Should I ask online programming communities like Stack Overflow for licensing advice?

If I am writing non-free software and I want to involve GPL software to some degree, and I am not sure what my legal situation is with respect to whether the GPL allows me to distribute my code, should I ask the programming community what to do?

What are the chances that they give me sound legal advice for my country and locale? Should I just access the Free Software Foundation's licensing resources directly?

Thanks.

From stackoverflow

• If money is involved, you should of course get professional advice from a lawyer, who will have liability insurance, unlike us folks on SO,

  Paul Tomblin : Where "money is involved" could mean "potential liability", not just money for sales.

• Your safest bet is to get a lawyer.

  jhs : Accepted the most pithy answer.

• You should ask to get a better understanding of the various meanings and hotly debated points, but in the end you should get an attorney to help you. Reviewing the FSF's licensing resources is a great idea.

  All legal advice you get for free on the Internet is worth exactly what you pay for it.

  Paul Stephenson : +1 for the last sentence!

  jhs : Correctamundo. +1

• Should I ask online programming communities like Stack Overflow for licensing advice?

  NO.

  You should ask the owner of the software about their license, or retain a lawyer. The 'community' doesn't know, and most frequently answers "Get a lawyer."

  David Thornley : This community, anyway. On others, the participants are quite willing to give something corresponding to legal advice, although only a fool would take it without checking.

  jhs : @Adam, correct. @David, indeed.