I like that here on LQ there isn't really a division of those who ask and those who answer so there is no atmosphere of asking "professionals". I find this more a community of individuals with various levels of knowledge who help each other. I like that a "non-expert" like myself can learn from helping others.
I have found the odd answer to a problem on stack overflow and the like but the lack of interactivity means I've never thought of them as a community in the same was as fora like LQ.

I agree. Also, the quality of answers on stack overflow varies greatly, so it's not like they're actually professionals or any more professional than anywhere else.

That is true and I certainly never meant to imply that there are experts here and not there -- more that things seem more honest here and more collaborative.

Completely agreed. In fact sites with the stackoverflow format, seem like "tech support farms" in that a community or any kind of interaction beyond answering a question is being discouraged by the overall design of the site.

Whatever works for you basically. LQ as mentioned previously is more conversational, and to be honest more friendly. You ask a question without enough information or prior troubleshooting on SO you will be down voted and your question closed within a very short time frame. I have been a member a long time but have hardly posted questions because of how harsh the community seems towards questions it doesn't deem up to their standards. Here in LQ people tend to have a more gentle and understanding approach. If you haven't provided all the info, you probably won't have people jump on you but they'll nicely ask you to provide more info. This is obviously a better tactic when it comes to most people who need to learn how to help themselves and help others help them.

I'm at stackoverflow too. But i like the traditional forums like this more than stackoverflow

I am there, too. And I find differences. Some of them influence where I post and where I hang out. I think people should simply be open to trying all things and using what they like. Things that may be an advantage to one person may be a disadvantage to another.

One thing I like about StackExchange and related sites is that the user names are NOT unique. Many people DISlike that. SE has unique identities, too. But it doesn't force people to come up with strange nicknames just to become a known user. The world is too big for that level of uniqueness.

Now is that an advantage for YOU, or a disadvantage. You decide.