Do not set yourself as an expert

I am worried about authority. I once said in the article "strongopinions, weakly held" (with clear points of view, but not stubborn:

When I understand that others regard me as an expert or authority, rather than a similar spof like a partner, I feel very troubled.

If I have learned something in my career so far, it must be: When you face software development with an expert or self-thinking insight, you will face failure.

If there are so-called experts, they must be more untrusted than ordinary people, because they are not objective enough. Readers should doubt what I have written as they suspect everything around them. The data you get from your own research should be better than the information you get from others, no matter how authoritative those people are, you, me, Google, or even large communities.

Have you worked with programmers who think they are experts? Should it be painful? I have had this experience. You may say that I am biased against experts. So Wikipedia, like me, said in a text on Wikipedia titled "warning to expert editors:

1. Experts will demonstrate their experience and certificates to prove their uniqueness. There is no way to prove your professionalism if you keep your voice. But in fact, this method proves that your major is meaningless.

2. experts do not have the privilege to resolve the editing conflict: If an expert and an ordinary person have disputes over a paragraph of content, the experts are not allowed to set themselves on the shelf to win. In short, no matter whether you are an expert or not in Wikipedia, words like "because I said it" will not be accepted. Similarly, the content contributed by experts will not be protected. Ordinary people can modify it in a later version. Theoretically, the quality of editing is the decisive factor.

3. There is a strong anti-expert trend in Wikipedia. If you are an expert, you are more demanding than ordinary people.

Here, we can understand the free and open encyclopedia maintained by the whole community, and the skeptical about the contributions made by experts. But is this feasible?

I would like to say that, instead of considering the sources of such content, it is only feasible to strictly review the content. This is a fierce challenge to authority. However, this challenge is exactly necessary. There are only a few experts in the world, but there are a large number of ordinary people. When you want to build a website containing all kinds of information, the contribution of these ordinary people is the most important. This is an irregular world filled with endless details. I am afraid no one can surpass programmers in understanding this. Programmers who struggle with various details every day have the most understanding of the current problem, and few experts can understand these details.

So what is the significance of being an expert when people think that it is impractical or cumbersome to say that the opinions of experts are always correct? In a recent Google interview, James Bach described a typical post-modern expert image-Steve McQueen in the skyscraper fire note:

The Towering Inferno movie tells the story of a newly completed skyscraper in San Francisco, which has serious security risks due to the fact that the builder has cut corners and fails to follow the design, as a result, the building caused a fire due to overload of the circuit on the day of the ribbon cutting. The critical juncture of Life and Death tests everyone in the building ...... This is a classic disaster film in the history of movies. It was nominated for the Oscar best film award. -- Translator's note

"Kappy, how are we doing now ?"

"The fire started from the storage room on the 81-layer, and the smoke was very big. We have no idea where the smoke has spread ."

"What about the exhaust system ?"

"It should be turned on automatically, probably because the engine is burned out ."

"What about sprinklers ?"

"The 81-layer sprinkler did not play a role ."

"Why ?"

"I don't know ."

(Turn to the designer) "Jim, let me quickly introduce the fire-fighting water supply system here ."

"Each layer has 3 inch and 1.5 inch outlets ."

"What is the number of gallons per minute ?"

"From the underlying layer to the 68-layer is 1500, from the 68-layer to the 100-layer is 1000,100 and above ."

"Are there emergency procedures for these elevators ?"

"Yes ."

"Where do you plan to start ?"

"79 layers. There is my office ."

"That is, two layers under the fire. It will be our front headquarters. Tools are provided. In addition, I want to look at the planning from layer 81 to layer 85 ."

"Okay ."

(To the Chief Security Officer) "give me a list of your tenants ."

"Don't worry, we are moving them out ."

"Not those who live in it, but those who are here ."

"We are very lucky. Most people have not moved in yet. The rest of the night is off ."

"I want to know who they are, not where they are now ."

"Who are they? Is there any relationship ?"

"Are there any manufacturers of wool or silk? After the materials are burned, cyanide gas is released. Or are there any manufacturers of sporting goods, such as table tennis? After these things are burned, toxic gases are released. Do you want me to continue ?"

"Okay, I'll prepare a household list for you ."

(Switch to the fire brigade chief) "What have you prepared ?"

"Elevator group, central control. Here is the freight elevator. Air conditioning duct, 6 inch ."

"Are pipelines all here ?"

"One, two, three, four, five ."

"Is there any construction place on the 81 floor? Are there any explosive things, such as gasoline and cleaning agents ?"

"I don't think so ."

In addition to telling us that Steve McQueen has a bad temper, what else does this conversation have?As an expert, it is important not to tell others what you know.Instead, you need to know what kinds of questions you should ask and use your knowledge flexibly to solve the specific problems at present. As an expert, your role is to provide a wise and executable direction.

I like James Bach's speech because he has spent the first half of his speech on questioning and revolutionizing everything, including his fields and expertise, even his own reputation and credibility. After that, he slowly and cautiously remodeling through a continuous learning process.

Stage 1: I overcame the carelessness.

Now I understand that I need to learn something.

Stage 1: I overcome the fear.

I think I can learn this subject or skill. I will become familiar with it, and will not be afraid of people who know more than I do.

Stage 1: I became organized.

I no longer feel that I am not knowledgeable or knowledgeable. I feel that I have the ability to participate in the discussion or practice. I am confident in what I have said.

Stage 1: I have surpassed my own capabilities.

Now I feel that I have higher requirements for myself, so I don't feel complacent when I stop "pass. I want to take a risk, be creative, keep learning, and keep pushing myself forward. I want to work with enthusiastic people.

James Bach is very insightful. He is my favorite "pirate Scholar ". He gave some suggestions to those who have recently become experts:

Pirate scholars refer to those who are eager to find their own voice and positioning, and are not bound by secular or authoritative knowledge. -- Translator's note

• Practice, practice, and practice again!
• Do not confuse experience with professional knowledge.
• Don't believe in Word of mouth, But you can understand it.
• Do not rely solely on faith. You must have your own methodology.
• Have your own unique learning method-no one can help you.
• Please love your feathers. Build and maintain your own reputation.
• Collect Resources, materials, and tools tirelessly.
• Establish your own standards and ethics.
• Avoid vulgar skill authentication.
• Work with self-demanding colleagues.
• Write more, speak more, and be honest.

Of course, Mr. Bach is talking about testing, but I believe these suggestions can also be used for program development or other areas that will use your expertise. Start with doubting everything and start with doubting yourself most.

If you want to be a real expert, rather than an empty name, follow Steve McQueen's example-do not just tell others what to do, but be a person who is good at asking questions.