own experience of the game and is my truth, especially if it works for me. If it's different to what someone else would say, so be it, that's their truth.

Your "truth" is not always "reality".
Your "truth" can misinform people.

Your "truth" may make you believe 1+1=3 but it wouldn't be right.

Madarc wrote: »

For example, what would have been the correct answer to the sunflower phobia?
- Just kidding, I understand what you mean. And certainly agree with you.

But a forum can never be the only place where absolute truth or correctness can be found.
Readers have to do a bit more research and judge for themselves what is the right answer for them.

I agree. All information has to be checked. If someone gets a hard question wrong thats okay. If they let people know they are not sure but they think it might be x y or z thats okay.

However people straight up answer "what is 1+1" with "3" and I honestly dont know why they dont just leave the question alone if they dont know the answer.

I see it mostly in zone and guild chat. People ask where to find x gear or something simple and people just straight up answer the wrong dungeon and trial and its clear they had a vague guess based on information they dont remember correctly when they could just leave the question alone or say "not sure maybe x y z trial or dungeon" haha.

People can say its human nature but its odd.

proprio.meb16_ESO wrote: »

Hortator Indoril Nerevar wrote: »

proprio.meb16_ESO wrote: »

Well, welcome to the real world...

People do that all the time, they're usually not trying to troll (9 times on 10 theyve just been misleaded by someone else or wrongly assume their perception are correct), and there's absolutely no way you can stop it making a complaining post on the forum.

Also when it happens to make a false statement, a good half of the people (if not more) will try defending their position even when demonstrated false, instead of apologizing or say they were wrong... this tendency fortunately decreases as you age up, so you can have an indirect glimpse of who youre talking with just looking at his posts.

It's just human nature, you cannot do anything about it.

Best thing you can do, when you receive an answer which is really important to you, is to check by yourself looking other sources, or at least wait for someone to actually agree/disagree with the given answer.
Reading something in the official ESO forum, or worse in guild/zone chat, is never a guarantee of absolute correctness.

Yea yea, young people smooth brain and welcome to the real world which you are already in. Whenever someone posts or says anything you dont like they are just complaining. We get it.

So if its not complaining (the title says otherwise) whats the whole point of this thread?

Are you trying to shake people into better behaving when answering? You wont manage to, for all the reason already posted.

Are you trying to suggest someone at zos should make something about it? They wont.

Are you writing and criticizing for the pleasure of it? It seems so, cause i honestly see no other point here...

Please explain, maybe i could have missed some obvious point of view... what do you want to achieve with this thread?

No
No
No
No
Yes you did.

Arunei wrote: »

This thread seems kind of pointless. Most people who answer truly believe their replies are correct. You're basically saying only the people who are absolutely 100% know they're right should be allowed to answer questions, but that's just arrogant and kind of entitled. People who answer wrong can find out that something they thought is right is actually incorrect, and thus learn something they otherwise might not have. That's kind of one way people learn, but you're saying people here aren't allowed to learn...but people are asking questions so are they also not allowed to learn?

And let's reiterate that most people do think they're correct when they answer something. That seems to be a point you're too willing to discard. No one needs to be an expert when they offer opinions and answers, this is a public forum, not a private one where you get to curate every post. If you see people answering questions wrong, step in and offer the right answer. Otherwise quit acting like your view on this is the only one and the correct one.

Also, there's the fact that no one should ever take anything they read or hear at face value, whether it's here or anywhere else. Fact check and do some research if it's a super important topic. Someone just accepting as fact that 1+1=3 is as guilty for perpetuating that misinformation if they start to apply it without first making sure it's right.

People who are looking to learn shouldn't be giving out answers. If you need to learn you quite literally cant tell people the correct answer (without a lucky guess)...

I am not saying everyone has to be correct on all topics. I am saying people should avoid answering questions when they're 5% sure they have the right answer.

No. When someone asks what dungeon drops x item and three people all tell them the wrong answer and they go to that dungeon they are not at fault. Should they just google it, yes. I avoid listening to zone, guild chat etc for that exact reason. However it goes back to one key point. Dont answer question when you are virtually guessing the answer.

So...

1) If you are looking to learn you shouldn't be giving out answers.
2) If you are unsure you should let people know.
3) If you are answering peoples questions but dont know what the answer actually is you should stop.
4) This isn't a classroom and its not about topics that are hard to understand. Its about simple things like "what drops here" and "how do I create this potion" or "what zone is" etc. Topics that are easy to know the answer. You either know it, dont or something in the middle. If you know you can answer, if you dont you shouldn't and if you are in-between you let people know. You dont just answer it when you are not sure or lack the ability to know the answer and ignore the fact you are confusing people or spreading misinformation.

Mythgard1967 wrote: »

I am never 100% sure of anything because it is impossible to be 100% of anything in a game that does not have a minutely documented "user manual" to say what is 100% true or not.

Everything known to be fact about the game; may not be fact and may be something that is supposed to be true and may not be 100% correct. In a game this large, not even a DEV could answer 100% confident; unless they coded it yesterday, documented it and it was not based on any other code...

Tell me something that is 100% fact or true all the time please??? In life...well...except "this too shall pass"

So, if I understand your post...since it is impossible to be 100% correct; you need everyone to sit down, shut up and not respond to questions ever so people asking questions can be met with crickets everytime the ask a question and feel ignored. What a boring world you want to live in.

Lots of things are 100%.
Nah. I am saying people who dont know a answer shouldnt answer things. Someone who thinks they know the answer and gets it wrong is very different to someone who has a vague idea, closer to 0% than 100% and they still answer things.

Made up example: I go around answering a bunch of questions people ask about trial mechanics. I have almost no exp in trials. I have a vague idea of how things work but not really sure. Yet I still go around answering everyone's questions about trials.

So no. I am asking people to only answer questions when they actually know a answer and its not just a guess or coming from a severe lack of self awareness of ones own knowledge.