Why You Shouldn’t Shun an Un-Official Information Source
When it comes to finding out information that you need, it’s usually a good idea to get it right from the horse’s mouth; consulting an official source usually gets you the most accurate and up-to-date information. However, there are times when you might want to look into an un-official source for your needs. Here’s why you shouldn’t be afraid of going off the beaten path.
Un-Official Doesn’t Mean Bad
Most of the time when you see something that’s billed as the “un-official” guide to something or other, there’s a value judgment there that warns you: if it’s an un-official information source, there might not be the same kinds of quality control that you would get from an official source of information. However, this isn’t always the case, especially when it comes to things where the official information source is severely lacking in user-friendliness or ease of use.
For example, if you’re looking for information about the driving laws in California but you can’t make heads or tails of the state’s official Department of Motor Vehicles website, you can either begin asking your friends and relatives until you find someone that has a clue, or you could instead look for an alternative source of information. There are un-official third party websites out there that aren’t affiliated with the state in any way but simply act as reference guides for puzzled drivers trying to find out exactly what they’re going to have to do to pass their driving test or how they go about selling their car themselves, and these sites perform a valuable service. The best part about information websites like this is that the lion’s share of them are completely free to use; you won’t be able to conduct any official online transactions either of course such as renewing your license or registration, but a site that offers California DMV information will tell you exactly what you need to do and where to go to accomplish it on your own without any muss or fuss. In the end they are simply fantastic time-saving tools that can also preserve your sanity (and maybe even keep you from spending too much money, either!).
Un-Official Sources Can Provide Insider Information
Another great reason to rely on un-official sources instead of the official one is because the kind of insider information you might be in need of won’t be available anywhere else. For instance if you’ve ended up with a parking ticket that you really don’t want to have to pay – especially if you feel that you didn’t deserve the ticket in the first place – you’re not going to find any information on beating a bogus parking ticket by going to the official Department of Motor Vehicles. Instead you’re going to have to go to an un-official source of information on beating parking tickets if you want to get out of that mess.