Andrew Keen’s book “The Cult of the Amateur” created quite some fuss end 2007. I read it and found the main idea most intriguing. Keen’s view on the evolution of online “free speech” reflects into a transformation of culture into cacophony. The author suggests that the Internet and mainly Web2.0 tools have brought a wave of amateurism which is taking the world over, leaving but little room for the real expert to shine out. Or something like that.

I am not planning to wander around this topic; I believe that Lessig and his readers managed to bring some excellent points on this matter and the book as a whole.

What captivates me most is the abuse and vulgarization of the word “expert”.
Isn’t any one of us an expert in something?
I believe there is a lot of nonsense written and spoken due to this single word, leading to ill repercussions on the near future.

Simply put, an expert can be defined as a person with a high degree of skill in or knowledge of a certain subject.

Wikipedia’s definition is: an expert is someone widely recognized as a reliable source of technique or skill whose faculty for judging or deciding rightly, justly, or wisely is accorded authority and status by their peers or the public.

Merriam-Webster’s definition is: one with the special skill or knowledge representing mastery of a particular subject.

Those two definitions are indeed very interesting. While the Merriam-Webster focuses on the skill & knowledge of the person, Wikipedia emphasizes the wide recognition as a reliable source.
This is probably a remnant of the Essjay case.

First of all, not all experts are looking for fame. Some prefer living a simple life with little social hassle. They’re not widely known by their peers, but does that make them less capable?
On the other hand, can an expert be even considered as an expert if none has seen and approved the results of his work?

When speaking about the Internet, Keen feels that the cosmic amount of blabbering on blogs or contributed by enthusiasts has a harmful effect on professionalism. In today’s social and economical environment, virtually anyone can become a virtual expert. Many young entrepreneurs are self-proclaimed experts who use their shammed identity to canalize energies around them. Furthermore, companies introduce virtually important mid-management levels as a mean to increase employee retention. This strategy has brought many workers to their level of incompetence. This, as a result brings frustration to the earnest or degenerative self-importance to the ambitious.

I’m personally very fond of self-branding techniques, though I don’t really use them that much. Due to the vulgarization of expertise, many marketers are self-proclaimed specialists with a huge baggage in their field of choice. Actually, they have no alternative since any kid with 3 years of experience is a marketing professional.

Now here comes a new word in play - a professional. What differentiates a professional from an expert? Is it the fact that a professional is supposed to be a skilled practitioner?

When looking at different definitions we can see that the emphasis lies on the practical part for the professional, whereas the expert not. I personally always thought of the expert to be a high leveled professional, but I might be wrong.

In everything we do, there is part of theory and part of practical experience. Can we call an academic who studied all his life but never “lived” the subject an expert?
What about a self-made man who has no real academic background?
Isn’t an expert supposed to be knowledgeable AND skilled?

Let’s get back to online information and user generated content (UGC).
When can we consider a journalist as an expert?
When he/she has 20 years of experience? When he’s writing for a big newspaper? After he wrote a book? As soon as he participates in many shows? Or once he won a Pulitzer price?

While reading a paper, can you guarantee the author’s level of expertise?
Another question would be: what is an expert journalist?
Someone who knows how journalism works or a journalist with a real expertise in a particular topic?
Those are two totally different things!

In a fast-paced world like ours, where flexibility became pivotal, real expertise has become a dwindling matter. Real experts are part of a dying breed in most fields.

With the loss of real masters, we not only risk to be deprived of a part of our identity and culture (which anyway has to evolve), but haven’t we already started replacing quality by the superfluous?

The Internet is an excuse and an opportunity for us to see that we need to bring additional and maybe unexpected changes to our society. We have to secure a sustainable knowledge transfer introducing change in the curriculum of this generation. As our society evolves into a service-based economy, manual labors and sciences are losing their appeal, moving more and more to the East. Companies require reducing costs in order to remain competitive and start using low quality products while developing and producing in low wages countries. Youngsters are sending millions of SMS a day, losing their touch with language. All of this has as effect that the Occident becomes lazy and loses interested in physical activities. It is to the government and the education system to prepare today’s youth for a future where real and virtual have to cohabit and expertise ensured.

What can we do about it?
We all need some time to ponder and I would like to start with 2 ideas:
1. Redefining the word expert
2. Professional blogger: The job of tomorrow

This however, is for a future post.