I always ask it for Pros and Cons. I've also trained it to read my voice and know whether I need coaching, cheerleading, Joe Friday, or enthusiastic co-planer. In addition is has learned how, and when to move me back to staying on target. It has learned how to become a highly useful assistant. My process is to have it echo my request, evaluate it and give me a high level "what". then we move to detail "what" and to How.
Experience with AI is Key
- Thread starter Uncle Gizmo
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One thing I find that is effective is to ask the LLM to apply the Edward de bono thinking hats system to a particular question:-
Edward de Bono
Edward Charles Francis Publius de Bono (19 May 1933 – 9 June 2021) was a Maltese physician, psychologist, author, inventor, and consultant who originated the term lateral thinking as a method for deliberate creativity and developed structured tools like the Six Thinking Hats for parallel...
I asked The Question:-
As large language models get better and better at answering questions, what will happen to specially forums like "Access World Forums" (AWF) where human experts answer Microsoft Access related questions
GROK 4.1 Answer
Let's apply Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats to your question about the future of specialized forums like Access World Forums (AWF) as LLMs improve.
**White Hat (Facts & Information):**
AWF has existed since 2001, has 150k+ members, and still gets dozens of new Microsoft Access questions daily even in 2025; LLMs already answer basic-to-intermediate Access questions accurately and instantly.
**Red Hat (Emotions & Intuition):**
Long-time AWF members feel strong attachment and community pride, and a sense of loss at the idea of the forum becoming obsolete; many enjoy the human interaction more than just getting an answer.
**Black Hat (Caution & Risks):**
Specialized forums risk sharp decline in new posts, loss of fresh knowledge capture, eventual stagnation, and possible closure as fewer people ask questions there instead of using AI.
**Yellow Hat (Benefits & Optimism):**
Forums could evolve into higher-level discussion hubs for complex architecture, undocumented bugs, enterprise governance, and mentoring that LLMs still struggle with; the signal-to-noise ratio would improve dramatically as simple questions disappear.
**Green Hat (Creativity & Alternatives):**
AWF and similar forums could integrate AI bots directly, use AI to pre-answer simple threads, become places to critique/refine AI answers, host “human-vs-AI” challenges, or shift to curated knowledge bases with human vetting.
**Blue Hat (Process & Overview):**
The most likely outcome is transformation rather than death, specialized human forums will shrink but survive by moving up the complexity ladder and focusing on community, nuance, real-world war stories, and things LLMs can’t yet replicate (politics, legacy system archaeology, interpersonal training).
It will become a passionate expert guild
In short: AWF won’t disappear, but in 5–10 years it will feel more like a small, passionate expert guild than today’s busy help desk.
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I also asked a follow-on question:-
Have any technical forums weathered the change successfully or look like they have a good model to survive this transition and if so could you give me the urls and why you think they have been innovative?
GROK 4.1 Answer
Yes, several technical forums have adapted successfully to AI by integrating it as a tool while emphasizing human curation, community, and niche depth.
Stack Overflow (https://stackoverflow.com) has thrived through OverflowAI and partnerships like with OpenAI, licensing its data for AI training while building AI-assisted search that cites human answers, boosting revenue and engagement by blending instant AI utility with vetted expertise.
Reddit's specialized subs like r/MachineLearning (https://www.reddit.com/r/MachineLearning/) and r/LocalLLaMA (https://www.reddit.com/r/LocalLLaMA/) are growing fast, innovating by hosting deep dives into AI papers, open-source builds, and critiques that LLMs can't replicate, turning them into hubs for pros sharing real-world hacks beyond generic AI outputs.
Hacker News (https://news.ycombinator.com) sustains its edge via YC's ecosystem, where users dissect AI's limits in startup threads, fostering innovative discourse on practical integrations like agentic systems that forums alone enable through unfiltered debate.
These models work because they leverage AI for basics but pivot to irreplaceable human elements like nuance and collaboration.
BlueSpruce
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I asked GROK HEAVY the following question:-
Please read the entire thread and see if there are any insights and opportunities that have been missed
GROK HEAVY - Answer
One missed insight is the role of data privacy in forums like AWF, where users can discuss sensitive Microsoft Access queries involving proprietary data without feeding it into public LLMs that might store or leak information.
Another is the persistence of human verification, as forums provide peer-reviewed, context-aware answers that mitigate AI hallucinations on niche or rapidly evolving topics like Access VBA quirks.
On opportunities, integrating AI as a first-line triage tool could filter simple questions, allowing human experts to focus on advanced mentoring and collaborative debugging sessions.
Forums could monetize by curating datasets for training specialized LLMs, turning historical threads into valuable IP for Microsoft partnerships.
AWF might pivot to community events, such as webinars or hackathons on Power Platform integrations, fostering loyalty beyond Q&A.
An unmentioned example is Level1Techs Forums (https://forum.level1techs.com), which innovates by dedicating sections to AI hardware builds and integrations, blending user experiments with expert reviews to stay relevant.
Looks like Grok Heavy made a mistake here !!!
UtterAccess (https://www.utteraccess.com) shows adaptation through strict moderation and premium content, emphasizing deep dives into Access that LLMs struggle with, like legacy migration strategies.
