Rafters vs. Truss for Dummies - The Freelance Files MMCLXXIV

We've been having a good time over the last couple of nomination sessions making fun of some of the doofus content published by a website calling itself DifferenceBetween.com (not to be confused with an equally noxious website calling itself DifferenceBetween.net), a content farm allegedly based in Australia. Today's nominee is ostensibly one of the principals of the website, Olivia Dawson, who just couldn't pluck the necessary knowledge from her EE and HR backgrounds to explain the "Difference Between Rafters and Trusses."

Those who've participated in some way in building a structure know that the key difference between the two is simple: while both rafters and trusses provide the framework for a structure's roof, trusses are prefabricated roof components that are hoisted to the top of the structure and fastened in place. Rafters, on the other hand, are single boards that are cut to measure and assembled into the framework of a roof on-site.

Olivia didn't seem to know that, though. Instead, she gushed that,

"Though both rafters and trusses are commonly employed in conjunction, it is possible to go with either of them while designing a roof."

The two styles are "employed in conjunction"? That's news to us... She then botched the main difference between the two, telling her readers that,

"Both rafters and trusses are made up of timber or metal and are either prefabricated or cut at the site."

No, Olivia, the chief difference is that one is prefab (trusses) and the other is cut at the site (rafters). Then again, would you take the word of a clueless freelancer who seemed to think that,

"Rafter... consists of placing 2X6 inch logs of timber in a triangular pattern..."

WTF: "Logs of timber"? Did this putz not know the word "board"? Or how about this dumbassery:

"These days, instead of rafters, smaller timber pieces that are prefabricated (2”X6”) are made use of, to provide support to the roof. They are called trusses and are made in a timber factory..."

Words fail us when trying to explain that particular bullshit, not unlike the rather peculiar statement that followed:

"When rafters are used... they leave a lot of space, which can be utilized to have a spare room like [sic] space just like an attic."

Is it just us, or isn't that "room like space" the definition of an attic?

When push comes to shove, it's pretty damned obvious that Dawson – if that's really her name (her grammar and usage suggest native Hindi speakers much like her coworkers) – managed to make it quite clear that she had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. We are more than happy to award a Dumbass of the Day to people who contribute to the stupidification of the internet as casually as Olivia seemed to. 

SE - ROOFS