What makes an Expert?

General Discussion FSM Ready Room
1

I Know, Here we go again!

C’mon folks. We have all wondered this since a little kid saw a grown man build a Boat of Reeds! Did you know that in some countries, you were NOT even considered a proffessional unless you did some years as both a Junior and then Senior Apprentice.Then had done it without supervision for at least two years?

Those were called Guilds and they still exist in some countries today. I don,t count our unions that used to do that. They really don’t teach you anything today. Now as far as Modeling,or Model building or Model design is concerned there is a belief that being a proffessional is arrived at by some other criteria.

That would be a Consistant winner at model shows in your chosen field ( That would be which type of models you choose to build) That would be the one who researches till the cows come home, But, does doing research make a Expert Modeler or just a Smarter one?

Years ago a fellow asked me this very question. Why? He had seen me meet with the Curator of Displays at the Maritime Museum in San Fransisco. Why was I doing that? I was known to him from work I had done restoring some local private holdings and some Studio work.

I had offered my knowledge of soldering and creating brass pieces to re-Build the U.S.S.Oregon Model that was on display and falling apart in the case. I was Re-Buffed.Not by him , but the Admin staff because of the Solder fumes causing a problem with the California E.P.A. Folks as I melted the old lead containing solder. I offered to set up a Clear sided tent with venting outside so folks could see what was going on too. At my expense! California wouldn’t budge.

He never questioned my credentials . Now I do have letters of recommendation from Five Law firms ,two Studios and one Architectural firm and one Engineering firm. BUT, Does that make me an EXPERT? In some fields, a definite YES. In Some NO. This is to be discussed till the sun fails to shine.

Many can do what is required in many materials in any size or whatever. Does this an Expert make? Let’s just say that makes them ( Especially if they got paid) proffessionals. An Expert? well, sometimes I have seen So-Called expertly created models.There is always something missing. If you are going to create a model of a RIVA Aquarama( That’s a fancy Ski Boat) then why did you forget the cleats and running light? Or why did you forget the cleats and the instruments on the dash?

An expert would’ve included that equipment as part of his knowledge that the boat HAS to have them to be correct! Armor builders in the Hobby try hard to create Masterpieces. They often do, But can you imagine the research they did to get there?

The same for any subject. Now think about what I said and let me know what qualifies as a EXPERT in your thinking, Okay? T.B. Oh just so you know. It’s a noun. in the Dictionary it states " A Person who has Comprehensive and Authoritative Knowledge of, or a Skill in a particular". It is also an Adjective " Having or involving Authoritative Knowledge" there’s also this aside for one key word. “Authoritative”-Able to be trusted as being Accurate and or True, Reliable ,To be considered to be the Best of it’s Kind and Unlikely to be improved upon.( That concerns " Books")

2

Most of the time people will call someone a expert because of the great amount of detail they add, even though something has been left out. That person’s work is much better than the observer and that could be called “museum quality” I have seen a few people with that ability, but it deffinately isn’t me.

If there is a deffination for this, I haven’t heard it and it might well be left to the individual. The only one I can seem to put up for the tital of expert would be the late Shep Paine.

3

Sorry, but I’m going to be frivolous. Definition of an expert … Ex is a has been, spert is a drip under pressure.

4

I’ve never considered myself an expert at anything. I have spent decades on various US Army armored vehicles including the M113 family of vehicles, M48A5, M60A3TTS, M1IP, M1A1 (multiple variants), M1A2, M88A1, etc.

I have more familiarity with these than many of my fellow modelers of military hardware do, but I don’t consider myself even close to being an expert in any one of them.

5

I agree with Rob and Dodgy, I may know alot about one small thing but that does not make me an expert( LOL) on the entire subject.

To me true experts are the ones who’s hypothesis’ or technique have yet to be bestetd by another.

6

shooting 90% or above during weapons qualification, that’s an expert in my world.

