Joe the science expert who uses the computer to gain expertise

J - A technological expert. I think it's a person who understands a particular field and is skilful at it.

R - Do you consider yourself to be an expert?

J - No, there's a long way to go. So no, I don't think.

R - What about for your age?

J - My age, um, maybe, but compared to other students, well there's a couple who are like really good, so I've got something to aim at, so I don't think I'm an expert yet, no.

R - Would you like to be?

J - Yeah, I would, yes. [we both laugh]

R - How do you think a person becomes an expert?

J - Just by fully understanding something, y'know, but um, and who is like really confident at doing particular things and things like that, yeah.

R - Ok. So we've talked about what an expert is, what about expertise itself? What do you think expertise is?

J - A great skill or knowledge in a particular field. Yeah.

R - You are very resourceful [Joe looked up both words in the dictionary]. So with your level of expertise at the moment, how do you think you got to that level?

J - By probably spending time, by spending time reading things and getting other people to help me, for example, my dad, just spending time on the computer. Y'know, just browsing along and trying new things, and yeah, exploring, yep.

R - Do you think other people gain expertise in that same way?

J - Yeah they can, because I can, so there's no possible thing why they can't, so.

R - Mmm, so it's just time?

J - It's just time, yeah, and just dedication, sort of, yeah.

R - So how important is it to you to be an expert computer user?

J - [laughs] For me, it's one of the main things cause as I've said before, for astronomy, you need to be able to design your own computer programme and analyze data and everything like that. It's all in computers, even controlling like, for instance, telescopes and stuff, computerized telescopes, you need to be able to use computers. Yeah, so computers are one of the main things for me, so yeah.

R - So the person who recommended you . . .

J - Yep

R - They considered you to be an expert, so would there be quite a few people that you know that would consider you to be an expert?

J - Harry did [smiles]. Well I'm in the top class right now, so it's like, it's competitive, and um, I'm not right up there in computers, so in my class it wouldn't be like that, but then, in other classes I would be considered an expert maybe.

R - So would you say your expertise in technology is a significant part of your identity?

J - Yeah, it is. That's what I do [laughs], yeah, it is.

R - But mainly linked to the astronomy - based.

J - Astronomy, yeah. Sometimes I get in trouble because I'm on the computer too long. And yeah, I have to get off, but that's what I basically do, yeah.