***** NOT A TEACHER *****
Usingenglish.com wants to build a brand, as we Americans say. That is, it
seeks a reputation as a place where international students can be
confident that they are receiving accurate answers.
Perhaps the following options might help in reaching that goal:
(1) Strictly enforce the rule that we non-teachers must START our post
with "NOT A TEACHER." Then learners can simply skip our posts. (I have
noticed that not a few of my fellow non-teachers put the disclaimer at the
end of their posts.) Violation of the rule might bring immediate deletion.
(2) Immediately delete any patently wrong answers. (Along with a courteous
and respectful email to the poster that explains the reason.)
(3) And, of course, the easiest solution: bar us non-teachers from
participating in the "Ask the Teacher" forum.
I agree that no one -- either teacher or non-teacher -- should be
humiliated in public. A teacher can always request (in private) that a
patently wrong answer be deleted, and thread starters can simply skip
someone's post (instead of rudely replying -- as a few thread starters
occasionally do -- "Don't answer my questions.") We non-teachers are not
stupid. If a thread starter does not thank us for our efforts, we realize
that our answers are not appreciated, and we stop answering threads from
certain members.