7

A person who is 50 miles from home with a slide show

(Slides, anyone remember what they are).

8

In this case I guess I could call myself a expert at something afterall.

I used to drive 113s in the A.F. as well as M-706s so at least iwith the 706 I know more than the people in my club, not so sure about the 113.

9

I’ve shot expert with an M1911A1, M16A1, M16A2, M9, M60A3TTS and M1A1, and don’t consider myself an expert shooter by any means.

10

Although by US Army standards, you are designated as such with those particular weapons. You shoot at the expert level with them. Officially you have reached a level of expertise with those specific weapons.

My original comment was half in jest. But seriously one has to apply themselves far more to the task to score expert as a shooter with any weapon, than to merely qualify as a marksman. For some shooters that is easier to do than for others. And when one passes that score, one has earned the title of expert in that regard.

11

I consider myself to be an expert in my field and I say so because the industry indicates it. I am also an expert at making at least one major mistake on every kit I’ve built. I’m an expert at fingerprints on perfect paint jobs, an expert at paint runs, and an expert at glazed canopies. These are my skills. Lol

12

Hi K.D.

I like your answer. I reached that level of expert by my fifth model years ago. See, no one told me if you get glue on your fingers it would leave a mark on the model LOL.LOL.

13

Rob;

I don’t know now what the requirements for a Ma Deuce expert is. I used to use mine as a replacement for an axe in the jungle! Sure will clear a space!

14

Oh Dodgy:

I do like yer definition. My friend from Adelaide laughed his Frenozo off!

15

It all depends on how your craft is measured. Here’s an interesting quote from a baseball legend.

”During my 18 years I came to bat almost 10,000 times. I struck out about 1700 times and walked maybe 1800 times. A ball player will have something like 500 at-bats a season. That means I played seven years without ever hitting the ball.”

Mickey Mantle.

16

to me an expert is someone who has an unusually large amount of knowledge about a particular subject. That comes from extensive reading/ listening to multiple reliable references.

I’d make a distinction between “highly skilled” and “expert”.

I have no idea what you are looking for, Tanks.

Bill

17

In my humble opinion . . . An expert is by definition someone with considerably more knowledge and/or experience on a ‘particular’ subject than his contemporaries.

For stikpusher; when I have made head shots at 1000 yards, that would make me an expert; mainly because many people I know have scored ‘expert’ in their quals, but could not possibly make it happen at a grand.

For others; when I discuss diving, as a former Navy mixed-gas hard hat, when standing with a group of ‘open water’ qual’ed scuba dudes, I am the expert.

So, what I’m saying is that it is directly dependent on the subject, and its all a matter of comparison. As for the art of modeling, though I have been pleased with the results of my work on occasion, I still consider myself in the infantile stage, because I must compare my work with others.

18

Hi Bill;

Not looking for anything definite. Just curious as to what some folks seem to think " Experts" or “Expert” mean to them. I know what it means to me.

19

I think “expert” is a relative term. To me it would be the person in the room who has the most acquired knowledge and experience on whatever subject has presented itself. I apply that comment to my 27 year career in avionics. I’m considered to be the Garmin Integrated Flight Deck “expert” in my shop, so I end up fielding a lot of the AOG calls on weekends where an aircraft with a G1000 or G3000 system is grounded due to avionics issues. That doesn’t mean that I know more about it than everybody else in the country though…someone always knows more so I learn from them, but at the same time, sometimes they learn from me. Sometimes I bring problems to the manufacturer’s attention that they hadn’t been aware of. But more often than not, I still rely heavily on their tech support guys when new situations come up (which they always do).

20

Considering that the maximum effective range for both point and area targets while using the standard rifle, an M16, is far less than 1000 yards, that should not be surprising at all. Number one, it’s beyond the weapon’s capabilities, number two, it’s beyond their training. Not exactly a valid comparison. Now if you’re talking about school trained and qualified snipers with their unique weapons, that’s a different story.