Expertise

How I value expertise on the Web has probably changed over the years as much as the Web and dial up connections have. I used to be in awe of people who were proficient ,and then proficiency became more of the norm. I still value expertise, but I see more of the creator value than the value of a proficient user.

Using the Web has become so much less anxiety ridden than it was in the starting period. While I do not remember exactly my first time on the Internet I remember the first time I had it in my home, and how astonishing it was. Now it is an utility like water or electricity we take for granted.

I do value the folks that create and write code and programs, although I don't quite speak the same language. I do know that they are constantly creating and the available content reflects the prowess of their creativity and knowledge.

I had not thought of their being a difference in the value of expertise in a face to face setting in comparison to the Web, but I can see how the Internet has affected what I perceive to be valuable, in that twenty years ago distance education was in the mail and face to face was the only way to go with any higher education degree, and now my degrees from FSU do not differentiate between online learning and face to face classroom experience.

I would have to think that the value of the expertise would have to depend on the skillset being judged. I would rather be diagnosed medically in a face to face situation or try on shoes in person, but other areas of my life I value the online life.