Except for the fact that forums have a multitude of writers at various experience levels and with various genres - it's not one person stating their experience/opinion.
That would make it so much the harder - sorting out the good and bad/relevant and unhelpful opinions or advice.
Which is where the discussion part comes in. Getting the different viewpoints and opinions allows one to find out about different methods and the positives and negatives involved. And writers need to know about different ways of doing things in order to find the way that works best for them. It's not easy, but that's part of becoming a good writer.
I agree Shadowwalker. I don't think How to Guides are completely useless. I didn't agree with all of Stephen King's or Orson Scott Card's, however I came away with ideas to enrich my own writing. There are as many ways of developing writing as there are writers, and someone else can spark and idea. I've never been a fan of the whole writing is a solo career. Input and inspiration can come from other people.
