Experts!

marshg246

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We have so many "experts" here that I got to wondering (always a bad idea). Who is actually an expert in what they are talking about.

If you go by schooling, I started my adult life as an expert in Electronics and Electromechanical Repair. That was long ago - not an expert in Electronics now for sure and probably still am in Electromechanical Repair. Later I became an expert in Mainframe Computer Repair by doing. That morphed into Mainframe Computer/Military Communicaitons and System Software - was even the world's authority on some things - no schooling. Today I'm an expert in IT and Programming - have a Master of Science in Computer Science but learned nothing getting it.

All that said, by schooling I know nothing about motorcycles - does 55 years' experience make me an expert on motorcycles? On some facets 60s and 70s British bikes, yes but certainly not all. Other than British, no.

There is a discussion on the clutch nut going on now - if you listen and treat all (including me) who seem like they know what they are talking about as experts, you'll never keep the clutch on your bike or you'll be afraid to try!

An example is a Belleville washer. A Mechanical Engineer probably could point to a web site or document that completely clarified their purpose and specifications. I looked at several sites and IMHO our experts, at best, know part of the truth and they certainly disagree with each other.

Maybe our signature should be required to list our expertise? (I know, silly thought).
 
Malcolm Gladwell had this theory about 10,000 hours of experience makes you an expert. Bill Gates, David Beckham, Eric Clapton, etc. had all typically accumulated 10K of hours before they entered the "professional" arena and that time combined with natural skill made them world class, Hours is one thing but time and talent combined are unbeatable. With your decades of knowledge of working on Nortons I would absolutely regard you and many of the guys on this board as Experts and it comes out loud and clear in the posts.
 
Malcolm Gladwell had this theory about 10,000 hours of experience makes you an expert. Bill Gates, David Beckham, Eric Clapton, etc. had all typically accumulated 10K of hours before they entered the "professional" arena and that time combined with natural skill made them world class, Hours is one thing but time and talent combined are unbeatable. With your decades of knowledge of working on Nortons I would absolutely regard you and many of the guys on this board as Experts and it comes out loud and clear in the posts.
Sorry, but what is Bill Gates "world class" in? Stealing, begging and borrowing software from competent people and then bloating it until it's useless? He's an asshole, born into a family of lawyers, that is mistakenly credited for far too many things that he wasn't responsible for, while profiting off of human misery.
 
I work as a welder/fabricator I did a 5 year apprenticeship
I can remember not long after I'd finished my apprenticeship and went on to top rate when I was 21
That the boss of the firm wanted to shorten the apprenticeship time so he asked all of the oldest fabricators how long they thought it'd take to learn the job
All of them said "we are all still learning"
Not quite the same as your "expert" question but gives an insight
 
I am not an expert at anything except avoiding injury. I know a bit about a lot of things. When I was in high school, I had two jobs in the evening which gave me something to spend on motorcycles. I did not road race until I had completed my diploma of applied chemistry at night school. By that time, I had a house, wife and two kids. But because I studied part-time, I always got the best jobs.
Out of 300 boys in my year 12 at high school, 90 became medical doctors and several became dentists. But I had the happy childhood and the more interesting working life. None of those guys would ever have road raced a motorcycle.
I only ever applied for jobs which I really wanted to do, - and when I got promoted, if I felt deficient in any area, I always went back to school part-time.
I loved the things I did in my life. 'Some things are so bad, they are good' ? - I spent a lot of time finding better ways to kill people. Firing a 5 inch naval gun is good fun. And rocket motors are not all bad.
 
I work as a welder/fabricator I did a 5 year apprenticeship
I can remember not long after I'd finished my apprenticeship and went on to top rate when I was 21
That the boss of the firm wanted to shorten the apprenticeship time so he asked all of the oldest fabricators how long they thought it'd take to learn the job
All of them said "we are all still learning"
Not quite the same as your "expert" question but gives an insight
My qualifications are Diploma Of Applied Chemistry, Post Graduate Dipoloma of Occupational Hygiene and I also have a Welding Inspectors' ticket. I have also done management studies.
When you stop learning, you are dead.
Most guys will not go to night school. When I did that welding ticket, the other guys on the course were pipeline welders - motivated to move up ? My brother is a boiler-maker and very good ast his job, he hates the thought of going to school at night. I actually came to enjoy it.
 
We say down here x is the unknown factor spert is a drip under pressure...
But same conclusion:)
 
Don't know where this is going? We need to clarity "expert" from knowledge gaining experiences in life. Or do we just need to recognize bullshitters!
Let's start with the most "expert" person here maybe knows 25% of what there is to know so how about no BS! If there was a true all-knowing expert - why have a forum - just have everyone ask the expert all things.

A real problem with gaining knowledge in life is knowing when the knowledge you gained is real.

Story time:

Right after I graduated with my degree in electronics, I was working with my cousin trying to find a miss in a car engine. His friend came by, an illiterate 9th grade dropout. He ran home to get a "tool" to check spark at each wire without removing them. When he came back, he had a neon bulb with one wire attached. As I was laughing at him thinking he could light the light without a complete circuit, he wrapped the wire around one plug wire and it started flashing! College taught me the opposite electronically and until that point no one had taught me that things are not always as they seem. I also learned that everyone, or nearly so, can teach you something you don't know; but, you have to figure out if what they teach you is "right".
 
