That remark tells you still don't understand the difference between a single resistor and the potentiometer in the fashion it is used here.
If you are using a single resistor directly connected between pin 3 and GND , then it is just a pull down resistor or a current limiting resistor.
Paul__B points out that this board (i have no idea about other boards) has already some resistors, and the extra resistor adds to that.
That will create an entirely different effect.
If you are using a potentiometer which has its ends tied to the power supply and the center contact as an output, you are creating an adjustable voltage divider.
And that is completely different from a single current limiting or pull down resistor.
Even in the circuit mentioned by Paul__B the voltage divider will do a different thing than the single resistor.
As you are going to use the voltage divider more often while experimenting, you need to understand this.