Week 5 Prompt

Week 5 Prompt: How do you judge the value of expertise on the Web? Does it differ from your notion of expertise in face-to-face settings? Why or why not?

I tend to judge the value of expertise on the Web by several factors. The first thing I look for is the URL address to see if it is affiliated with a credible organization or and educational institution, which gives me a degree of confidence that the materials posted are based on research, valid experiences or are peer reviewed articles. The next thing I consider to determine the value of expertise is the associated work and educational background of the contributor. By considering this factor, I am more confident the individual is posting comments or opinions that are founded in experience in the field as opposed to emotion. Finally, I will judge the value of expertise on the Web relative to the content posted as well as the individual's ability to express thoughts clearly and with a level of critical analysis about the subject matter.

In some ways, my notion of expertise is similar in face-to-face settings. For example, one should have valid experience and knowledge of the subject being discussed. Additionally, passion about a subject is important in expressing one's attitudes and beliefs, but it is also important that the passion is well founded in fact, not emotion. However, some people express themselves better in writing than verbally; perhaps an individual's representation of themselves may differ in these two contexts resulting in varying impressions of expertise.