richard C wrote:...Avcom is a powerful learning tool, post your opinions, but don't be too precious about them. If someone dismantles them, and hands them back in better shape, then Avcom had done its job. The only way learning can take place is when you accept that your own truth is not the complete truth, and that there is always space for refinement at least, and sometimes complete redirection.
Avcom is entirely about opinion.
The quality and accuracy of that opinion may vary, but opinion it remains - provided without warranty.
As a learning tool, what you learn will be up to the reader to discern what they consider relevant or correct and this in itself is flawed.
My argument would be that if your primary goal is to learn then your time should be spent with an AMO or flight instructor and not with a diverse group of people using varying degrees of anonymity.
People, unfortunately, put a lot of stock in their own opinion or react quite viscerally if something is said that goes against their own beliefs, it seems to be forgotten that it is simply a point of view. Little more.
I have noticed that those who deem themselves experienced sometimes don't respond well to being asked to justify a point of view, because that sort of thing just isn't done.
Then you have those that don't seem to have, or rather share, an opinion but would rather just take exception to someone else's view largely because they consider everyone else to be less experienced than they are.
You know the type, they resort to the oldest form of online bullying - demanding the phonecall, the "who are you" PM, mutterings at the airfield and waving the logbook and list of ratings to justify why they are above the discussion.
Some do take opinion very seriously.
Perhaps people have such a sensitive sense of self-worth that they find discussion threatening and an affront to all they stand for and believe in.
Avcom isn't a church. It is not sacrosanct.
While serious topics may be discussed, they are just a collection of thoughts from a very diverse group, not one of which has any more or less standing than another.
(from all the jockeying to be seen and heard and marking of territory this obviously isn't the case)
The end result of all this is weak discussion, with the same few people contributing. A quiet observer will read, or not, all of the noise and likely move on feeling that contributing is pointless and taking little away apart from a poor perception of what goes on within the alleged community.
If I say "tow the line", I mean "tow the line" and stuff those British sailors. 
How many whip's have you got ? 
