I keep seeing vague answers on other forums so figured I'd ask people who actually know.
The main problem I keep running into is not knowing who to trust or where to start. There's a ton of conflicting advice out there and half of it feels like it's from people who want to sell you something.
What bothers me most is how hard it is to find real, unfiltered opinions. Forums like this are honestly more useful than any best-of list I've found.
Any input is appreciated, positive or a warning — both are useful at this point.