What defines an expert? Qualifications, industry training and experience, passion, or merely a keen interest in learning, to increase both knowledge and understanding of a given topic? Probably all of the above and a lot more, however as my writing on this site continues, it is an area of constant consideration.

It is extremely important to me when writing here, I do not inadvertently, nor purposely, pass myself off as some sort of expert. The content posted on dept4 is pitched at those similar to myself, the passionate amateur enthusiast, looking to increase their knowledge and understanding on the few topics I am also interested in, and therefore write about.

Although not dealing with the above question specifically, recent posts on authenticity and the authority of experience by a couple of authors whose opinions I believe matter, are well worth reading, and sit well with my own thoughts on these particular topics.

Author and traveller extraordinaire Colin Wright on the Authority of Experience:

There are a whole lot of blogs and articles and even books written by folks who don’t know what they’re talking about. Or rather, they know some aspect of what they’re talking about, but lack the authority of experience.

James Hoffmann talking “hipsters” in Hipsters, Coffee and Authenticity:

It isn’t really a cultural label the way “goth” or “mod” were and are. I think the word has ended up being many things to many people, but I think when you use it there is, at its root, one key idea: you are saying “I don’t believe you.”

While you are there, subscribing to hear more from these two would be a worthwhile consideration.