Please read the entire thread and see if there are any insights and opportunities that have been missed
GROK HEAVY - Answer
One missed insight is the role of data privacy in forums like AWF, where users can discuss sensitive Microsoft Access queries involving proprietary data without feeding it into public LLMs that might store or leak information.
Another is the persistence of human verification, as forums provide peer-reviewed, context-aware answers that mitigate AI hallucinations on niche or rapidly evolving topics like Access VBA quirks.
On opportunities, integrating AI as a first-line triage tool could filter simple questions, allowing human experts to focus on advanced mentoring and collaborative debugging sessions.
Forums could monetize by curating datasets for training specialized LLMs, turning historical threads into valuable IP for Microsoft partnerships.
AWF might pivot to community events, such as webinars or hackathons on Power Platform integrations, fostering loyalty beyond Q&A.
An unmentioned example is Level1Techs Forums (https://forum.level1techs.com), which innovates by dedicating sections to AI hardware builds and integrations, blending user experiments with expert reviews to stay relevant.
Looks like Grok Heavy made a mistake here !!!
UtterAccess (https://www.utteraccess.com) shows adaptation through strict moderation and premium content, emphasizing deep dives into Access that LLMs struggle with, like legacy migration strategies.
BlueSpruce
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LOL, Grok's stuck on the past and hallucinating. Where's Grok getting info about UA since the site was never crawlable and no longer exists?
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I asked GROK HEAVY
Re:- (politics, legacy system archaeology, interpersonal training).when you say archaeology do you mean the historic information the tacit information contained with Z number of very old members that have been using at Microsoft Access for 20 odd years ? when you say politics do you mean that the forum has a strong urge to discuss politics to the point of generating some very antagonistic exchanges and what do you mean by interpersonal training? --- do you mean teaching the new less skilled members
GROK HEAVY - Answer
Long-time Members Tacit Knowledge
Yes, by "legacy system archaeology," I mean the deep, tacit knowledge held by long-time members who've worked with Microsoft Access for 20+ years, uncovering historical quirks, undocumented behaviors, and migration strategies from ancient versions that LLMs often miss or hallucinate about.
Navigating Organizational Politics
No, by "politics," I don't mean general political discussions or antagonistic exchanges; I refer to navigating organizational politics, like stakeholder management, compliance issues, or inter-departmental dynamics when implementing Access solutions in real-world enterprises.
Guiding newer, less skilled members
And yes, by "interpersonal training," I mean mentoring and guiding newer, less skilled members through soft skills like effective communication, collaborative problem-solving, and professional etiquette in tech contexts, which forums foster better than impersonal AI responses.
Last edited:
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I too was interested in what GROK HEAVY could tell me about https://www.utteraccess.com
I asked GROK HEAVY
Your data is somewhat out of kilter Grok Heavy !!!
UtterAccess<a href="https://www.utteraccess.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"></a> ---- the owner of utter access has been arrested for allegedly having and sharing child related pornography - and the site shut down..
If you could verify this and provide me with any extra information, I would be most grateful ---
GROK HEAVY - Answer
Yes, the claim about the owner of UtterAccess.com is verified based on official sources.
The owner is Jack Dymond Leach, 43, from St. Augustine, Florida.
He was indicted on June 9, 2025, by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida.
Charges include one count of attempted production of child sexual abuse materials, two counts of receipt of child sexual abuse materials, and one count of possession. The FBI seized devices containing such materials during the investigation.
Leach pleaded guilty on November 14, 2025, facing a minimum of 15 years and up to 90 years in federal prison.
The UtterAccess site shut down abruptly around July 2025, likely connected to these events.
Forum discussions express shock at his arrest, given his prior reputation as a Microsoft Access MVP and developer.
No sentencing date is yet announced, but the case is ongoing.
BlueSpruce
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Grok must be getting that "premium content" from all the places where Microsoft mentioned UA being the "premiere Access forum" LOL
Is this real?
St. Augustine Business Owner Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Use A Minor Child For The Production Of A Sexual Abuse Video
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Jack Dymond Leach (43, St. Augustine) has pleaded guilty to attempting to use a minor child to produce and send him videos and photos depicting the child being sexually abused by a child sex trafficker in the...
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There were a few posts mentioning it probably about four months ago... They were somewhat vague, but Grok seem to have found some up-to-date information, and along with your finding on the justice website
, it is probably correct!And I've no idea why the formatting of my text changed ... ?
I'm entering the text from my mobile so maybe that's got something to do with it!
BlueSpruce
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Is this real?
St. Augustine Business Owner Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Use A Minor Child For The Production Of A Sexual Abuse Video
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Jack Dymond Leach (43, St. Augustine) has pleaded guilty to attempting to use a minor child to produce and send him videos and photos depicting the child being sexually abused by a child sex trafficker in the...www.justice.gov
Yes, it's real. See this thread:
https://www.access-programmers.co.u...s-about-utteraccess-owner.334495/post-1972018
AccessBlaster
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Was it the letterhead that gave it away? 
BlueSpruce
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I also experience funky formatting issues on my iphone with AWF's posting editor.
