The pros and cons of online forums

This is a contest that is open to everyone! It is very simple.

All I am looking for is your thoughts on what the pros and cons are of online forums such as CT and how you have benefited from these sites. THese can be as thought out as much as you want and as detailed as you would like. Be insightful. Others will read this and want to know.

The person with the most insightful information will win. I will also have a second, third, forth and fifth prizes as well.

Please post all answers here. I will also need some judges to help me decided which posts were the most insightful. So if you are interested, please PM me and let me know.

This contest will end next Sunday at 9PM EST. Good luck.

Prizes will include in no particular order
1. 1909 VDB Brown XF & 1883 IHC
2. 1964D Roosevelt Dime Pair with different style mint marks
3. 1934 Denmark 25ore and 1937D Buffalo nickel
4. 1945D UNC, 1943 Replated steel cent, 2009S Proof
5. 2009S proof SAC

Good Luck and post away!!!!! :thumb:

 

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Con: We cant see coins in person.

Pro: Privacy, meaning everyone on here doesn't know where I live and cant follw me home after a meeting.

 

Con: Many predators.
Pro: Helpful info.

 

Pro: Many people get together.
Con: Computer viruses.

 

Con: People talk together some lie.
Pro: Everyone loves to TALK.

 

forums are one of the best things to be found on the internet. they allow people from all over the world to simultaniously engage in meaningful conversation. there are other things on the web, like wikis and chatrooms, but forums are much better. chatrooms are too private. the publicity of forums is what makes them the most useful. anybody can come to a FORUM and read it for information. wikis are too open to editing, and are prone to vandalism. they also dont allow the depth of communication that is found in forums. unlike in a wiki, you can see the progression of ideas in a thread in a forum. different members can easily offer different viewpoints, and construct on previous posts. this makes finding information easier for everyone.in forums is some threads seem to stray off topic. however, this itself can also be one of the strenghts of forums. when posts stray off topic, it allows even more people to become interested in a thread
Coin talk is an excellent coin collecting resource. Here at CT, there are hundreds of experienced coin collecters thAT are all willing tohelp answer all of your questions. im new to coin collecting, and boy am i glad that i found this site, i would be lost without it. Oh, and where else can you find sites with contests like these? AND THE BEST PART IS THAT ALL OF THIS IS FREE!
as far as cons go, the only really bad thing about forums is the lack of privacy, but this issue is usually moot if you're careful with personL INFORMtion.
there, thats my view on forums. i love forums

 

Pros: Online forums can help you meet new people that are interested in the same thing as you. They usally have people that know what they are talking about and can help everyone. Forums also have tuns of information and other peoples personal experiances so you dont have to make the same mistakes as they did. Also if you have a question you can ask people that might have the right awnser and get anawnser within 10 mins. You can meet some really great people.It is also a place for people together and discuss what they like to discuss and do things not allowable on a chatroom.AND IT IS FREE!!!

Cons: Some people will spam and can give you viruses, people can hack into your computer, and there could be some privacy issues

 

