Looking for general information with regards to solicit vs elicit, as well as which would be the correct word for this phrase:
Before spending time learning your system, I just wanted to [solicit
or elicit] some feedback from you.
Some background:
A person had written an advertisement basically for their system, and I asked a question and then wrote the above phrase using solicit
I've seen both elicit and solicit used almost interchangeably in this kind of phrasing about getting feedback. I've also read that elicit should be used if it is a process and/or it doesn't necessarily benefit the person. There is definitely some confusion on my part with regards to the use of those two words in this example.
Best Answer
The difference is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that you can elicit the truth from the evidence, but not solicit (soliciting is asking, implying a "conscious" entity you're seeking something from). Relevant definitions from OED...
As implied by the second part of the first definition, in OP's exact context either word could be used. And I would say the intended meaning is so clear it's pointless to suggest the actual choice of verb could have any semantic significance there (most people would just use get or ask for anyway).
That OED definition implies that when you elicit information from a person, you're treating him insensitively, inhumanely. The other two current answers say it's when you get information out of someone surreptitiously or indirectly.
I think all these implications arise naturally from the fact that you normally elicit information from data/things. If it's from a person, you've effectively "objectified" him, which can lead to a range of negative connotations (but none universally observed).
Note that there's a much clearer and more consistent distinction between the two words in, say,...
In #1 we're going to ask, but we might not get the feedback. In #2 we're saying we will get it (by force if necessary! :).