It can get pretty close to in- person interaction but it takes longer to get to know the personalities involved. Also, just like in person, at least some people respond differently to different people. This thread is actually a good example of that: I actually responded a bit more sharply than I usually would, and maybe should have, to you, who I do not really know well at all.
Internet forums do have a tremendous advantage over personal contact in one way, we can all correspond with others sharing a similar interest literally all over the globe. I have been here since buying a relatively early C-14 in '07 and the internet community that formed around that new model was tremendously successful in learning about, and modifying the bike. Especially because it was a relatively advanced model with things such as the dreaded KiPass (read: bad ju-ju). I know I could have never gained as much knowledge probably ever, and certainly not what we collectively learned in, say, the first year, with only those C-14 owners I could talk with in person. And the fact is that while the perceived anonymity of the 'Net does bring out some pretty callous behavior, it also provides the occasional 'diamond' of information; when I was learning how to hang a Rostra on a C-14, there was a gentleman who had done a tremendous amount of truly excellent work on that device (the Rostra) while pioneering the install on an older Goldwing. A learned a lot about the unit from him even though most of it did not apply directly to a C-14. If memory serves, he was in southern California and I NEVER would have heard of him or his work without forums such as this one.
The time thingy is a bit of a problem because it is 'all over the place' with some replies going back and forth w/in minutes and other exchanges taking days. Same thing with e-mails; I correspond with a fair number of people about motorcycle stuff, mostly but not all C-14, and I just never know when I will get a response, if I will get a response, and if the response will contain information, progress, just more questions, a request for clarification on previous answers, etc.. One of the real problems is trying to strike that fine balance between complete explanation, sufficient to get the task accomplished, and too much simplification which wastes time and often annoys the other person who thinks he / she is being 'talked down to'. But how can I possibly know what another person knows, and where to start off with an explanation? Is saying 'splice into the gray wire' enough or does that person need more detailed instruction on how to splice? Can that person solder and does he / she have soldering tools? I have no idea. Organized education is way ahead because when going into 5th grade, it is assumed the student has completed grades 1 to 4 but when I help someone with a motorcycle problem, I have absolutely no idea at what level we are starting. BTW: I am in the middle of a house project and am now on the receiving end of that very situation, having electricians explain to me that residential power is "two phase" and so forth.
Coriolis effect: I like to participate in bowling pin shoots; really very simple, bowling pins are placed on a rigid plate, usually 5 pins per station, two stations next to each other and 'hot' at the same time. First one to clear all the pins from the stand wins that heat (and they have to be cleared, no knock- downs allowed if the pin is lying on the stand). At some ranges, the 'studio' audience calls out helpful suggestions (read: obnoxious insults, ridiculous 'facts', etc.) and one day someone called out to a shooter, after he had lost embarrassing badly, that perhaps he forgot to compensate for the Coriolis effect. The pins are 30 feet from the firing line, and just mentioning that struck me as funny enough that I thought I was going to wet my pants a little. Now the Coriolis effect does very much matter to some shooters but only after about 600 yards, and always with things such as artillery but not so much at 30 feet.
Brian
These board postings will never replace actual spoken verbal communication between us humans. Stuff gets lost in translation and time.
Brian, I appreciate that you replied further and made an effort to smooth any perceived ruffled feathers. I find it funny to note that shortly after I posted this math problem that it was replied to so quickly and repeatedly. I didn't have the chance to participate in the traditional back and forth banter because I was away from the house for a few hours. For you, I would guess, it's very much like sending a text to someone and expecting a reply that never comes (in the time frame that one expected). Sometimes, for me anyhow, the longer it takes for me to receive a reply the more agitated I can get because of my expectations. Then there are the tricks that my mind often plays with me while I impatiently wait for a response. I will totally create some truly horrible alternative reasons as to why I had not heard from a person to whom I had reached out to and wrap myself around the proverbial axle. That's something I'm going through at this time as a matter of fact.
I enjoyed reading the replies and found myself way behind in a conversation that took on a life of its own. I missed out on the exchange of jabs and parries. I further appreciate the time it took to put pencil to paper (finger to calculator) to crunch numbers. Did I check your math? Hell no! That would have been an insult. Besides, I trust that your abacus is accurate and has been calibrated to NIST standards. Coriolis effect, really?
Tree