[thing85]

In response to the casino whoring example, it all depends on what side you're on. I was someone who wasn't aware of several bonuses, so without sharing, I would've gained nothing. Because those with information shared it, not only did I get in on some great casino whoring, but it opened my eyes up to future opportunities, even if they were drying up.

It's easy for someone who's already in on it to get angry about MORE people getting in on it. But when you're on the other side, you benefit greatly by the sharing of information.

Maybe you're a know-it-all and this doesn't apply to you, but many people here would never be where they are now if others hadn't shared information with them. I agree that sharing information DOES hurt future opportunity, but when you look in the grand scheme of things, I think you'll see that the net benefit to each person is a gain from information shared. For every person who found information completely on their own, there are probably dozens (this may be an underestimate) of people who have seen a net benefit from information shared.

I'm on the "giving back to the community" side of things. I have mooched off of others' information and I'm willing to allow others to do the same off of me. I realize that this does hurt my future opportunity, but again, if others' hadn't hurt THEIR future opportunity, I wouldn't be where I am either.

And no, I'm not a communist.