Would you go to R&P, or Answers, for factual information about music?

Question

My friend James just posted this Slate article about Y!A in his 360 blast, and I had to share it:

http://www.slate.com/id/2179393/pagenum/all/

To paraphrase a bit of it for this question, it states that almost 120 million users come this site for its specified purpose (to ask and/or answer questions), but it is also widely used as a research tool - a place where students (and others) are sourcing for information on just about everything.

Since I spend the majority of my Answers-time here in R&P, I'm asking this question with a bend toward the musical. If you needed to know factual information about something music-related, would you do your research here? If not, where would you go?

Hmmm...is it really fair that the article compares Answers to Wikipedia? Even though both feature user-provided information it just doesn't seem to be the same thing - it's apples and oranges. At least it seems to be that way to me...

Hey, that's fine with me MachPen. It's nice to see you during the day! :)

Answer 1

Probably not for factual information, as it is I'm even sometimes wary of Wikipedia. But I think Y!A is an excellent place to get a better poll of popular music opinion than the polls generated by magazines like Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly. Also, it's a great place to find music recommendations. As annoying and repetitive as all the "Do you know any bands that sound like this?" questions are, they're usually the ones that allow people to share music suggestions. I think I've actually caught a few good music suggestions by reading some of these :)

Answer 2

That was a very interesting article. You got to love the cartoonists that draw those little pictures to go with the work. I'm still laughing over the group of retards wearing dunce caps coming out of the monitor. That might have been me in the middle.

I think the author misses the point though. Answers, at least to myself, has never been about being the Holy Grail, where you unlock the mysteries of the universe. This has always been more about entertainment and opinion. If you were in a serious bind, would you trust your legal advice to the law section in here? I know I wouldn't.

As for music, I couldn't think of a better place to get information from. This is the voice of actual people who purchase and listen to what's out there. Y!A is plugged into the collective musical pulse of the people. I really enjoy hearing what actual individuals have to say about the music as opposed to a trumped up publication like Rolling Stone that clearly has an agenda. That's not to say that Y!A should be the first and last place you go to get the all the facts on music. But it certainly is a great starting point. Plus, mostly everything discussed in here is based heavily on opinion, so there's no way to prove it either way.

Ah, yes, the never ending barrage of stupid questions like, "name me some bands?" Guess you gotta take the good with the bad.

Answer 3

Certainly yes, R&P answers has been an eye opening expeirence for Me. I was quite well known as a Classic Rock and Metal go to guy for info before I came here. I thought I really knew it all. But the amounts of info I have gathered about rock music bands since coming here has been absolutely staggering. I would like to single out Smiley for particular praise on this, that guy is a Trivia God.
I think R&P is a veritable cornucopia of music info Myself
I'm very very glad I discovered this site. I have started listening to so much new and awe-inspiring music since I came here it's not even funny
Thanks Yahoo Answers R&P

Answer 4

Probably not for definite facts that I actually needed for something important, but I use information I get on here for trivia purposes and the like. And there are a lot of really cool, thought-provoking questions that get asked; they are better than ones that need factual answers. For factual information on the music-related, I usually go to my Official Rolling Stone Encyclopedia Of Rock & Roll (amazing book) or to the little biographies found on iTunes, or to the little pamphlets of information that are inside CD cases.

Answer 5

After a few questions you see who you connect with on the types of music you like & can get an idea for other bands to check out...

Other then that, Wikipedia for me on the factual stuff..

Edit - Wikipedia for me is just a quick fact guide, it's not the greatest source of all time, but for something quick about the band and original members - but when it comes to taste and opinion, I like what people have to say..

Answer 6

Everyone's nailed the central flaw in the article's reasoning - Wiki and Answers are, indeed, apples and oranges. I'd certainly be wary of some of the factual stuff on Answers, but on the other hand, Wiki is hardly capable of being a forum for subjective opinion - which is perhaps Answers' most useful function. (Apart from allowing us to laugh at MCR fans, that is.)

Answer 7

Wikipedia is usually an okay source, but it definitely has it's problems. When you work in a technical field and look at wikipedia regarding science and technology, you can really see where it's lacking. But since everything music related is never really set in stone anyway, then I think it's fine. Sure, it may get some history wrong, but never a great deal.

Answer 8

I have used it before for research. But, I double and triple check every answer because frankly I like the truth. Although, Y!A certainly shouldn't be your only source of information.

Answer 9

Hmmm....

Well, there are a handful of experienced music lovers here who I would certainly trust to know what they are talking about!

So, if I needed answers on a particular band or genre, I'd probably come here first.

Answer 10

Nah, if its a question that can be answered by fact I usually just Google / Wikipedia it.

I only ask opinion based questions on here.. and in that case nobodys wrong! :)