Expert threads?

[Einna]

Just a random thought, but did we ever entertain the idea of having expert threads here? I just think it'd be good, 'cause then we'd be able to see what people know about and think "ooh, I have something in my story that I should run by them..." rather than that person having to try and fact-check every last detail themselves or post 400 differant questions.

[MichaelB]

Good idea... but who here is really an expert on anything?

I suppose I could tell you all about proper hearing-aid care, but what do I know? I just throw them in the box every night.

As for other things, I'm a general-knowledge/useless trivia guy with odd interests. I'm no expert.

[Einna]

Well, neither am I, but anyone who frequents to NaNo boards will know that most "experts" are just people with experience. Like me...I have experience with Autism, working with special needs kids, working in an old folks home (so I know a lot of the technical details and protocols and such for that) and I'm an "expert" on spells, herbalism, divination methods, etc. because of my religion.

[MichaelB]

ah, fair enough. I suppose if you need to know details or technical terms of wing chun kung fu, or various tidbits of linguistics and conlanging... well, I'm here.

So, Einna, have you read the book "The Mysterious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"? Is it an accurate representation of an autistic (Asperger's) savant? I've often wondered...

[Einna]

No, but that's more because I don't read, heh. I can honestly say the only books I've ever read are the Harry Potter series and a couple of Philip Pullman books.

[MichaelB]

:O Sacrilege! Burn the nonreader!"

This isn't my nose, it's a false one. :?

Anyway, Curious Incident is written by someone who has had many years experience with autistic kids, and has written it from what he believes is the point of view of an autistic savant named Christopher.
Chapters are numbered by prime numbers, and every so often a chapter will be about some weird mathematical concept, and be completely unrelated to the actual story. It's quite a fun read.

[Lord of Fools]

^ Good book that. I did it for my year 12 English exam.

I don't consider myself 'expert' on anything, but I volunteer myself if anyone has questions involving various aspects of German, particularly late nineteenth and early twentieth century, history. Also medieval history to a lesser extent, various Cold War things... *is majoring in history yay*

[Einna]

Certainly sounds good :-D

[TwistedFirestarter]

It's actually a really interesting read. ^_^

[vindemiatrix]

I KNOW NOTHING!

Unless someone wants to know about severe depression. Or Northern Ireland. I know quite a lot about those two subjects.

[Gene]

If anyone really wants to find out about Elizabethan history, I'm your man. Other than that, dead loss.

[Lord of Fools]

Ahh, but so many people write Tudor corset-rippers. Don't you want to heal their misguided ways?

[vindemiatrix]

Wow. I imagine it's pretty fucking hard to rip a corset. O_O

[snooze]

Jaybus. Anyone try to rip a corset off a girl in the olden days and her kidneys are going to come with it. Although there's probably snuffporn devoted to just that, somewhere.

[Tundra]

Is the running past going on in the forums, or off the forums once you know who they are? Because I don't want forum conversations to stop ya know?
And can there be more than one expert on something? Because people are going to be experienced in the same thing as well. But their experience may be entirely different.
Is it practical to say how many things all of us are experienced in, before someone even asks for help in something? That's an awful lot of experiences. And it won't be a comprehensive list because we'll forget things. And then will new members look in there, say 'oh no, no one listed they are an expert in medieval history, I won't bother asking for help'?

I'm just not sure it's entirely practical when it's not exactly a huge forum, like the NaNo forums are.

But if you really really wanted to advertise that you're an expert in something, you can post up a thread...

[Hippie]

Um... I know a bit about asthma, at least how it effects a person. Um... I can help with photography stuff, but I think mcnicks would be the person to ask about that. I'm learning about pottery stuff, but I really don't know if I could be considered to have expertise...

I could help with Paganism, but I think Einna would be able to answer more questions than I would be able too.

For everything I know something about, someone else here knows more... *fail*

[TwistedFirestarter]

Perhaps those who wanted to declare their expertise could put a line in their sig?

[Shona]

I know Spanish.

And lots of Hispanic stuff from different countries; like traditions and culture (and FOOD).

Also, drama and theater, esp. Greek plays.

...

YES! CORSET RIPPERS! Excellent. That's so my next novel. ^^ (XD)

[Einna]

Perhaps those who wanted to declare their expertise could put a line in their sig?

Oooh! I like that idea, Twistie!

[AXJ]

Hit me up on cars, business, photography, rock climbing, backpacking / camping, and probably a few other things I'm forgetting. :)

[Heywire]

I'm with TwistedFirestarter and Einna on this.