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(Re-)Soliciting Your Expertise
On last week’s Flyover Country, guest Kate Braestrup made a fascinating point about how ignorance and a lack of curiosity often lead to truly boneheaded conclusions. As Kate described, many pundits — chief among them, Ta-Nehisi Coates — have cited the fact that the Ferguson, MO police left Michael Brown’s body where he’d fallen for four hours as prima facie evidence of indifference to the dignity of black Americans. As Kate further described, however, this is precisely the wrong conclusion to draw from that grisly fact: Indeed, that Brown’s body was left there for so long is actually evidence of the profound concern the police had to investigate his death without disturbing the evidence. Kate knows this not only from her work as a chaplain for the Maine Warden Service (which often recovers bodies, sometimes from crime scenes), but also because her own husband’s body was left in place for four-and-a-half hours after he was struck and killed by a vehicle while in the line of duty as a Maine State Trooper.
All this brought to mind one of my favorite things to have ever happened on Ricochet: the “Ask the Expert” series, in which members from a variety of professions — personal transportation, emergency room medicine, waste water treatment, IT, academia, janitorial services, nuclear fuel disposal, visitor services, concrete laying, etc. — explained what the public should know about these jobs, but so often do not. It was one of those wonderful, bottom-up things that can only happen on Ricochet because no other site can match our members’ breadth of knowledge and experience.
It’s way past time we brought this back. If you’re an expert or professional, what should the public know about your field that it generally doesn’t? For a spin on the idea, what should a reporter or informed news consumer know — or know to to ask — when writing or reading an article that touches on your work? If you have an example of reporting gone awry, because the reporter didn’t know what questions to ask, that works, too.
Let’s have it, Ricochet. And if you’re not a member, but have some expertise to share, there’s an easy way to fix that.
Published in General
I can help you with all things about Chemical Tankers but were afraid to ask. Although this post is about crewing, but shipping stuff is my game, and I am offering my services as expert.
Yeah–what he sees in his mirror.
Eric Hines
At the very least, that’s the impression he gives in his writing.
Ryan points out another example of people not understanding the fundamentals. Actually we’re never Hillary and never Trump all the time.
Five people have liked this statement. It brings up several possibilities:
Some people are really interested in drilling holes?
Hah, the thing about Ricochet is you never know the level of experience your fellows may have with something but choose not to reveal. Because it would compromise anonymity, or because the emotions of the uninformed were running high against them, or whatever. There are reasons not to make “expertise” public.
I clicked because I like boring.
Actually, years ago I once was selling to or consulting with a company that specialized in drilling deep holes in manufactured goods, as in several feet to about thirty feet, things a standard drill or drill press won’t do. How it was done and the equipment used really was fascinating. If that guy were on Ricochet, that would be a great post.
I just went back to like it. Can’t tell you why on account of this aura of mystery I’m trying to cultivate.
You know, “Share your Expertise” might be a good theme for Group Writing for August. I could probably write one per day and not run out.
Everything you ever wanted to know about being in an Early Music Consort
Everything you ever wanted to know about Process Management
Everything you ever wanted to know about Data Management
Everything you ever wanted to know about Corporate Governance
Everything you ever wanted to know about Starting a Consulting Company
Everything you ever wanted to know about Starting a Magazine
Everything you ever wanted to know about Creating a Strategic Marketing Plan
Everything you ever wanted to know about Selling Small to Sell Big
What do I need? About 23 more? I haven’t even gotten into most of my careers yet.
An excellent idea. I’d add that if someone reading has an area of expertise that can be related to the theme of Fire, he or she should not wait for August, but consider picking a date in July.
What do you play?
Early Music is a beautiful thing. I have competence on hautboy and recorder, my wife’s a harpsichord player. I meant to pick up a PhD in music history but the course work interfered with my day job so I’m settling for a Master’s.
There are socio-political aspects of the Early Music movement which would be interesting to discuss here, too.
Mainly recorders, but have also played krumhorns, gemshorns, and who knows what else. I’ve even been allowed to bang on drums at times.
I have several recorders, including everything in size from garklein to great bass. I never could justify investing the money in a contrabass, though.
How about “10 Things Your Source Would Like Your Local News Reporter to Know”?
As Marian Call put it: “Who’s to say we’re falling if we miss the ground?”
Yikes, how did I miss that!? I actually got my Merchant Mariner’s license about ten years ago, but a strike started almost immediately afterward and I took a different job before I had a chance to crew.
An “X Things You Always Wanted to Know About Crewing A Chemical Tanker (But Were Afraid To Ask)” post would be awesome.
Hit him up?
I would be interested in any of these.
Not sure I would remember where to find him, if he’s still in business, etc. That might have been close onto twenty years ago.
If Grosseteste uses Expertise for the August group writing theme, then I’ll wait for August. If he’s got a better theme, I’ll start dropping them right quick.
Drat.
I will be using Expertise for August.
And, Grosseteste just wrote me that he will be having Expertise as the Group Writing theme for August.
I may throw in one before that, just because it will annoy some of the right people.
And certainly this series is a form of expertise:
http://ricochet.com/tag/poetic-form/
And the latest entry:
http://ricochet.com/poetry-forms-no-10-tanka/