… that is simply, “What qualifies someone to talk about something?”

I have never had a business or finance or marketing class but I feel fully qualified to say, “It is a bad idea to get into credit card debt.”

I feel fully qualiified to say, “Giving away notepads for your business is a good way to keep your name out there.” (My experience- I gave out notepads, once one of my notepad pages was on the ice cream machine at a Chinese Place (printed side out!) saying the machine was broke. That’s good exposure.)

I feel fully qualified to say alot of things based not just on my experience but based on my ONGOING education– through magazines, newspapers, websites, books, etc…

Here are two more aspects to this:
1. Last week I was in a bank and the Branch President asked a Loan Officer if she knew where it was that you got free credit reports… neither one knew the answer… but I did. (annualcreditreport.com). Now you would think they would know that because they are supposed to know… but it took me to tell them the answer.

2. The lady I sold my business to is supposed to be a “tax accountant” but on Aug 14 she was rushing around trying to finish up some tax returns before the four month extension expired. It took me to tell her that, as of this year, the extension is automatic for six months- she had until OCT. 15. She is supposed to know that stuff but it took me to tell her. I’ve never had an accounting class.

I am concerned about this issue because I don’t want to be called out for not being qualified for this or that.

Now, all that being said, I agree- I think people just have the attitude, “I know it’s true, I read it on the internet!” HA! So yes, there is a danger there…

not EVERYONE is qualified… the question there is “what DOES make someone qualified.” I have a degree to teach school… but a degree does not a teacher make.

Now, all that being said, I really really agree with you… that is why I think the Reverse Blog idea would be cool. There would be information gatekeepers to make sure the answers displayed are quality answers (regardless of the qualification of the person giving them.)

So, in the case of the “REVERSE BLOG FOR FITNESS”, You may be one of the gatekeepers… You like that answer, that answer, and that answer…. so they are posted. Only good answers are shown… Not the answers from the guy who thinks he’s a fitness guru because he eats a can of protein every week.

Hum, there is an idea… why not have a vote system, everyone gets five votes in descending order… as the answers come come in to the questions people can vote and keep changing their vote… the ten answers with the most votes get displayed… at some point the voting stops and those answers become “the authority” on that question.

Whew, I need to stop rambling,
Get ahold of me and let me know what you think. I really want to talk about the “qualification” question.

Another example: I am sure Ramit Sethi fully enjoys both the personal satisfaction and public recognition that his site: http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com brings him. However after a quick review of site, I can find only the following information about him and his qualifications:

“I’m a recent graduate of Stanford, where I studied technology and psychology. Now I’m an entrepreneur working on my own companies and consulting.â€? “I’m interested in social psychology (the persuasion process and social influence); emerging technology (its effect on society); education (how to improve K-12 teaching and, specifically, the misuse of technology in the classroom). See my academic papers or my resume.â€?

I apologize in advance since I know he is a friend of yours, and you probably support his efforts but…

Does being educated at Stanford alone qualify him to teach about being rich?

Does he have anything more than an undergraduate education? In anything besides technology and psychology?

Is he rich or successful by a standard relative to the exposure his site receives? Put another way, if people on a national scale are exposed to his site, is he rich by national standards?

Why if he is publishing a site on personal finance, does he not even list personal finance as one of his interests?

Please understand I have nothing against Ramit Sethi personally. I don’t even know the guy. But he represents to me a good example of a major concern I have with bloggers and blogging: a rampant lack of quality control. Where’s the accountability?

Thanks!

laura

Nonetheless if it was the right idea for me I wouldn’t have put it up here.

Thanks again Noah, this was fun.

Thanks!

It was in this post Friday Free Business Idea: 1-800-Iam-Lost
http://okdork.com/2006/07/14/friday-free-business-idea-1-800-iam-lost/