Chimping-Right or Wrong?

I don't know why i bother but sometimes i comment on Dpreview, Its always been know as an argumentative forum and it has more than its far share of jerks that seem to just want to wind people up and live under a false name, The other day a guy put up an image that was very under exposed and asked why his image was so dark, I made a comment that he should take a shot and then check the histogram and adjust using exposure compensation as needed and then retake the shot getting a good exposure, Now i used the word test shot and i am guessing that my comment was mis-read as is easily done as i was basically told that this was bad practice and if you shoot wildlife you do not get the chance to take a 'test' shot and reshoot, I guess the guy does not know what i shoot!!, Now i did not say that i do not know how to take a good exposure without using the histogram i just said that the guy should have checked the histogram and that way he would have known straight away that he had made a booboo and could have reshot, I shot slide film for many years and as anybody who shot slide will tell you its very unforgiving, if you are 1/2 stop out its in the bin, These days i still tend to meter off of something like grass or like in Japan i would meter off of the snow and then add a couple of stops, After shooting for so many years you tend to know or have a good idea of what your camera should be set for, however i have a histogram on the camera and like to check and confirm that my exposure is bang on, This means that i will have to do little adjustments in processing, So the question is, Is it bad practice to look at your histogram or chimp as its known or does it make you a bad photographer?? Well all i can say is that i am happy to use mine, I understand what a histogram should look like and teach people how to check their exposures by using a histogram, We have a lot of features on a modern day Dslr and i think that you should know how to use them and if it gives you a better image or makes your life easier then so be it, I am not saying to take a shot willy nilly and then check your histogram and adjust and retake and adjust, What i was saying is take an image after you have say metered off of some grass or a white cloud or whatever you are comfortable metering off and then have a quick look at your screen and histogram, I like to shoot to the right i.e overexpose the image but not to the extent of blowing highlights, To do this i will meter and adjust, So as a for instance on a beach shooting a white bird i may spot meter off of the bird and add 2 stops, I will check the histogram and maybe be able to add another 1/3 so i am on the edge of getting blinkies on the back of the screen but not blowing the actual highlights, This way i can get the maximum amount of detail in the whites and the shadow areas, I am not saying that this is right, What i am saying is that this is right for me,its difficult when you try to help somebody on a forum only to get flamed by those that should know better but thats the way life is on the internet and certainly on Dpreview

Dave