After making the mistake of citing a discredited source in an answer, I've been rereading the rules very carefully, and I'd like to ask for clarification on the difference between 'anecdotes' and 'taking from personal experience.'
Now I understand and agree with the ban on personal anecdotes. (And yes I read the comment that explains why they're unreliable.) However, what exactly is the difference between anecdotes and answers based on personal experience? Especially when the source is unverified?
I've seen comments from WW2/Vietnam vets on here that answer questions about equipment or their tours of duty based on their personal experience. Those comments are very interesting, but since most of the accounts are unverified, what's the difference between them and personal anecdotes?
(I'll refrain from linking to those examples since I don't want to point a finger at anybody.)
Secondly, in some of my answers I'll try to answer comprehensively as per the guidelines, and I'll attach my personal experience with the subject where relevant. Do they count as anecdotes? Should I stop doing that? (Here are two examples.)
Thank you for your time.
Edit: Typo
However, what exactly is the difference between anecdotes and answers based on personal experience?
Not enough of a difference to be relevant. I've removed dozens of comments of the type you say you've seen. I'm pretty sure other mods have too. If you're still seeing this type of posts, it might mean that we've missed them (that's what the 'report' button is for) or that they have some redeeming element (for instance other sources which are proper). It's hard to say exactly without examples to discuss.
In general, we're not interested in what the person answering a question has or hasn't done; we're interested in high quality - (near) academic level - answers. If you ask me, the author's personal notes or anecdotes generally don't belong in such an answer. (It's tempting though, I've done it once in the past myself.)
To add a bit to what Polybios says: when you tell it, it's your personal experience. When anyone else tries to cite it, it becomes an anecdote.
I think the difference lies in context. If the question is about trends, personal accounts are not helpful. If there were a question about reactions to a particular event, personal accounts are primarily what you'd draw from, especially when no survey data exists. A good example of this may be the Tiananmen square massacre.