Do you really need to announce your credentials for your view to be taken seriously?

[BerylStreep]

I haven't noticed it much before, but it seems that on quite a few of the threads I have read recently, people feel compelled to cite their credentials in order for their view to be taken more seriously (or to try to 'top' anyone who is disagreeing with them).

In the last week alone I have read things like:

Well actually, I have a degree in history & economics and therefore know everything there is to know about the subject.

I have been a practising lawyer for the last 15 years and therefore my opinion on everything legal is correct.

Yes, in fact, I was privately educated from the ages of 3-18 - in, I believe, the top girls' school in the country.

I have the last word on all DV issues because my Mum started a women's refuge.

Maybe it is just the types of threads I have been reading, which turn into bunfights. Now I come to think about it, I haven't seen too much of it on Style & Beauty.

There are times when I am on a thread, and I have a good knowledge on the subject, either professionally or through educational qualifications, but I have never felt the need to announce to MN what that professional experience or qualifications are.

Is it just me?

Yeah blud. Like, well solid. We is like, well solid, against them hecate 'n' shit.

(I've seen the reaction of real east londoners - or indeed, humans with ears in general - to this sort of thing and it is a joy to behold.)

Don't think I won't put you over my knee too!

Reaction? Do tell...

hecate - it's my baby brother, he works with homeless people in the area, and they find him very funny. I am still amazed he doesn't get beaten up because to me it sounds like he's taking the piss ... but they seem just to find it rather sweet.

Sorry, I can't describe it, it's a look-on-faces thing.

no.no professional would fess up qualifications and then opine online
as Internet is online blah it's not appropriate forum to advise in professional capacity
professional common sense is not to give professional advice online

Agree with SM - that the only professional advice should be to seek professional advice. I have seen many a thread for example, where qualified legal bods don't agree with each other.

to strike note caution trust nae fucker
have been fake professionals in mn past eg legal.
tbh competent professional would advise rl consultation and advice

I don't think that's true, though. People talk about professional stuff because they're interested. I'm not a professional, but I know people who're professionals in what I'm training to do, and they talk, and it's very easy to work out that some of them are real, and where and who they are.

There may be some situations and professions where, by definition, anyone who tries to offer advice online shows they're not a professional because a professional would know not to - doctors being the obvious one. But there are loads where it's less clear-cut.

I agree with trust nae fucker, though!

They generally throw it in when they are losing an argument!

I find it helpful sometimes e.g if they deal with university admissions.

Oh yes, before my time, but there was someone who claimed to be a high flying lawyer or judge or some such thing and turned out to be talking out of their arse and probably worked in a chippy or something, wasn't there?

I'm just remembering the "I AM CANADIAN" line, which was probably the best example of credentials used in an argument ever.

I loved that one Thumbwitch - really funny!

Actually I think it is worse when people insist on you telling them your credentials before they'll believe anything you say - this is an anonymous forum (depending on how revealing you are with your personal info of course) and it's a bit unreasonable to be told they MUST say who they are/how they know so that other posters will accept their opinion.

Of course, no one has to accept anyone else's opinion ever on here or anywhere else.

sorry - appalling lack of continuity with the grammar in that last post! Hope it still makes some kind of sense.

I am sorry but there really is one thread on which I want to bloody scream 'for fucks sake I know what I am talking about I do this for a fucking living!!!'
But I won't.
It's not even a particularly important issue.
But I KNOW how to do it ffs.

Sometimes professionals do give very valuable online help on here.

I seem to remember a bunch of town planners doing a particularly sterling job...

I know, I know, I can think of some posters in particular who are really selfless in providing advice, but they don't engage in the petty one-up-man-ship that I have witnessed lately.

None of it has even been directed at me, but it still irks a bit. Perhaps I will go and have a peppermint tea.

PS - I thought I would put it in site stuff, because it was about MN in general - I didn't realise site stuff is a techie area, where MN actually answer your OP! How cool is that?

Y'see Beryl, I would have known that working in IT an' all

I feel the same about people who put their profession in their user name

Sorry you don't like it, but I have used similar 'screen' | 'user' names for the past 15+ years, describing an aspect of my work for 30+ years. It might prove a little too specific but perhaps guides someone to not expect me to know all there is to know about cars (don't drive) or lots of other things, whereas if I had some vague 'GeekyGuy' nickname, I might be deemed both idiot [when answering wrongly] and show-off [might still be some who think it, but that's their problem, isn't it].

I'll be the first to admit where my experience falls short (though I may well be able to point to useful reading if I have seen something on the subject recently). Dabbled with a lot of things, and happy to say so, even if no expert on any matter... often find there is no single 'best' solution, just a number of ways to solve a problem, each [usually] with both good and bad points.

hey hey I have a joint hons degree in psychology and an other ology" (remember the yellow pages ad) Im such an expert on everything...just ask me!!!

actually top that...I have a scotvec module in...wait for it....badminton get your CV's in now folks

All joking apart, do you really, omfg? cos if you do, can you help me out with the scoring - I'm sure you used to only score off your own service but now it seems the rules have changed and you score off anyone's service, is that right?

I remember a quite urgent, worrying thread on a medical problem where one poster was dominating the advice - much of which seemed a tad irresponsible, given that she's only examined the patient at second hand via this forum. It emerged that she says she's a doctor's wife. After that, of course, the poor OP never got a look-in as this wife felt it more important to show why marriage endowed her with the knowledge of a fully GP

YY, Thumb, re 'opponents' suddenly deciding the entire thread needs to know a respondent's credentials before continuing! Really pointless & annoying.

Do let me know how you get on with your badminton rules

I have been waiting, nigh on SEVEN YEARS for a thread to come up which covers my area of expertise, so I can jump in and OWN that thread like nobody's business.

I found a thread once, and they had discussed my area of expertise stuff around 3 months before. I thought bringing it up at that point would have been the height of twattishness, so I continue to wait in vain.