There is nothing wrong with using the internet as a starting point. I use it. You use it. Everybody uses it. Somewhere out there is a forum thread, Reddit comment, YouTube video, or Facebook group where somebody has already asked the same question you are thinking about asking. That can be useful. It can also be a complete mess.
The problem is not that people ask questions online. They should. New gun owners should ask questions. Experienced gun owners should still ask questions. The problem is that the internet makes every answer look like it carries the same weight.
A person with real experience gets displayed right next to someone repeating something he read yesterday. The screen does not sort that out for you. This is where people get into trouble.
A new gun owner asks what pistol they should buy, and the answers turn into a brand loyalty fight. Somebody asks if they are ready to carry, and half the replies are confidence without context. Somebody asks about carrying with a round in the chamber, and suddenly they are buried in opinions from people who may or may not even carry every day.
The person asking was probably already overwhelmed. By the time the thread is done, they may be more confused than when they started. A lot of that comes from not knowing what they do not know yet. They may not even know how to ask the right question.
The internet can give you ideas. It can help you learn terms. It can show you what other people are asking. It can help you compare products and find options. What it cannot do is stand next to you on a range, watch your hands, look at your target, hear your questions, read your nerves, and offer correction in real time. This concept is critically important to understand.
It makes my day to help somebody understand something I have been passionate about for a very long time. A lot of what I know came through trial and error. Some of it came through pain, frustration, and expense. That knowledge has value, and I am happy to share it.
In person, that kind of discussion works. Someone can ask a question. They can push back. They can explain what they are trying to figure out. They can hear my tone. They can tell when I am serious, when I am simplifying something, and when I am saying, “Here is what I learned the expensive way so maybe you do not have to.” The internet struggles with that.
A comment does not carry tone very well. It does not always show intent. It does not tell you whether the person answering has real world experience, training experience, range experience, carry experience, or just confidence and a keyboard. This is hard to sort out, especially when you are new.
On the range, small things become obvious fast. Grip, trigger press, and muzzle discipline are all very common areas where small issues show up. The student who says they are comfortable but is clearly nervous. The student who says they understand but is obviously guessing. The student who bought a pistol because the internet loved it, but the target is already telling a different story. A comment section cannot see any of that. That is the difference between information and instruction.
Information can be useful. I am not against it. There are good instructors online. There are good discussions online. There are useful reviews and comparisons online. But none of that replaces someone standing there who can watch what you are actually doing.
Good instruction should not make a person feel small. It should make them safer, more capable, and more honest about where they actually are. Use the internet for ideas. Use it to learn terms. Use it to start better questions. Do not use it as your firearms instructor.
When it comes to firearms, the person who can actually watch you work is worth more than a thousand strangers with keyboards.