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Originally Posted by aberkok
Having said that, is someone who is going through these personal and intellectual changes in their pursuit of excellency in a subject more valuable than a tweed suited, pipe smoking Ph.D holder?
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Are these things mutually exclusive?... they are both experts in one way or another. As long as they use their knowledge and analytical skills responsibly, along with a strong dose of common sense, I don't have a problem with people who actually "know" something.
When I come to TFP, I am not coming here to acquire specialized knowledge, other than perhaps sexual knowledge (which very few people have PhD's in!). Specialized knowledge is what a classroom or job experience is for. For me, I come to the TFP (and read blogs, other boards, etc) because I am interested in taking the pulse of "ordinary" people (including myself), of touching base with people like me, as well as not like me... but certainly people who are NOT like anyone in my strictly academic environment. It is recreation for me, not knowledge-gathering in any real sense. It is a form of coming 'round the water cooler, of measuring pop culture, status quo, what's in or out, as well as getting second opinions on my own personal issues (which again, there are few experts for, other than my therapist)... but otherwise, no, I do not rely on civilian news-reporting in any form.
The TFP is like one giant "Opinions" or "Editorials" page in a newspaper... and so are all the blogs in the world. It has its place, but to accord them a status any higher than "opinion," perhaps at most "informed/educated opinion," would be foolish, in my mind.
/just your "ordinary" flannel-pajama suited, coffee-slurping PhD student...