There are many, many pros and cons involved with online forums. Especially in the coin world. Since saving the best for last always works, lets start with the cons.
The worst thing about a coin forum such as this is that you can't see the coins in person. This makes it very hard to grade coins for others, or even to tell if the coin they have is genuine. For those who have a hard time grading things and post their questions and pictures on the forum, it is a disappointment to hear: "Can't say for sure but...." The next worst things are spam and viruses. Unfortunately, there are very greedy, evil people in the world who want nothing more than to destroy your computer or to at least get on your nerves. Online forums tend to be hotspots for these kinds of people since they can put on a fake personality and make you think they are great people, only to send out a virus to infect every computer connected to the forum. Luckily, great advances in science and technology have helped to limit this, but there will always be the "hackers" who are able to get around the system. One other thing is that if you decide to trade with someone via a forum instead of E-bay, you still never know what you'll get. A lot of trading goes on inside forums all over the net, and tons of people get scammed every day. It is mostly though of that that kind of "scamming" is only on ebay, however that is not true. This forum appears to be very, very trustworthy but there are many out there today that are not.
There are quite a few pros to these kinds of forums as well. The biggest one being that people can be very, very helpful. Here in my town, I only know of one other big-time coin collector. That happens to be the guy I buy from. In small towns, the number of collectors is generally limited to few or none, unless they order coins online, which I do not (except the Mint for proofs). When you get on a forum with people from all around the world, chances are someone will know the answer to just about any question you can ask. And, if they don't, they'll look it up for you. I have posted several questions on this site and have yet to have one of them go unanswered. I have also answered other questions that people have posted and I hope I've helped. The more experiences you have the better. Another pro is just the content. Even if you do little posting, you can still learn a ton from reading other people's posts. I've only been on this site for a few weeks, and I've already learned SO much about coins that I didn't know before. This is taking me right back into helpfulness which is definately the best thing about these sites. The thing I personally enjoy most about forums are the debates which get going. Some are worth getting into and some are worth just reading. The economics debate we've had going here on this site has been very worthwhile and anyone who doesn't know much about that subject would be able to just read it and join right on in. My final thought about forums is that they're easy to use. There is no complicated computer stuff going on, all you have to do is click and type. This makes it easy to use for ALL ages, not just us young folks. Our elders can teach us a lot if we just listen to them. They were here before we were thought about so they obviously have a bit more experience than we do.
All in all, forums are definately a good thing. I'm thankful for them. Especially this one.

THX for the contest.

 

Well I don't want to win any coins, (would donate them to a YN)

Well I don't want to win any coins, (would donate them to a YN if I did) but I do have thoughts.

1. The forums are a very good way to find out ""HOT"" information.
By that I mean what everybody is talking about and what's come out at the mint, TPG coins, buillion, the shows upcomming and results of same.

2. There are many very smart numismatists on here. There is also many that are not very smart, (such is life). When the smart ones help the new folks and they get a fire built under them we have achieved perfection for an online site.

4. CoinTalk is very well run, I have been amazed at just how good it functions - credits to the folks that do it!!!

5. It is a great place for new folks to ask questions - they often get an answer within minutes.

6. It is a great place to search for answers, more folks should learn to use the search function more often.

7. It is not a good site for prolonged dialoge for most topics. The truth is most folks will not sustain a long well thought out talk about coins for very long. That is the nature of the beast - we want it now and we want to move on to something new. We all do it. I have started many threads that went over like a lead balloon to say the least.

8. I'm certain that online coin sites have many who do not want to learn as some of us have. They want fast food, eat and run even finding it easier to post, photo then ask than buy the books and learn for themselves. This to is the nature of the beast. (This has been a hard one for me to swallow)!

9. We have many that just want "the worth or value" - that to is the nature of the beast. We all want to know what our coins are worth whether that really means anything or not.

10. Grading, cleaning, gold and silver and what is or what is not a doubled die or mint mark variety are the least understood topics and also the most talked about topics - I suspect that will never change.

Have a gained anything from CoinTalk and other sites, yes. Is it a good time killer in the winter, yes. Could I have lived without it, of course. Have I given anything back, I hope so. Do I know what I an talking about, yes. Do I know everything, No not in this life time. Has CoinTalk and other sires help me, yes if nothing else my typing stays pretty sharp but my spelling will never be good. Will I come back, of course!!!

 

I'm sure I'll be retreading some ground with my answer, but here goes:

Pros: For some people, myself included, forums are the only way to connect with others in the hobby. In my own case, the nearest coin clubs are either across the border in Iowa or in Springfield (hours away in either case) and the closest coin shops are only marginally closer. A forum provides a place where I can learn about coins from people with experience and knowledge without plunking down $40+ on gas per trip, and aside from all the interesting and educational articles, one can meet and talk with some incredibly interesting people who one might never speak with otherwise. Forums allow people from across the globe to share info, and perhaps more importantly, pictures of their collections. Photos can't compare to seeing the coin in hand, but with some of the rarer or more interestingly toned coins, this could be the only chance at seeing a particular coin that one has. Simply put, an internet forum provides a way for people to connect in a hobby that, in many ways, promotes solitude and secrecy, hopefully without fear of being taken advantage of. For younger generations, again like myself, the internet is fast becoming the way of learning about something, and sites like this are definite treasure troves.

