Why do you classify yourself as an expert?

Because my accomplishments in the field are unparallelled.
Field of expertise: wasting time.

I’m no expert
as per my profile ” Fields of expertise:no expertise, I know a little about alot”
as for a expert
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expert

In the local community I lived in before we moved, I was considered an expert at installing and configuring computer software. I was almost always the go-to guy for the kids at school.

I’m also with Nimis, I’m great at procrastinating. :D

No offense tyrantxseries, but I avoid Wiki at all costs. Since anyone, registered or not, can edit most articles (unless locked) most of the information is unreliable. Even if I am just looking for a definition. Sorry, I maybe just overly picky.

I would consider myself an expert in those topics because i feel i know quite a bit about them. Though in all honesty i could always learn more. The more you know, the more you realize you really know nothing.

EGH your one of those anti wiki people. Shame on you.

@hypeserver I don’t like copying and pasting definitions that are not mine, so I find a decent definition and post the link.

uberbatman My history teacher purposely submits wrong info and puts it on wikipedia articles and he makes sure the false fakes stay up by reposting them daily if not more than once a day.
tyrantxseries I’m just not a huge fan of wikipedia for quite a few reasons. The concept is good, but the actually user interface is very flawed. For me I’m preferring Knol as a better source of knowledge. It doesn’t have as many features, but the editing tools are good and the information is accurate.

@hyperserver your history teacher is an asshole.

I am an expert on the many spelling variations of “definitely,” the difference between “that ” and “which,” “the former” and “the latter,” and the subjunctive.

uberbatman Indeed, but he is a rather funny man.
gailcalled Spelling experts are cool, but when some people get lectured over and over about bad spelling it can sometimes get annoying. Not that I’m implying anything about you.

“Fluther even says at the top of the page “We’re all Experts”.”
Fluther is lying to us

My ‘Fields of expertise’ all have to do with human interaction. My ‘expert’ status is due to a lot of bitter, personal experience, and the hard-won insight that resulted.

I have no expertise; just some knowledge about a lot of things, and a very good model for predicting behavior in a variety of fields.

Still, it’s hard to see how anyone could be an expert at anything. The more you know about something, the more you know you don’t know. If you know nothing about a subject, you can count yourself as an expert, since you have no idea that you know nothing. Also, you’ll be unbiased!

Then again, expertise is a matter of comparing yourself to others. If you have a good sense of what other people know, then you can assess whether you have expertise or not. On that basis, I’d say I have expertise in a lot of things. But that sounds so filled with braggadocio that it can’t possibly be true. I mean, I have no idea what other people know.

So I come back to having no expertise in anything, which might be a lie, but at least it’s a safe lie.

I guess I wrote this because I object to the premise of the question. I don’t classify myself as an expert. Sorry to waste your time.

I classify myself as an expert in some things because I have dedicated a substantial of my time and resources towards developing the skill or knowledge seriously, and I have had experiences that reinforce and alter or supplement this learned knowledge enough that I truly feel like a master in the field.

Now that doesn’t mean I can’t be wrong about a subtopic or other point in my field of expertise, in fact I like finding wrongness cause I can fix it and thus become smarter. And especially in one of my fields of expertise (web development), there are many more than one valid solution to a problem, there are many types of experts within the general category of web design expert, and my expertise may not even overlap another web developer’s expertise. But overall, compared to the population at large, I do consider myself to be an expert in the field.

I guess a crude “expert determiner” for me is whether I would be comfortable selling this knowledge or skill as a service to a customer. With web development I do this currently via freelancing. However I would not sell my knowledge of fitness and working out using kettlebells because I know that I don’t know enough to teach another person safely, hence not an expert. Computer troubleshooting is a bit tougher, while I feel comfortable offering my abilities to close friends I do know that there’s a chance I can’t solve the issue, so while I’d consider myself an expert in troubleshooting I doubt I would offer it as a service to a client.

I’ve never really thought so much about the concept of an expert, thanks for the opportunity to do so :)

dynamicduo No problem, I’m trying to come up with questions that get people thinking and get your mind rolling.

Usually to me it means better than the majority of the population. Ninetieth percentile, perhaps. You should never trust what I say as an absolute, but I am almost always willing to share a reasoned opinion. On a good day i’ll share one with experience behind it, too.

@Hypes; I am an expert on the misspellings only of “definitely.” And although I don’t give lectures on it, I always applaud when I see a new and creative massacre form. (And I do have a funny little list.)

And my mind is always rolling.

I am dafanatillie an expert. On everything else.

I know nothing!

@shi; How do you find the time to unearth this stuff? Not enough going on to keep you from being bored? Isabel is handling your research now and also teaching Gabriel how to read?

@shi: Lurve for Hogan’s Heroes!

What a great picture. Hope it’s public domain ‘cause I stole it.

Well, informally, here is why I consider myself an expert in the “fields of expertise” listed in my profile:

cats: I own three, have domesticated a once fully feral cat to be a loving indoor-only cat, have saved 2 kittens from a dumpster, volunteer working with cats for a local animal-rescue organization, and participate in trap/neuter/return program.

college: I was great at it (Summa Cum Laude!) and was a pro at everything involving college while in undergrad. I also had a part-time job as an SAT tutor, and so I worked with tons of kids on their college applications and helping them choose colleges.

drugs: I’ve done most of these, some for extended periods of time, and have also studied their effects from a scientific perspective.

facebook: I have had facebook for about 5 years and feel well-versed in all of its nuances.

grad school: I was the queen of grad school applications… I applied to 16 schools, interviewed at 14, and was accepted at 12. I just completed my first semester of grad school and feel equipped to answer anyone’s questions regarding grad school applications and grad school politics.

grammar: I have impeccable grammar and spent years tutoring the ACT English and SAT writing (new) sections of those standardized tests.

jobs: I have always been great at scoring awesome jobs during the summer months between college and am able to offer sound advice regarding resumes, interviews, and office politics.

Lost: I am obsessed with this show and follow it to a ridiculous degree. I can answer any question about theories, characters, episodes, etc., and I also read a large amount of Lost fansites.

math: I have a math mind, I have taken many advanced math courses, and I use math in my daily life. I feel I could answer almost any question a Flutherer would have about math.

neuroscience: This is what I currently study, and I spend my days doing research in this field.

psychology: This was my undergrad major, and I am quite knowledgeable about most things psychology.

science: I am girl of science.

television: I watch a lot of this, and I also read a lot about all of my favorite shows. This is my favorite topic of conversation. I love discussing various episodes and characters of any good TV show.

tutoring: I was a standardized test prep and academic tutor for 4 years. I tutored more than 55 students individually and learned more than I ever thought was possible. (Who knew there really were 55 different learning styles?) I was an excellent tutor and tailored my lessons very specifically to each student’s needs. I also taught 4 after-school SAT prep courses.

vision: This is my specialization within neuroscience. I have been researching various aspects of vision since I was a sophomore in undergrad.

Of course, there is always more to learn in any of these fields, and the more I learn about them, the more I realize that. :)

@shilolo: Maybe, but you’re a little bit useful to have around!