Most everyone on hubski knows what they are talking about. We all have specialized interests and we naturally post most often about those interests. Thus statistically we generally know of what we speak. So it's not a bad assumption to go into each conversation assuming you're talking to a professional, or at least an armchair expert. It tends to work for me. I don't consider myself an expert on almost anything -- nothing particularly relevant, anyway -- so my second assumption is generally that whomever I am opening a dialogue with is more knowledgeable than me. This isn't always true (and sometimes I blow it, and am rude, and sad), but that's fine; no poorer am I for taking the inferior position. The goal is after all to learn. Anyway, that's my tiny input. I read a little bit of the other stuff in this thread, and some of the links to other things you are all evidently a-fluster about, and I think I'll keep my small contribution brief. Brevity is valuable and everything to say has been said.