The question concerned the difference between for and to in terms of a guiding principle:
The moderator posted this under the question:
"There are several rules that determine when each is OK. Following those rules, you would determine that both for earning and to earn fit the context. It's beyond the scope of this site to explain what all the rules are [bolding mine], but if you like I can explain what the rules for this example are. If you're looking for a "silver bullet" rule that answers the question every time, there isn't one".
[The comment above is shocking to me.]
The mod also posted this under my answer:
"The OP is looking for a guiding principle to choose between them. I don't see one in your answer. Is there one that I'm missing? The OP's question is about two different forms of a verb, so noun examples don't apply at all." –
To which I replied:
"I am a little tired of your comments which miss the point. The point is 1) there is no principle per se 2) there is a grammatical difference 3) to and for are not always interchangeable. Also, he says: are they both OK? And I say yes, they are if the meaning is "for the purpose of". Your comment under the question is really poor. "It's beyond the scope of this site to explain what all the rules are, but if you like [...] Are you looking to have this brought up on Meta? All grammar rules are within the scope of this site".
[sigh]
It is often the case that OPs will ask a question that requires reworking or rewording or is slightly off. In this case, I think I dealt with the question by examining the grammar difference between to and for in the given context.
Personally, I think the mod was wrong about the comment on my answer and his comment under the question.
I feel harassed. I also feel like a goodie-goodie who always tries to do the "right thing" and that the "teacher" is rapping my knuckles with a ruler. It's really too much and this is not the first time.
Here are the two sentences from the OP:
A university diploma is not needed for earning high profits trading cryptocurrencies.
A university diploma is not needed to earn high profits trading cryptocurrencies.
As for that moderator saying: "The OP's question is about two different forms of a verb, so noun examples don't apply at all" [sigh]. Obviously, "earning" is part of a gerund noun phrase in earning high profits trading cryptocurrencies.
PROOF: Earning high profits trading cryptocurrencies is not an easy task. The phrase in italics is a noun phrase acting as the subject of the sentence.
A gerund is a verbal ending in -ing used as a noun.
A university diploma is not needed for earning high profits trading cryptocurrencies.
NOTE: earning high profits trading cryptocurrencies is a gerund phrase used as a noun. My answer on the question went into this in detail.
But it seems that knowing grammar is not required by comment posters.
