How do you judge the value of expertise on the Web? Does it differ from your notion of expertise in face-to-face settings? Why or why not?

I really liked Charlene's comments about meeting Gloria Steinem. It has been true for me, too, that meetings in person are more meaningful.

In either situation, it is about building trust in a relationship. The web tends to be more conducive to people developing alternate personas. In the non-virtual world, that practice might be considered pathological! But, usually, our judgment about people seems to be fairly reliable in personal interactions. I doubt the success rate runs as high online. It would be interesting to read study results on the topic...

So, I tend to develop trust quicker when there is a face-to-face meeting involved - even if the other interaction is virtual.