[Sigia-l] Functional Decoration: visual cues for wayfinding

[Amanda Cossham]

Patrick Wilson, in his book 'Second-hand knowledge: An inquiry into
cognitive authority' draws a distinction between expertise and authority. He
points out that it is possible to have expertise (a special body of
knowledge) without authority; authority is that given to us by others, not
that which we claim ourselves.

So, anyone can call themselves an expert, but they'll only get away with it
if someone else recognises that expertise, i.e., accords them authority.
Different 'brands' of expertise compete to be seen as the authoritative
brand (such as in a court case when 'expert testimony' can provide two
opposing viewpoints).

It's a fascinating discussion.

Regards
Amanda Cossham
http://openpolytechnic.academia.edu/AmandaCossham

[apologies for the strange formatting in the original posts below]


> From: Matthew Hodgson <magia3e at gmail.com>
> 
> Expert Power has nothing to do with you specifically, but in
> others'
perception of the value of that expertise. Referent Power works
> the
same way.



> The only form of power you can reinforce overtly to make others
> listen
is Legitimate Power.



> Rejecting any obvious expertise is ultimately
> likely more motivated
out of Groupthink.


> M

---

Matthew Hodgson

> CIO. Agile coach. UX strategist.
Zen Ex Machina.



> On 14/03/2013, at 5:42 PM, facibus
> <facibus at gmail.com> wrote:

> Expert opinion: in practical terms, if you can
> get away with it three times then you're entitled to call yourself an expert.
> Apparently. I cite LinkedIn as source - so many 20-somethings with 18 months
> industry experience can't be wrong :)
>
>
> Sent from Samsung Mobile
>
>

> -------- Original message --------

> From: Skot Nelson
> <skot at penguinstorm.com>

> Date:

> To: SIG Information Architecture
> <sigia-l at asis.org>

> Subject: Re: [Sigia-l] Functional Decoration: visual cues
> for wayfinding

>

> Heh. I'm finally reading this very interesting thread.
> Thanks all. This question made me chuckle:
>

> On Mar-9-2013, at 09:01 ,
> Jonathan Baker-Bates <jonathan at bakerbates.com> wrote:

>
>> "why doesn't my
> opinion matter; when does an opinion become an *expert*
>> opinion?"
>
>
> In
> my day to day life these days I'm supposed to define requirements. When
> defining them, I'm often faced by a question from The Most Boring Man in the
> Universe:
>
> "Who asked for this."
>
> Well, no one asked for it. Sometimes
> the right thing to do doesn't get asked for. Sometimes people are so ingrained
> in behaviours they don't ask for things because they don't know to ask for it,
> or they don't know the system is capable of doing.
>
> I basically consider
> just about everything Paola and Jonathan say an "expert opinion" when the
> topic is usability. You can quote me on that :)
> --
> Skot Nelson
>
> skot at penguinstorm.com
>
> "In anything at all, perfection is finally attained
> not when
> there is no longer anything to add, but when there
> is no longer
> anything to take away."
>       -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand and
> Stars
>
>
>
> ------------
>