Does this Forum need a Disclaimer?
this question came up in the axe throwing folder(the thread is called "timberframing talk"), and i think it should be followed up. i think it's a good idea to place a disclaimer at the top of the page with the :
my profile | register | search | faq | forum home
buttons
especially with people like me, who tend to fly by the seat of thier pants, giving advice.

I'll copy and paste some relevant text from that earlier discussion here:
from Jim Rogers:
This forum would be greatly helped if some of the people in our industry who are experts would help more of the people looking for answers.
But then the old "liability" thing raises it's head.
I have been cautioned in the past from others about giving direct answers here.
And I can understand that.
If I post a direct answer and someone goes out and does it, and something goes wrong, can they come after me and sue me?
I don't ever want to find out....
I'd rather help them find their own answers, by pointing them to where the answer is, and let find it and understand it, before they use it.

from Joe Bartok:
I have popped the accountabilty question in other forums and as of yet have not received an answer as to whether the forum disclaimer covers the participants.
Until this issue is clarified I make a habit of thinking twice about the content of my posts.

from Derek Swanger:
Its sad were talking about lawers instead of timberframing. If some Joe Smith (please don't sue me if your name is Joe Smith) off the street asked " Aaah duhhh how big should my piece of wood be" My reply is "Aaah duhhh Hire a timberframer or go to work for one, you novice" Now if Joe Smith wants to understand some basic fundamentals of "picking a stick" We should all be helping out.
I am more interested in helping out other timberframers. Yes Yes Yes I love taking a perfectly good power tool, manipulating the crap out of it and using it for some wierd purpose. I could be the guy into lawnmower racing. I still have all my fingers. I would love to tell people some of the fun things I've built. Should I be afraid to post this kind of information? I'm just happy were down here at least talking about this stuff. We can save the really good stuff for conferences? I am itching to go to one again.

After Derek's post I tried to find a disclaimer on this forum, and I could not.
If you've been thinking about this issue, what do you think? There is more relevant info on the thread mentioned above:
http://www.tfguild.org/ubbcgibin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=47;t=000013

Hi, Mark -

Thanks for moving this up.

There have been many times that I have seen a post with a question that I believe I know the answer to, but hesitate, because I have learned from only one particular place, and maybe it's not the right answer, or maybe there's more to it, or maybe there are others who are 'real experts' and I should hold off to see what they say.

The last thing I want is to give mis-information, as I understand that that may have legal implications, not to mention the possibility of screwing up someones project!

Many forums offer not only a disclaimer, but rules and guidelines of sorts.
Whether we need them, I don't know...I suppose it's ultimately up to the TFG.
Maybe a survey or some sort of feed back to the guild is an idea...?

I have some news that a disclaimer is in the works for this forum and should be posted here, somewhere, soon.

Jim Rogers

bravo!!
good to see something at the top of the page, telling the unwary about the dangers of taking forum advice as the last word.
The blurb could use some formatting, though..... I should offer my services as I'm beginning to pick up a bit of work revising websites...

Mr. Swanger,

Are you objecting to this particular bit of lawyering, or merely aggreived (as I am) by it's necessity?

Do you think we need a disclaimer at all?

If so, would you care to write one for us to evaluate?

I apologise for going off on a tangent but is the guild losing timber framers?

No, no. Derek says we're "loosing" timber framers, not "losing" them. Loosing them on an unsuspecting public. I don't believe the Guild is losing members, and are currently at 1960 + members, maybe our highest total yet.

But I agree the disclaimer is a bit wordy and propose the following:

"DISCLAIMER:
Ask The Experts is a public forum, open to all, and is not formally monitored by the Guild staff. Therefore, we make no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of the information found there.
Membership in the Guild is also open to all. While many members are highly skilled timber framers, membership is not certification of that skill, but rather an expression of a person's interest in the art and craft of timber framing."

I think the last paragraph is unnecessary for the disclaimer, but is good advice.

Whatever is decided, could it be posted at the bottom of the page?
It seems to take up a lot of space, and things just don't seem right.

(Uh-oh. OCD kicking in....cannot accept change...must..fight..it...!)

I agree with Will's idea of a brief disclaimer at the top of the page, but I also think that a full disclaimer button should placed under the the brief. Also I think there should be a "proclaimer" such as, a statement on how to use the forum as a poster and reader, what to expect, the nature of construction design and specific problem solving and specification vs. the format of vague or non specific questions and equally vague, general and nongraphical answers.

I thought the original intent of the disclaimer was to encourage people to post here without fear of any liability for doing so. The way I read the current disclaimer, it seems to be sheidling the guild, not those posting here.

I also agree it's way too long. I like the idea of a button to push for the full disclaimer.

CB.