I may have missed the crash where PPRuNe armchair experts got there first, but I don't remember one.....
It's not a game.
The main goal for accident investigation is learning lessons and thereby preventing future accidents. I would say that people on Pprune are more interested in learning these lessons than the average person.
There are many ways to look at an investigation. One for example:
a. input,
b. access,
c. processing,
d. output,
e. learning lessons,
In the input stage you usually have a number of people who know little or nothing about aircraft. Some are called witnesses. A person taking a photo of this plane just before takeoff - even if knowing nothing - is a valuable witness who provides input. Spotter's pictures are now routinely used. So even laymen can be first.
During the MH17 investigation some people offered assistance. This was rejected. Lateron the investigation asked people if they could help to provide more pictures and information. A proper investigation knows how to collect and integrate ALL information. The crowd has the advantage of numbers. This investigation has 47+11=58 persons. When you want to find a certain (input) video or photo ... and ask the investigators or pprune members ... who would find it first ... you might be surprised.
Investigators will have and should have access to all ('available') information. And they decide what is shared. So people outside the investigation have less access.
Processing is related to experience. If you compare an investigator with 1 year of experience to a person who has just retired after 40 years in the business ... who would you listen to ... I would listen to both.
Output is that of the investigation. Simple. But we all know that there can be a lot of discussion ... going on for many years ... Some extra knowledge is an advantage when you want to make up your own mind. And that brings us back to learning lessons.
A few days ago a person posted that all people visiting this site were 'idiots'. So he joined up to tell other people they were idiots visiting this forum. He gave a new meaning to the word "irony".