Your view on strategy guides

[TurboGenesis]

I am just wondering folks views on the use of strategy guides. Do you use them, and find them handy or do you view them as cheating?

I have a pretty decent size collection of guides and have found myself referring to them to progress through tough spots in games and to view maps to avoid getting lost and wandering around too much aimlessly.

I ask cause a few of my friends have seen my in use guides next to my chair and say why do you want to cheat through a game and ruin it.

I like the guides better than scrolling through gamefaqs walkthroughs as I usually get nice maps and a nicer interface than a bunch of words typed out. And they are collectible too