Fact or Opinion?

debtinfo

Hopefully people will take this post as a positive one as that is what it is intended to be.

More and more recently there has been tension on the board, i believe that this stems from the fact that opinion is getting mixed up with facts.Bankruptcy is an emotive subject and as such when martin set this board up he posted the following as guidance for people using it "If you have problems with the Bankruptcy laws then the 'Discussion Time' forum is the appropriate place.
"
What that means is that this board is to help people with the realities of going bankrupt rather than to discuss right or wrong of the bankruptcy laws, and discussing them gets in the way of helping posters.

Of course everyone is entitiled to an opinion but that does not mean that that opinion needs to be voiced on this board. I have my own opinions but i tend to keep them to myself as no doubt coming from the side of the arguement i do most bankrupts would probably disagree with me. That doesent stop me helping people with answers to their questions though.

Anyway as i said i want this to be a possitive post so instead of just concentrating on what people shouldnt do lets look at what people can do. Fortunatly we have many posters on this board who have a deep understanding of the bankruptcy laws (hopefully people will agree that i can count myself amongst them) and spend a great deal of time answering the complex and important questions new posters have. Its easy to tell people what they want to hear and that earns you friends and support. It is harder to tell people what they may not want to hear even if it is the more accurate and a correction to what they think is true, What we need to do is to break it a little more gently to them (and perhaps i myself have been guilty of not being as gentle as i could be when correcting someone). What is more inspiring is that unlike myself who has formal training in the bankruptcy laws there are a few special posters who have started as mere bankrupts themselves with almost no knowledge of the bankruptcy process and have researched, accepted correction, asked questions and developed into persons with the knowledge to rival many of those formally educated.

Now your probably thinking well what is the point of me posting as i dont have that sort of knowledge. But there is, Even though i have a lot of knowledge i was never a bankrupt, i have seenthe effect of bankruptcy but i can never trully empathise because i have never been through it myself, you can, you can really show new posters what it is like to live through it and come out the other side, for example no matter how many times i tell people not to worry about the court day, why should they they believe me when i have not had to do it, when you tell them it means something infinitely more.Thats how many posters start out by helping people with the emotional side, who knows maybe one day you will turn into one of the special posters who can do that but also add the depth of knowledge to it.

I will leave you with one final thought which is this. often it is better when a new thread is started, it is better to ask pertinent questions about the posters circumstances so a more accurate answer can be given rather than rushing to give a generalisation or an in accurate answer.

dojoman

Brilliant post DI:T I have been reluctant to post of late, as I am getting sick of being accused of being something that I am not. Let us hope people taken your post in the way it is intended:T:T:T

mynumber

Thanks for that, i too have been reluctant to answer other posts with my experiences of the court day/interview in the last few weeks, lets hope it makes a difference

K X

alastairq

Thanks, DI, for a much-needed view of the situation.

I would add that perhaps it is sometimes of importance to add touches of what one might see as 'humour' to the forum?

Even if it is what may be termed as 'battlefield humour?'

Very important, too, to be able to take 'the mick' out of oneself, as well?

So many who post on here to start with, are in the grip of a very demoralised, if not depressed, state of mind.

This is the effect a mountain of debt can have.

Sympathy is one way of taking some of the sting out of the situation.....humour is another.

But, as DI points out, it is vitally important when dealing with queries, to separate fact from urban myth.

All to often, folk adopt a generalised view.....even a simplistic one....which ends up giving a totally different impression of what is correct or not.

This forum is indeed the place to learn..........[far more so than some of the other forums on this site!!]

luvchocolate

I just want to say that was a much needed post from DI and I agree with every word, onwards and upwards from now on xx

Mouse1812

debtinfo wrote: »

posters on this board who have a deep understanding of the bankruptcy laws

and

debtinfo wrote: »

a few special posters who have started as mere bankrupts themselves with almost no knowledge

and an unfathomable Mouse! (Who is neither or both?)

debtinfo wrote: »

when a new thread is started, it is better to ask pertinent questions about the posters circumstances so a more accurate answer can be given rather than rushing to give a generalisation or an in accurate answer.

Absolutely: Answers to common questions about homes and cars depend upon so many factors - it is quite dangerous to rush in with an answer which might not actually fit.

It has alarmed me a few times when the OP has not reappeared after thanking the initial rush of answers for I fear they then miss the subsequent corrections.

jayk

Thank you DI for very apt post. I know that when I was in process of BR forms etc what I most needed at the time was true facts and how best to do it all right. I welcomed the facts as well as support from OP,s. I have my own views on many aspects of BR however, personal opinions would not have been helpful and would have confused me further. It is still a big step and all aspects have to be considered.

The stickys on board are a great help and I personally welcome the input from DI. Facts give yu the knowledge to make your own decisions.

Pennywise2012

Absolutely! I too appreciate debtinfo and all that he(?) does for everyone :beer:

Obviously input from people who have no 'formal' knowledge but do have personal experience is also important - sometimes it's nice to know that you're not the only one out there in the same boat!

But yes, it could do with being made clear if a poster's advice is coming from personal experience, professional experience, personal opinion or professional opinion. I hope I make it clear on mine what is personal experience and what is personal opinion. If I'm speculating, I also hope it comes across that that's the case. But I'm glad of the reminder not to stray into lazy posting!

(all of that was my personal opinion - I am not a professional forum-poster :rotfl:)

worked_hard_for_the_money

'' Hear Hear ! '' Guys and gals .. I totally agree .. Empathy, compassion and good information is prevalent and much appreciated on this board .... I for one thank all you tireless and good hearted posters ( you know who you are ! ) for all the unbiased advice !!

dojoman

Think this post is definitely worthy of a bump:D

rossireps

and personal experience helps too