Ask Ken: The Death of Expertise in the Age of the Internet
Ken's Quick Answer:
"The internet is a great resource for coming up with questions to ask a professional. Don't expect it to provide helpful and truthful answers."
Ken's In-Depth Answer:
Today, I want to talk to you about the death of expertise. This is something that’s been talked about lately given what’s been going on with the internet. Everybody has an opinion, everybody thinks they’re an expert.
I’ve talked about this with friends particularly when they go to the doctor. They are given a diagnosis and they don’t agree because they ‘read on the internet’ X, Y, and Z. Here’s the problem. Not everything that you read on the internet is true. The same idea applies when you do floorcovering research online.
"Make sure you can hold a real-life professional accountable for the results of your project."
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The internet Is great. Read things on the internet and do your research. Just keep in mind: It’s great for asking questions. Not for providing answers that you can trust.
To get trusted answers, you want to talk to a retailer. Find somebody who’s been in the business for many years and has a good reputation. Another advantage of taking your information from a trusted retailer (as opposed to the internet) is that you have somebody who’s going to be held accountable for the results.
By all means, do your research and find out the questions that you want to ask. Get your answers from your trusted floorcovering retailer.
If you have any questions about online research and making the right floor covering decisions for your home, please give us a call at 401-214-0285 or visit our showroom.
About Ken: Ken Fain is the co-owner of Island Carpet in Middletown, RI and a floorcovering veteran of more than 40 years. His popular 'Ask Ken' video series answers common flooring questions on a variety of topics. It has reached thousands of viewers on both YouTube and Facebook.