This is what the boys said about expertise

Tim said this.

R - How would you describe a technological expert?

T - Oh, someone that probably knows more than the average person, they know about computers and stuff like that, yeah.

R - Do you think you're a computer expert?

T - Um, probably compared to most people I am. There's people that know a lot more than me, but compared to like the average user, probably, yeah.

R - So how do you think you became an expert then?

T - Oh, I just guess from using it so much, and having friends that know all about it as well, to ask and get things from, yeah.

R - So you started learning from your parents - they taught you the basics and/when you did games, and you spent a lot of time on them. What other things have contributed as well?

T - Oh I dunno.

R - Do you think playing games is a good way of becoming a computer expert?

T - Oh sort of, I mean, if you play games and then get into doing other things on computer because of the games, yeah. But for the person who probably plays games, they're probably not interested in anything else to do with computers, so. I guess you could. You could become an expert on playing games. Sometimes.

R - Did the playing of games help you to get good at using the computer in other applications and programmes?

T - Well, I guess, yeah, I mean, I play games so I found these like message boards, and then, from there I can read about what other people have been doing, so I get interested in that, so I try it, and then, yeah.

R - What do you think is expertise? How would you define it?

T - Knowledge, experience, yeah like, oh just, I guess using, if you use something a lot, and you know a lot about it, and then done it for a long time, I guess, that's, you'd probably be an expert at it, yeah.

R - Are there different levels of expertise?

T - Yeah, I think so. Yeah like if you own your own business or something, and then you're good at that, whatever it is you want to do, like plumber or whatever, and you have an apprentice or something like that, they'll probably still be an expert, but not as expert as the person that is teaching them, yeah.

R - So do you think other people might become experts in the same way that you did?

T - Yeah, I think so. Like if they've got friends or parents that can teach them, yeah. Or if they want to find out themselves, there are things on the internet that you can learn, yeah.