"I am not a tech but..."

mish · Oct 20, 2010

I see this sentence a lot on here. I wonder why. For those that aren't techs, do you feel like those that are techs don't find your opinion valuable? Worthy? Do you think other posters that come to ask a question think that? I think everyone's opinion is valuable. I know so many people on here that aren't certified but know so much more than a lot of tech's I know.

I just want all of you to know your opinions are valuable. This board could not help as many people as they do if only techs could answer. It just wouldn't be possible.

sunnymw · Oct 20, 2010

I always put it as a disclaimer type of thing. IE, I have a few pictures that I share a lot (like how to flip the belt w/ a lightweight locking latchplate, etc) and those things have been okayed by techs, but I do want the parents to know that I'm not certified.

Always worry about liability and all that... and usually a tech comes behind me and does the "yeah that" thing.

lovinwaves · Oct 20, 2010

Seems like I usually see that when the OP specifically asks for a technicians opinion or thoughts.

In my own personal experience I did learn some things during my technician course that I wasn't aware of before. I could have given out the wrong advice (and have, unfortunately) because I wasn't a technician and simply didn't know.

There was one thing I could always help on though which was some specific questions about the Honda Odyssey. Personal experience goes a long ways, and doesn't matter if you are a tech or advocate, you can always give your experience!

:thumbsup:

Yay for our car seat advocates!

I'm not a technician either.

TXDani · Oct 20, 2010

I will admit that there are plenty of non-techs on this board that know a lot more than I do. I don't keep up on the ins and outs of all the new seats so I have to read the manual before helping with an install and won't know the little tricks that work with *that* seat just off memory. I also don't keep up with all the new seats available to know what is best to recommend in certain scenarios.

I fully believe I can install a seat just as well as any other tech on the planet and have never had an installation issue I couldn't conquer. But as far as up to date knowledge on seats...non techs can beat me on that any day.

Pixels · Oct 20, 2010

There are some people on this board who, when they say that, I have to scroll back up and see that their SN really isn't green. They know as much, if not more, than many of the techs on this board. And the techs on this board, as a group, are great techs. I recently had to give some pointers to techs who thought a 10 month old baby was too small for the MyRide, and thought a 2yo had outgrown the Nautilus. Um, yeah, that was an exercise in diplomacy. But my point is, almost every person who hangs out on this board would know those two facts off the top of their head: no way a 10 month old is too small for the MyRide, and no way a 2yo has outgrown the Nautilus.

TerisBoys · Oct 20, 2010

I use it quite often in the upstairs forums. Especially for new people here. Not-so-much for members that have been around and know me.

I've been an advocate for almost 15 years, and do know a lot. I've worked checks, I've installed god-knows-how-many seats, I know the rules. I've gone toe-to-toe with the local coordinator and ended up right. (She didn't believe my Futura harnessed to 60#, or that there was an even bigger mainstream seat available - the Super Elite) I am confident in my knowledge, or I wouldn't post.

I don't have a certificate, and never have. There could be something taught in class that I don't know. Therefore I want the parent I'm talking to to know up front to take my advice, but verify with someone who is certified.

monica-m · Oct 20, 2010

TerisBoys said:
I want the parent I'm talking to to know up front to take my advice, but verify with someone who is certified.

:yeahthat:

I use that disclaimer because I'm not a tech and would be more comfortable if someone verified what I had to say with a tech. I still have a lot to learn and hope to one day be able to take the class and be a tech but I'm not there yet.

mish · Oct 20, 2010

TerisBoys said:
I use it quite often in the upstairs forums. Especially for new people here. Not-so-much for members that have been around and know me.

I've been an advocate for almost 15 years, and do know a lot. I've worked checks, I've installed god-knows-how-many seats, I know the rules. I've gone toe-to-toe with the local coordinator and ended up right. (She didn't believe my Futura harnessed to 60#, or that there was an even bigger mainstream seat available - the Super Elite) I am confident in my knowledge, or I wouldn't post.

I don't have a certificate, and never have. There could be something taught in class that I don't know. Therefore I want the parent I'm talking to to know up front to take my advice, but verify with someone who is certified.

Teri, you were actually one of the people that made me post this. I mean that in a really good way, and I hope you take it as it was meant. You know so much about car seats and are so helpful!

andre149 · Oct 20, 2010

Aww... that's sweet

Honestly, I say it because I think most parents that come here would like things validated by someone that is certified... and also because I know there are things I don't know, it's kind of a "check with someone else to be sure but I think this" thing lol

TerisBoys · Oct 20, 2010

Thanks Mish. I needed that today.

But knowledge or not - I feel that people need to remember that I am *not* a certified tech.

luckyclov · Oct 20, 2010

I'm not a tech, but (

) I consider myself pretty knowledgable. I'm guilty of saying it from time to time and I use it, as someone else mentioned, as sort of a disclaimer. There are still people in the world who don't or won't consider an opinion credible unless there's "credentials" involved.

mimieliza · Oct 20, 2010

I say that all the time. It's not that I don't think my advice is good (otherwise, why would I share it?). It's that I'm not a tech, and I don't want to misrepresent myself as one. Honestly, I don't think I would learn (book learning) a lot more by going through the tech training, but I would get a lot more hands on experience. Right now my experience is pretty much limited to seats and cars I have owned. And techs who have been doing it for a long time (and thus have done lots of checks with all sorts of seat/car combinations) have a pretty unique knowledge base that you can't get from reading a lot on the internet.

babyherder · Oct 20, 2010

Its partly a disclaimer. And partly just cause some people come here for a tech's opinion and I don't want newcomers to think I'm a tech. Techs put a lot of time and effort (at least the techs here) into being techs. So it wouldn't be right for me to let others assume that I'm a tech.

myliljunebugs · Oct 20, 2010

mimieliza said:
I say that all the time. It's not that I don't think my advice is good (otherwise, why would I share it?). It's that I'm not a tech, and I don't want to misrepresent myself as one. Honestly, I don't think I would learn (book learning) a lot more by going through the tech training, but I would get a lot more hands on experience. Right now my experience is pretty much limited to seats and cars I have owned. And techs who have been doing it for a long time (and thus have done lots of checks with all sorts of seat/car combinations) have a pretty unique knowledge base that you can't get from reading a lot on the internet.

:yeahthat:

CTPDMom · Oct 21, 2010

I just have to chime in and say that I'm with the other techs who have said that many of our non-tech contributors know more than we techs do. That's so true! :thumbsup:

"I am not a tech but..."

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