Need advice: photographer watermarked our wedding photos

[ShooterJ]

It's still dangerous to read a bit and think you've got the skills, experience and education to combat at a legal matter that an attorney is trained for.

I've seen this line of thinking a lot and then people are surprised when a lawyer tears them apart.

If you need legal advice, an attorney knows how a court works (it's a game to them and one that they play well).

Spending an hour or two on the net or a day at the library won't stack up to a pro who makes his/her living at being prepared to contest an issue before a judge. Advising people to take action based on your day of research, in a legal proceeding that will pit them against legal professionals is not sound advice.

I've seen people who should be in prison walk because their attorney knew how to play. That's how it works ... it sucks, but it's realistic. Don't think or lead others to believe that the internet or a library is going to prepare you for it.. it simply will not.

 

[nycphotography]

It's still dangerous to read a bit and think you've got the skills, experience and education to combat at a legal matter that an attorney is trained for.

I've seen this line of thinking a lot and then people are surprised when a lawyer tears them apart.

If you need legal advice, an attorney knows how a court works (it's a game to them and one that they play well).

Spending an hour or two on the net or a day at the library won't stack up to a pro who makes his/her living at being prepared to contest an issue before a judge. Advising people to take action based on your day of research, in a legal proceeding that will pit them against legal professionals is not sound advice.

I've seen people who should be in prison walk because their attorney knew how to play. That's how it works ... it sucks, but it's realistic. Don't think or lead others to believe that the internet or a library is going to prepare you for it.. it simply will not.

All true, granted your presumption that the person being addressed is an idiot.

however, to the degree that the person in question is NOT an idiot your conclusion becomes less universal and should be further qualified. If you are going to make statements of fact, they should be true for all people all the time, otherwise they are not facts, they are opinions.

It is in fact _possible_ for a sufficiently motivated person of reasonable intelligence to avail themselves of the information available in lieu of retaining an expensive professional.

 

[ShooterJ]

I'm not suggesting they're an idiot or that they're intelligent. I'm stating that they're attempting to play a game with people who have played it a lot longer and know how to win.

 

[ShooterJ]

I have skill sets which experience has made second nature for me... could you read on those for a day and then compete with me?

 

[ShooterJ]

My point is that reading for a day, or two days .. or a month ... doesn't hold up well against someone who's trained AND has the benefit of practical application.

I can hit a target a LONG way off ... I was trained to do it by other people who knew how. I had experience with the application of it... I know what you can and can't do.. what will make you successful and what will bury you.

If you read about it for a YEAR but never actually fired a shot .. you'd lose when we put up targets. Experience is ALWAYS a factor... that's true in legal matters just like it is everywhere else.

 

[Buckster]

3) I get to legitimately help people who couldn't afford a lawyer and might not be as experienced as I am at researching things, or who simply don't have the free time, and thus came onto a forum to ask other community members.

My one problem with this: Are you going to pay for an attorney to help anyone that gets in trouble from following your inexpert advice? It happens! (of course, if anyone is dumb enough to actually follow amateur legal advice obtained on the 'net, they probably deserve what they get).

But that would be the Antithesis of Helping Someone.... wouldn't it?

My problem here is that this is the same argument given to not administer CPR to a dying man.

No, it's more like "teaching" someone that CPR is done by putting a pillow over the victim's face and holding it down firmly for at least 5 minutes so that no bad air is ingested, and then someone goes and does it.

The point is that when the information given is ill-informed bulls**t, it can lead to a disaster. "Well sure, I was wrong and in hindsight my advice sucked, but at least I TRIED to help" isn't a valid excuse for someone to be passing out bulls**t as though they're an expert.

 

[cgipson1]

3) I get to legitimately help people who couldn't afford a lawyer and might not be as experienced as I am at researching things, or who simply don't have the free time, and thus came onto a forum to ask other community members.

My one problem with this: Are you going to pay for an attorney to help anyone that gets in trouble from following your inexpert advice? It happens! (of course, if anyone is dumb enough to actually follow amateur legal advice obtained on the 'net, they probably deserve what they get).

But that would be the Antithesis of Helping Someone.... wouldn't it?

My problem here is that this is the same argument given to not administer CPR to a dying man. What if I break his ribs in the process and then he sues me?

By and large, this general refusal to assist is a cop out... generally based on ignorance or laziness yet usually expressed in terms of avoiding liability.

Ignorance and Laziness? Really? lol! How about arrogance and cockiness... the other end of this discussion!

 

[ShooterJ]

Isn't it kind of like people who read about photography, never actually done any of it and then post here on the forum trying to sound professional?

Oh how the pros despise that... when people think that some internet reading trumps all those years that they invested in learning and practicing the craft.

Make no mistake law practice is a craft... those guys are counting on you being ignorant. If you THINK you know what you're doing, even better.. they'll bait and trap you without breaking a sweat.

People don't like to admit that no matter how intelligent they are or how many books they've read, they just don't stack up to people who DO rather than read.

 

[cgipson1]

And paying an expensive professional to tell you what you already know (or could reasonably find out) certainly qualifies as insurance in my book.

and then you end up in court, and you realize you are screwed because you don't know as much as you thought you did. And it ends up costing way more than that "Professional" would have cost you! Sure, Have fun!

I see this as an extension of the whole Quasi-PRO Photographer thing where amateurs suddenly declare themselves as experts in a field that they have very little knowledge in. Sounds exactly like it...

Read a book (or watch a Youtube video), form an opinion, maybe blog a little on it.. instant expert status conferred....

 

[ShooterJ]

Holy chit, I beat Charlie to it... *victory dance*

 

[cgipson1]

Isn't it kind of like people who read about photography, never actually done any of it and then post here on the forum trying to sound professional?

Amazing.. we had similar thoughts on this... lol!

 

[cgipson1]

Holy chit, I beat Charlie to it... *victory dance*

Victory dance the right way, dude! This way>

lol!

 

[tirediron]

I'm pretty sure that this has wandered far enough off of the rails.