Cons: Along with forums comes an unfortunate fact of internet life: trolls. Every board I've ever been to has them, and I think there always will be at least one in any given place. Something about the anonymity of the internet inspires rudeness in people, and sometimes, they come here, ask questions without bothering to listen to answers and spread misinformation, sometimes (but not always) with malicious intent. Then, with specialized boards like this, there will always be those people who come for one post, ask the same questions that others like them have asked, and leave for good after they have their answer. It wears down the people who participate frequently and can breed contempt for these fly-by-nighters. Also, as good as pictures may be, there is no substitute for holding a coin in hand, and for the many on the boards who want to learn how to grade and don't have the experience to do so accurately, much difficulty can be had in learning. A photo can provide a handy reference, but there are likely far fewer photos available online than there are actual coins that one can hold and inspect, not to mention the fact that one cannot shift the photo the way one might a coin to see it from every conceivable angle. There are some things, like this, that simply cannot be communicated electronically.

Thanks for the contest! I hope my answers were in any way helpful for all

 

Pros: I think the biggest pro is the wealth of information and experience. Take CT as one small example, we have members here from all over the world...members who have collected every major type of coin and many of them for years. There is enough knowledge here to write many books and all the members are sharing it free of charge. I have learned more about coin collecting in my 4 years on this site then in my 21 years prior.

Cons: The biggest con with online forums is you have no idea who you are talking to. First off, the person could be a predator of some sort (being a coin forum, the most likely would be someone seeking information in an attempt to steal someone's valuables). Also, someone could log on and give advice and insight about things they have no idea about...someone with limited experience could very easily be lead astray by another member (either intentionally or by accident).

I think the key is to just be careful online...on any website. Don't give out too much personal information and don't follow advice blindly. I think with a little care, the knowledge gained from an online forum is much greater than the risk taken.

 

Pro: Everyone can learn alot of information from online forums. I think because of online forums people have sharpened their grading skills, their counterfeit detection skills, learning how to spot whizzed/cleaned coins, learning how to detect altered coins. The list goes on and on. There is a wealth of information out there. I have learned alot since

I have joined the coin forums , if it wasn't for that (and the information contained in on what sources good books were to buy) I would not have learned near as much. The atmostsphere is great too, people are more than willing to help out if you have a question. I think people should ask questions, there is no "stupid" question and people learn from their mistakes. Take the advice given to you and learn from your mistakes. Learn what books are good to buy. Post your experiences on what your favorite coins are, your experiences at the coin show. I think the internet has really opened the flood gates per se on information, you can look up anything these days on coins you want to.


Cons:
The cons to internet forums. There are sometimes people who come and "troll" the forums, or in other words don't want to listen or take people's advice and just are there not to learn. Worse is when people don't listen to the advice given. I once was like that....I would argue with people, insult people, it never really gets you anywhere. Critism itself hurts one sense of pride, there is nothing worse than having someone not want to help you. If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all. Ignore the thread, move on. Try and make some helpful posts once in awhile, contribute.

Try and help other people for the fun of it, to realize that even though that person might not have posted a message in that thread you spent hours working on, but has read it and remembered something helpful, hopefully to improve theirselves. If we make a thread and it gets no responses, but one person has learned one thing from it and remembered it, then we can see that that thread was helpful.

Thanks for the contest and this was a good idea to spark some creatism in coin collecting..

 

the pros to forums is that it's an easy place to meet new people and learn new things. people can come and go at their own pace. i may have a question today, but the person with the answer may not get on until tomorrow. waiting 2 or 3 days (worst case scenario) for the answer is better than never having your question answered. also, i have read hundreds of books about coins, and learned quite a bit from them, but i have learned so much more from others on here. one person might be more knowledged on particlar coin, or might be more knowledged in errors, or whatever, and you get to learn from them. maybe they answered your question in a way that you didn't understand, and you can say, "hey, could you explain that a little better, i still don't understand," and they will. yes, you can have question answered at a coin club, but that only happens at predetermined times. here, it's come at your own pace.

the cons are, of course, having to rely on pictures to determine grade, authenticity, etc. having the coin in hand is way better for determining such things. another con is the few that occasionally pop up and just want to pick a fight. that can hurt the experience.

