One may not have the parents/friends/family to teach them how to know who a competent accountant is (or worse, a nefarious one). It is impractical to spend a lot of time interviewing many professionals, so forums can provide a quick way to cut through some noise.

Obviously, different forums are helpful for different things. But I would do both, utilize the power of the internet community and the services of a professional.

Finding a competent accountant might be easier said than done.