I've heard about it. Ranks right up there with popping the hurds and sticking a nail in the main stem.

Personally, after I have spent 4-6 weeks vegging the plant and another 8-10 weeks flowering it...Taking the best care I can to keep it happy, I have a problem torturing the sucker in hopes of getting "better" weed.

The genetics my weed was born with is just fine with me.

As for when to harvest via the trichs...It's a personal taste thing. A lot of folks wait until 20 percent of the trichs are amber.

Taking a test bud and smoking it as the plant progresses is the best way for you to find out what your personal preference is.