 

Forums are a sort of community where individuals who share a common passion can congregate while being several thousand kilometers (or miles for the majority of you) away from each other. These people can learn from each other. As these forums attracts a large variety of people from different walks of life and different backgrounds, the individuals who subscribe are exposed to foreign viewpoints. Additionally it becomes comparable to tangible community much like your neighborhood, or an ancient community, where the newbies can learn from people who have "been around the block" per se. The major con is that because it is only accessible from the internet, the users become prone to "trolls" or users who impersonate professionals. Granted this happens in real life, however it is substantially easier to accomplish this online where anonymity can be maintained. Another setback is because this is mainly a learning tool, it can become difficult to just describe things through words and pictures, which are fundamentally what we have to resort to on the internet. The lack of tangibility is duly noted here as because CT deals mainly with money, we run into issues. This however can work to your advantage particularly with higher quality pictures. As most coins and money are photographed here, enlarging pictures becomes easier and, consequently, details are more readily noticed.

That is pretty much all I have to offer at the moment. Perhaps more to come later.

 

pro: This is the best coin forum that I've come across where someone can post a coin question and get the answer to their question almost immediately. Most collectors on this forum are very helpful.

con: An area which is missing on this forum is a basic numismatic forum which encompasses other areas of coin collecting such as tokens, medals and misc. Sure you have the (coin chat) forum but it appears evident that some members could care less about Conder tokens, civil war tokens or medals and that's why I suggest opening a new link which is exclusive to token collectors and misc. The field of token collecting is growing fast and this forum has a chance to get in the elevator on the bottom floor and go straight to the top. It makes good common sense to open a section which is reserved for coin collectors who also collect other numismatic items. Just a thought.

 

Online forums can be both helpful and harmful tools depending on several factors, such as layout, targeted members and audience, and of course, content of the forum. While the more helpful applications of an online forum come to mind with relative ease, there are several factors that are taken for granted or not even considered by the members within a forum.

When we join a forum, it is usually to gain more knowledge and understanding in the field for which the forum was created. As with CoinTalk, it is common that each individual member has a unique perspective on the content to which the forum is dedicated. Thus, with the growth of the member list in a forum comes the growth of a potentially vast knowledge database in which any person requiring help has the possibility of not only learning what they inquired, but learning it from the multiple perspectives and perhaps more information that will be useful. As with most online forums, this wide variety of perspectives often ranges over a span of ages, from youth to the elderly. This allows for not only a more intricate database of information, but for those within the forum and visitors alike to relate with members of their own age, background, and lingo. The more broad the member base, the more potential there is that a visitor will connect with members of similar taste or interest and enjoy the forum, eventually becoming an invaluable member capable of aiding countless visitors and members. This is the goal of most online forums: to create a place where people can ask and answer questions, enjoy the opinions and advice of others, and hopefully contribute to the forum. Forum content could contain just about anything--from hobbies (CT!) to professions (ex. math, chemistry, etc.). Another positive factor of forums is their ability to unite people of all backgrounds to something they have in common. Not all people have a thriving social life outside of their home, and online forums are places where they can socialize with people of similar interest. Socializing is an essential part of everyone's life, and, though face-to-face conversations are generally more stimulating, online conversations may be all a person can do. It could be their connection to the world, previously not ascertainable due to health problems or whatever else they have in their life.