I am no expert, I left school early as soon as I turned 15 (legal age of leaving school) hated school and once I got to highschool at 13 I wagged school as much as I could get away with it working with my dad.
I learned more about life and doing things in general watch and learn and learn by your mistakes, I brought my first motorcycle at 15 a new Honda MT125 Elsenore and my first tool set then my new 850 Norton Commando so once I owned that if I broke anything from my young days of canning it I had to learn how to fix it.
Today I still doing the same thing if it breaks I got to fix it, the first time I rebuilt the Norton was doing the conversion to the Wideline Featherbed frame, I knew what and how I wanted it and learning from my mate Don's mistakes I built it, took 2 1/2 years but I did it by myself except for machining work on the motor and over the 46 years of owning and working as well as moderation to it I am only a expert on my own Norton.
I have done a few rebuilds on mates Norton's over the years only because they asked for my help, they put their trust in my hands to do it right but I always told them I am no expert I just know my own bike but still they trusted me to do the best of my knowledge, I also done a few paid engine and GB rebuilds but getting money out of stone for part that's needed and taking so long getting the parts that was the owners job I stop doing it wasn't worth the little money I was making and the time waiting for the owners to get the parts needed.
But all the rebuild I did do are all still going so done something right bit the frustration of waiting for others to get off their arses to get parts or to get paid for what I did for them just wasn't worth the headache so now I just do my own work.
I am no expert and still learning and if I break it I fix it the easiest and cheapest way I can and now retired it has to be the cheapest way as money is now tight just to live, but I wouldn't have it any way and I do everything myself self taught in everything I do by myself and rely on no one.
One thing I learned in life the hard way is I always drop things to help my mates and others but when I need help it don't work for me always got to wait so now I don't ask and do it myself and then listen to the why didn't you call me from the mates lol.
 
I Rember reading an article in an aviation magazine about "plateaus of arrogance". The point was a 10000 hour pilot might think he's way beyond a pilot with 500 or 1000 hours but the proof always remains to be tested. I've been involved with Brit bikes since I was 18 (68 now) I don't claim to be an expert at any bit of it but in all those years I can count the times on one hand that one of my bikes has not come home under its own power. When I get stuck I'll ask a question and sift through the replies and usually use the one that's closest to my own experience. Am I on a plateau? Maybe.
 
Let's start with the most "expert" person here maybe knows 25% of what there is to know so how about no BS! If there was a true all-knowing expert - why have a forum - just have everyone ask the expert all things.

A real problem with gaining knowledge in life is knowing when the knowledge you gained is real.

Story time:

Right after I graduated with my degree in electronics, I was working with my cousin trying to find a miss in a car engine. His friend came by, an illiterate 9th grade dropout. He ran home to get a "tool" to check spark at each wire without removing them. When he came back, he had a neon bulb with one wire attached. As I was laughing at him thinking he could light the light without a complete circuit, he wrapped the wire around one plug wire and it started flashing! College taught me the opposite electronically and until that point no one had taught me that things are not always as they seem. I also learned that everyone, or nearly so, can teach you something you don't know; but, you have to figure out if what they teach you is "right".
I was once considered a electronics expert by my mates (for a day)
Story time
My mates and I sat down years ago to watch a televised Tyson fight on my mates TV ...when all of a sudden it stopped working (shut off)
My mate said that they only just got it back from the repair shop.
I grabbed a bread and butter knife to take the back of the TV..turned the power back on and noticed a tiny blue spark in one of the slide out circuit boards....with the same butter knife after pulling the curcurt board pushed the solder over a disconnected transistor terminal and hey presto the fricken thing fired up perfectly...only to discover the dude in the blue corner got knocked out in the second round...
I know F all about TVs but I fixed it using common sence and logic...not expertise:)
 
I was once considered a electronics expert by my mates (for a day)
Story time
My mates and I sat down years ago to watch a televised Tyson fight on my mates TV ...when all of a sudden it stopped working (shut off)
My mate said that they only just got it back from the repair shop.
I grabbed a bread and butter knife to take the back of the TV..turned the power back on and noticed a tiny blue spark in one of the slide out circuit boards....with the same butter knife after pulling the curcurt board pushed the solder over a disconnected transistor terminal and hey presto the fricken thing fired up perfectly...only to discover the dude in the blue corner got knocked out in the second round...
I know F all about TVs but I fixed it using common sence and logic...not expertise:)
That's really weird
When I first bought a house with my girlfriend everything we had was second hand
The TV would go off I'd thump it and it'd come back on until it didn't
I took the back off
Turned it upside down and I could see a faint sparkling coming from a soldered join on the circuit board
I heated a screwdriver on our camping stove and melted it back together
It was fine after
 
Sorry, but what is Bill Gates "world class" in? Stealing, begging and borrowing software from competent people and then bloating it until it's useless? He's an asshole, born into a family of lawyers, that is mistakenly credited for far too many things that he wasn't responsible for, while profiting off of human misery.
Says the expert.
 
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