Top notch specialists

**BCAC** · 2nd May 13, 05:57 AM

We at XMarks are very priviledged to have some top notch specialsts on board.

I often find myself thinking "forgive them, for they know not to whom they are speaking" when a new member will say, after getting advice from one of our top specialists, "Yes, but the guy I meet every third thursday of the second month without a fifth friday down the local pub tells me different, so you're wrong".

Perhaps we should inform the new members who these specialists are? Perhaps there is already a list somewhere? They're such unasuming gents, they won't "blow their own trumpets", as it were.

**Father Bill** · 2nd May 13, 06:03 AM

Aye, BCAC, we sure do have some incredible qualifications here! Now of course, some of them may be the guy some other meet down at the pub... but it's unlikely that folks are aware of some of the qualifications. X Marks is a long way from being "just a web forum."

**sailortats** · 2nd May 13, 07:27 AM

yes, we are very lucky to have as many "experts" as we have. I find it is usually the younger and newer members who tend to question advice given by these people.
But then, that appears to be the trend in this age, unfortunately.

**CMcG** · 2nd May 13, 07:27 AM

This issue is further complicated by the range of qualifications of our experts. We have academics and autodidacts, craftspeople and business owners, lifelong experience and intensive experience, not to mention people with very different approaches to the kilt, including historical, traditional, contemporary, modern, and uniforms!

**Carlo** · 2nd May 13, 07:35 AM

Originally Posted by sailortats

yes, we are very lucky to have as many "experts" as we have. I find it is usually the younger and newer members who tend to question advice given by these people.
But then, that appears to be the trend in this age, unfortunately.

I, being one of the younger and newer members am happy with the experts views I get on this forum.
If I do question advice it is for my further enlightenment. Sometimes it helps understanding why something is done the way it is done. And obviously times change and members come from different backgrounds therefore you might think something is obvious but to others it is totally new.

**usonian** · 2nd May 13, 08:13 AM

You run into this issue on pretty much every specialist forum on the internet, and I don't know that there's any remedy other than the polite patience that x-markers excel at. No matter how many FAQ/Sticky posts there are written by respected resident experts on a forum (be it about banjos, remote controlled cars, home brewing, etc.) there are always going to be folks who wade right in with the equivalent of "Hey guys I want to buy a fifteen yard great kilt, can you tell me what tartan would have been authentic in the year 800? Also, where can I get a two-handed broadsword, I'm going to wear it to my office Christmas party."

**Nathan** · 2nd May 13, 08:33 AM

I think the wealth of knowledge of the specialists here is well worth remembering. That said, we also need to remember that just because someone is new to Xmarks, doesn't necessarily mean they're new to the kilt, Highland heritage or the study thereof.

This is, afterall, a small online corner of a much larger community, albeit a pretty rich, intellegent and experienced corner.

**Pleater** · 2nd May 13, 08:35 AM

It could be just as inappropriate to have someone lay down the law because they have their specialist badge - it can help with the clarity to have to put up some justification for doing things a particular way.

I like tea - but I brew up green, cinnamon, liquorish and mint versions, I brew beer - but it is ginger, bottled with lemon juice and brown sugar, I have made Civil War costumes, but the English Civil War, I like garment construction with folds in it - but that covers the English smock as well as kilts.

I am also conscious that as I get older the little grey cells - well they aren't as bouncy as they were, they need to be exercised to keep them in good condition.

Having to justify advice is no bad thing. Just think of the advice given by the ancient oracles - they never explained and got people into deep trouble whilst they were sitting in their smoky caves breathing deeply and declaiming obscurely.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

**tundramanq** · 2nd May 13, 08:47 AM

It helps a lot to know something about the expert. I am a heavy user of the "about me" in the profiles.
Their usage of Highland attire plays a big part in their views and helps understanding - especially if what is said dosen't seem to make much sense.
Geographic location and climate, frequency of kilting, culture, even age and body type influence ones perspective.