As it has been established that online forums can be of many uses, both educational and non, it is important to discuss the negative aspects of online forums. Amongst these problems could be the possibility of identity theft, poorly-managed forums, erroneous information, and various other negative possibilities. As we occasionally see on CoinTalk, not everyone knows what they are talking about, and this frequently can mislead forum members and visitors. Not more than a couple of weeks ago I read a post in which someone claimed that silver rusted, and stuck with their argument without having as thorough a background in chemistry as other members who informed him that the process is referred to as toning. The misinformed and ignorant member furthermore mis-defined ferrous and ferric, terms used to describe iron, and applied them erroneously. It was a tragedy to see, and even with the numerous members correcting him with cited examples, the member continued to spout of information that was painfully incorrect. Not all visitors and members can distinguish the difference between faulty information and genuine knowledge. 'Trolls' are also another name given to members who seem to have a blatant disregard for other members' opinions and questions, and spam forums needlessly and cause more drama than is necessary. It has also been known in several forums online that scams occur frequently. Forums are not generally legitimate markets in which members can barter, but it is common. Sometimes, a member can scam another member with a purchase and be relatively untraceable on the internet after abandoning their account. These mentioned negative possibilities found on some forums can be the result of poorly-managed online forums, which CoinTalk has thankfully been void of. Our administrators are superb and friendly, and keep things running smoothly. This is not, unfortunately, the case with all online forums. Vulgar and slanderous language, scamming, and spamming can become a problem with membership is too high (another problem in itself) or when the admins become lethargic in their duties.

I joined CoinTalk because I wanted to learn more about the coins I had. I wanted opinions on their value, how to take care of them, and their potential futures. I was lucky enough to find a forum in which the members were friendly and welcoming, as well as extremely intelligent and specialized in the hobby of coin collecting. As my knowledge grew, I was able to help new members with simple questions, share information and provide my opinions. I have seen some of the most beautiful coins I will ever see on this forum (major props to LeHigh), as well as some of the most horrific things people have done to coins. The dos and don'ts. I have expanded my collection after learning more information and receiving the opinions of dozens. I have participated in contests and won knowledge and prizes. CoinTalk is a very diverse forum in which any collector or appreciative person can find a way to have fun and learn about the hobby.

Thanks for the contest, I really appreciate the opportunity to voice my opinion. -Peter

 

I don't want to write War and Peace or make anyone wade through it. I'll be simple, short, and sweet.

pro: access to millions of people, images, and experiences. The Internet brings the entire world into one giant room, bourse floor, whatever metaphor you like. People that would never have any chance of discussing an idea can meet on the Internet and have conversations. These people may never have been in close proximity and therefore the idea may never have been exchanged or developed.

con: anonymity. Because you really don't know who is on the other end of that avatar, there are many predators that are able to cloak themselves in anonymity, lurk when you don't know that they're there, and are able to create havoc over and over without any real way of completely keeping them out. Many dangers in life give you some kind of warning, Internet dangers strike without any.

 

pro: anyone can join and pretty much say whatever they want
con: anyone can join and pretty much say whatever they want

 

I will try to be like Mike and not write a novel.

Pro: Depending on the forum you can reach unlimited amount of information on a topic. Online forums have been able to consolidate existing information so that it is easier to access those people with great knowledge of a subject.

This forum for instance is great when it comes to asking people for information on coins. There are a wealth of knowledge to be gained here from people in the coin industry. If you are new then this is a great place to come and learn about coins and or coin investing.

Other forums give the same properties. A technical forum is a great way to find answers to computer or other questions. The internet has opened up people to unlimited information at just a few strokes of the keyboard.

The ability of forums has greatly put people into concentrated groups so that if people do need a question answered then it is easy to find them or at least get headed in the right direction. I have solved many issues while looking at forums for answers on different things.

Cons: Trust. Trust is probably the most dangerous thing about the internet. People to easily trust other people with personal and detailed information about their lives. This has opened up a slew of problems from stalking to murder to identity theft. It has opened up a new way for con men to easily get targets of people that don't know what they are doing.

Forums unfortuantly open the way for this to be more easily done. People that wish to take advantage of other people will alway lurk where that is easy. It takes a dedicated team on a forum board to stop that from happening.

It also means that you expect that the people that you are talking to also know what they are talking about. I would say the total lack of descretion when it comes to trust on the internet is the most dangerous thing about the internet.

 

The obvious Pro is access to people who are knowledgeable about what can be very esoteric information, and being able to gain their insights into a passion you all share. The equally obvious Con is not knowing who really knows what they are talking about and who's just full of themselves.