Brake Calipers, Car Blogs, and You
If you are big fan of the internet, as I am, you likely
appreciate having access to much of the information you read
online. Where else can you find information that is accurate,
easily obtainable, and above all else: free? The library,
perhaps. Still, reading some of the car blogs out there can be a
risky proposition especially if you are prone to taking
everything you read as the "gospel truth."
Blogging certainly is fun and it is all the rage. You don't have
to know how to design web sites and you don't even have to know
how to write especially well. Therein lies the rub. Over the
past several months I have had occasion to read information that
is not only suspect, but downright inaccurate. Of course, if the
writings are simply someone's opinion about something that is
one thing. However, when the writings give explicit instructions
[or leave out pertinent information] on how to fix something,
such as brake calipers, those instructions must be correct
otherwise the reader could be obtaining information that isn't
just factually wrong, but dangerous.
Concerning brake calipers, if you are blogging about brakes,
please make certain that when you discuss a brake inspection
that you include brake calipers in the discussion along with
pads, rotors, ABS, and more. Yes, a reputable mechanic will
check all of that out, but diminishing that information in your
blog entry can make the reader think that a brake caliper isn't
important. Indeed, they are important: brake calipers squeeze
the brake pads onto the rotor to stop your car. Over time, brake
caliper seals can wear out and your car can lose its braking
capability.
I have several rules I follow when reading stuff online,
particularly that which is posted on blogs:
1. Who is the author? Is that information given or is it someone
simply posting anonymously?
2. Who manages the blog? Does this person know cars or not?
3. What is the source of the quoted information? Is it from
another author or is it simply company material regurgitated for
all to read?
4. Most importantly: is the site a bad neighborhood? Meaning, is
it set up simply to capture cheap pay per click ads and not much
else? I have a real problem with any site that is over run with
advertising!
Ultimately, if you read something online check its veracity with
at least one other source. You can easily "google" a few
keywords and check the results for similar content. Of course,
if someone is spreading inaccurate content all over the
internet, then you know what the answer is!