It's not like Teldoserious is unique in that regard. In fact, I'm surprised that the alleged PROFESSIONAL Pilots Rumor Network has no screening process outside of individual airline private sections. The result is posers galore.
So-called “posers” are one thing, but I have no problem with those with legitimate ignorance who are seeking knowledge. In truth, sometimes, a different perspective breaks down a lot of barriers.
Those who have been here for longer than just a while probably know that I have a well-deserved reputation for posting L-O-N-G posts. I believe the reason is that in one aspect of a former life I used to teach “communications” – and one of the quotes I used often was “The most often committed error in the art of communications is the mistaken belief that it has taken place.” This gives rise to the 3-aspects of communications: 1) what I say; 2) what you hear; and 3) what I intended to say. As a result, I often find myself using a lot of words – explaining the same thing somewhat differently, in an attempt to reduce the potential of errors by me in speaking, and the potential of errors in hearing by those who are listening. If there are some here who are attempting to learn something from the knowledgeable contributors who participate, but to those contributors these "knowledge-seekers" sound like “posers” in that attempt, I would say “back up and play it straight.” There are some here, who admit they are not aviators, but still are intrigued by some aspect or another of this job function – be it life style, fears, triumphs, or whatever else may be interesting to those on the other side of the glass. It’s been my experience, that if I wanted to know something about a particular job function or profession – about which I know little – trying to sound like an “insider” will, either earlier or later, fall on its face. So in the interest of time, I usually just blurt out what I’m after and why I’m asking. Usually, I get more information than I can process – and in the interim of wading through all the jargon and lexicon to get to a place I can understand, I’ve often generated some very good friendships.
When I’ve had an interested student ask the kinds of questions that students ask (either academically or aerodynamically) – through my attempt to provide that student something that can be usefully understood, I usually find myself trying to explain the same thing differently, most often using different words each time (which is what generates my reputation for using a lot of words) – and sometimes doing that, I am able to see the issue from such a different perspective, revealing a lot more of the subject, and providing me a better understanding of the situation, which, in turn, does 2 things: first – I learn more about the specific subject for my own use; and 2) I find a better way of expressing what it is the questioner really wants to know.
It may be true that I will fail to break through to any who may be lurking behind some false façade of “aviator.” However, maybe, just maybe, instead of trying to finesse a conversation with someone the questioner believes would not respond unless it were to a perceived equal, that questioner may feel somewhat more encouraged to simply and openly ask the question. I think those questioners would be quite pleasantly surprised.
One other thing – I’ve also found that sometimes the questioner is a closet-wannabe. There should be no guilt in being a “fan” of other persons or of interesting professions – and more often than not, the open fan is often accepted as at least a guest, if not a distant relative, at the “family” dinner table. One can simply NOT have too many friends – regardless of their background.