How about a Genuine Techy List

Inactive

Altahost wrote: »

Once again...anything constructive to add?

Incidently, I have still seen little that would convince me that it would not improve results whilst still remaining free. Does it matter if it happens or not? erm...no, I don't think so. It was simply a question!

Well we must be reading different forums then, I have not seen one single post on this thread that supports your ill conceived idea, yet you continue to disagree with everyone and think that it is the way to go.

Altahost

pendulum wrote: »

I don't think someone posting on a free public forum, asking people for free advice, is entitled to risk free advice with a warranty attached! If you want a guaranteed level of service you should ask an IT professional and be prepared to pay for it. If you want to try and fix the problem yourself with the guidance of us here - and that's what the poster you speak of did do, he tried to fix it himself - then that's fine, but taking the advice and giving it a go is at your risk and everyone knows that.

Closing this forum to only qualified members would be a big mistake. Most problems are solved by members who probably wouldn't meet the "joining criteria" for a start. That's the first thread I can remember where a poster has lost data or had a problem made worse by a contributor here, and this problem's been caused by a software program "ComboFix" - may I dare to suggest that it might not even be the person who suggest this software's fault that the program appears to have caused a problem. Software screw ups do happen sometimes.

Thank you so much for the thoughtful answer. Just a point though. There was never any intention of "closing the forum to qualified members". The suggestion was to create a forum where only qualified can offer advice to those that need it. Same terms as now...just as free...just less confused and more focussed on the needs of those that are experiencing the problem.

There is always a risk when using software, especially those that can delete from a current registry. However, in a pro environment, the use of combofix would have been explained properly and the risks explained accurately. Not to mention suggestions of tried and tested methods from the trade being used first.

Thanks again

Altahost

Inactive wrote: »

Well we must be reading different forums then, I have not seen one single post on this thread that supports your ill conceived idea, yet you continue to disagree with everyone and think that it is the way to go.

I am still not quite understand what your point is here. I asked a question. It was not a request or a demand...simply one question.

To date I have heard you agree with other but no actual input pertaining to the original question.

Maybe if I asked it a different way for you?

If you are ill, where do you go?
If you need you car fixed, where do you go
If you need a filling, where do you go

If your computer is broken, where actually do you go? the forum? ok, maybe its not as important as the doc or the dentist but ask that to the guy thats lost his data. Yes it was his risk and yes it was genuine free help that was being offered but I guarantee, if he was speaking one to one with me, he would still have his data and I would have fixed the infections on his PC and he would still have his money because I committed to help him.

Understand?

busenbust

debitcardmayhem

Why not have a MVP poll - only one person on it (sic)
The LMVP's (lesser) know who they are, but more importantly anyone who posts on this forum is valuable to each other (in 99.9% of cases). People help because they want too, a few help to get cachet, they should die of .
I have only been a member for 2 months and that was via another forum on the site. Having an interest in technology especially IT i wandered along here whilst on, I have been impressed by the depth of knowledge and the willingness of people to "basically RTFM" for others. This forum is not broken, why fix it.

busenbust

Almost impossible to implement - buyer/seller beware .

elvch01

However well intentioned the idea is, I can't see it being implemented in a practical way. As with all free advice found on the internet "Caveat Emptor".

DatabaseError

I'm not that active here any more, but I've been building PCs and keeping them working for ~15 years, besides supporting friends + family locally there are a few I support a little further afield, including Southern Europe and Australia thanks to logmein

I, like, I believe, many others, only suggest what I believe is correct and I don't rush an answer because I don't want to look like an idiot. I do understand the reasoning for your suggestion, and I've read the thread you linked, and the previous one so I see what happened, but, as far as I am aware, this is the 1st time this has happened on this board...the 1st time advice has led to a worse situation than the user originally experienced.
I do agree adding qualifications to sigs may impart some 'authority' on the answers given, but restricting posters to those with qualifications will seriously restrict the amount of advice given, many threads are fixed without a qualified technician going near. Maybe it would be safer, but changing a system because of 1 aberration isn't something I'd like to do.

..and welcome to the board, and thanks for the fix to the combofix link, I've never known it go wrong so I've never known the recovery.. .Luckily most of the people I deal with have decent security in the 1st place, education goes a long way.

seedyh

I know several people who've got their qualifications by simply memorising a bunch of questions.. You can generally tell when someone's spouting bull.

As regards IT issues I always go for experience over qualifications, they mean very little unless you're trying to impress people that know nothing.

Norant

I have seen over the course of my short time here people posting threads in desperate need of help,many people responded with offers and advice..however there is a select few on here who time and time again get nothing but praise for the help that they have provided to people who at the time thought there Pc's or systems were shot,only to be told do this,or try this and then post the log.The amount of times i have seen the OP thanking to the point if they could have been next to the person giving advice they would have kissed there hallowed feet.

The way i see the OP and this thread is one of im good at what i do and i want you all to know about it,this thread and your suggestion is dying on its A**e yet you still try to justify why it should be done,as i see it there is no need for that type of Sticky.

I would rather ask the advice of somebody who has on many occasions and time and time again prooved there advice to be effective,rather than go to someone who i have never heard of before yet claims to be Bill gates's jock strap.

stick to who you know not what you know.