Pre-Debate Fun: When Does Age Matter?

DrSteveB has a Demographic Tuesdays diary up on the RecList, How Old Are You? (Demographic Tuesdays Returns). I love all of his demographic diaries because they're tools with which I can clarify and add substance to the total experience of Daily Kos.

Sometimes age matters. In the tangible physical world of face to face encounters, the aspect of age usually plays out its role organically. If you see a hot, sexy female and you know she's under 18 your brain responds differently, even if it takes a few seconds. If you hear a sexy voice and turn around to a pot-bellied hairball with a beer can in a paper bag and flies circling his head your brain adjusts immediately.

But what about online? When does age matter for you?  

Here's the data so far in DrSteveB's Poll of 7001 responses:

How old (in years) are you?
10-14
0% 13 votes
15-19
1% 131 votes
20-24
7% 548 votes
25-29
10% 747 votes
30-34
10% 702 votes
35-39
11% 806 votes
40-44
11% 819 votes
45-49
13% 920 votes
50-54
12% 883 votes
55-59
9% 687 votes
60-64
6% 454 votes
65-69
2% 179 votes
70-74
0% 67 votes
75-79
0% 31 votes
80 or older
0% 14 votes

So, what comments provoke you to wonder the age of the poster?

I read a comment with some very curious advice on mortgages and home buying; I was astonished at the level of risk this person advised. So astonished that I recognized immediately a week later when the same commenter revealed being 16 years old. Aha!

Whenever I read an opinion containing the claim held "all my life" I do wonder if that life has been short or long. For instance, if you're shopping for a new car and your 80 year old neighbor advises you to buy a Ford as he's done for nearly a century, doesn't that weigh more than your little brother who says Hummers are his favorites? For similar reasons, I often want to ask online advisers their age. I especially enjoy taking financial advice and prefer learning from others' successes and mistakes.  

My favorite example was a socialist who gave a very good philosophical argument for increasing taxes to pay for 100% college costs for all. Now I have always been interested in further spreading out the cost of college across social and corporate beneficiaries. But in learning that this 26 year old had been in college since s/he was 18 and never held a job. Mmmm, now that just colors the comment for me.

One last example. A commenter advised me that investing in the stock market was an immoral waste of time and specifically 401k accounts and 527 education funds would never be there when I want them. Fortunately, I knew better and more importantly I knew from a previous, unrelated diary, this person is under 30, has over $70k in college tuition debt and $30k in credit card debt. My heart bleeds for this person yet I am  surprised at the willingness to not only give advice but some so contrary to common wisdom. I wondered about other younger readers who may have taken the confidence and surety in this down right bad financial advice to heart....

How about you? Ignore advice from anyone older than 30? Never care? How about some crazy example you've encountered? Or have you wondered about other demographic dimensions to assess the quality of online advice?