I'll keep this mostly SBO/sailing oriented, but at a higher level I think this is a fair (and philosophical) question that is highly applicable to everything out there on the internet. Obviously I'm going to write from my experiences, but I may make some extrapolations here too.
I'm a late Gen X'er (mid-40's), so grew up pre-internet (80's and early 90's) but then went through the "online" transition as I came of age (my first internet experiences were when I went to college in the late 90's). My early experiences in life involved having to "figure things out" via library books, trial and error, or finding an "expert" (in person, since online didn't exist). I think this combination of adolescent learning plus access to information as I got older meant that I hit a sweet spot of learning on my own and THEN was provided with a worlds worth of information that could be applied to the projects at hand. I like to think that the "learning on my own" period helps me quickly separate the relevant information from misinformation or ideas that are presented but aren't necessarily the best (trying to be gentle here)...this ability is highly relevant in forums here just as much as it is in my career (a career for which I had no formal training but have been moderately successful).
Unfortunately, I think later generations are not as good as this separation--they see info and immediately jump to "belief" because it's presented as "fact" even if it's a singular experience. I see this with my 20 year old daughter -- she's a smart kid, but easily buys into Tik Tok trends and other things because it reinforces her beliefs and is presented as fact. We're working on that, and she's getting more discerning, but not everyone has someone to guide them and she didn't have those earlier life experiences when "information" wasn't so easy to find.
Here's the list of things that run through MY mind when I seek out and read/process information from the internet (including this forum and sailing related info). This is in no particular order, and not all apply to every topic, but generally all will stand:
Who is the person relating the information? What is their background, what is their experience? In this forum this can be obtained by reading their brief biographical information and clicking on their name to see what other information they have contributed (and reading that some of those postings). Volume of postings does not mean they are experts, but you can quickly get a sense of whether a person provides facts/details/information consistently and reliably (and sometimes see background information to substantiate their level of expertise)
Is the information being provided verifiable? Before jumping into any project based from info online I'll do a Google search for the topic. Is there a history of posts on the topic in this/other forums? Is other information available (manuals/documentation, How-To's, white papers, guides). Does the information someone is providing match or align with this information?
What is the risk of the thing that is being suggested? I'm going to spend way more time researching how to install a through hull that might sink my boat then I am going to spend time researching the a suggested LED bulb or how to replace a light fixture. Not that there isn't important info, but one can sink the boat and the other is annoying if it doesn't work.
Related to the previous, what is the cost of the thing being suggested? If someone throws out a suggestion that might burn up my fridge or AC compressor I'm going to spend more time reading and scouring for info then I am if it's something that I can break/replace for minimal cost.
Does the thing that's being suggested make sense? I realize that this somewhat relies on common sense. And sometimes one doesn't know enough to KNOW that the thing doesn't make sense. But I'm of the opinion that for most of us "DIY" folks the goal isn't just a quick fix but it's to learn about the tool and the systems at hand. Sometimes this means deep diving into more internet forums and wiki's and how-to's to learn the ins and outs of a system (applying all of the tests listed above) but in the end this (hopefully) means that a deeper understanding of the systems behind the thing being suggested can help you determine whether the thing being advocated actually makes sense.
And, of course, at times, it's all of this plus having to just sit down, take all the information collected, some common sense, and a few tools, and actually seeing how this can apply to the situation at hand. Case in point, my recent thread about Adler Barbour refrigerator wiring (where my sea pump wasn't working properly and my compressor wasn't always engaging).
I queried the forum, suggestions were made. I did some research on who was posting, looked at schematics, fact checked against other internet searches, reached out to the vendor, gathered the manuals and documentation I had, then spent 4 hours with a multimeter and wires and relays to put all that info together to make the system work (this isn't said as a "pat me on the back" but as an example of things above). Now that it's working I'm continuing to take in more info and come up with ideas on how I could refine things. I've posted a schematic and drawings of what worked for me, but fully expect that anyone else looking at forums will want to look into MY background, my postings, and my projects that I've previously referenced to see if what I am suggesting makes sense, if I can be considered reliable, etc.
I don't know that we can police a forum, per se. In that sense, we'd lose the sense of community and it would quickly become more of a "wiki" or "how to" type site. This may mean that some folks post bogus info. I do think it's possible to politely refute that info. I do think too, though, that sometimes even inexperienced folks can come up with workable/creative solutions to problems that even experts can appreciate. Editing or moderating information may end up quashing some of those moments.
The hard part is, of course, when folks ask a question expecting a quick/easy solution. If you want quick/easy (relatively then DIY (and web forums)) probably aren't the way to go. You'll probably have to pay an expert for that. But I don't think the majority of forum "regulars" have that sort of expectation. They (we) are here to learn and appreciate the complexities of the systems with which we are playing and the enjoyment that can be had in our boats and the myriad of components that make them work.
That's my mini essay (for now), anyway. Hopefully it was relevant.
I'm curious how others approach things. A fun question!
Doug