How is expert status defined here?

[alexx]

Hello everyone.

I joined the forum yesterday to thank the malwarebytes people for making a free program that cured my computer after the antivirus I had paid for could not cure it. And also yesterday here someone cured a problem I had been having with my computer for more than six months which people on two other computer help forums could not cure for me. But I was looking at the forum today and I realised that the person who cured my computer did not have expert underneath his name like a lot of the people here do. He just had hororary member underneath his name. Which I found out just means that he had made more than fifty posts. I found this very strange. The thing he did involved him using a hex editor to make a new shell32.dll for me which I replaced my old one with using a replacer program. Then the new shell32.dll he made cured my computer problem straight away. Is actually altering the inside of files not an expert thing to do? Especially if altering the inside of the file completely cures a computer problem straight away? Also I am not sure that I would have accepted his advice if I had realised that he was not a computer expert. But I am glad I did because now my computer is working properly and before it was not. Could someone please tell me how expert status is defined on this forum? And even though this person did cure my computer I would also like to know whether it is advisable for me to accept advice from non-expert people here in the future?

Thankyou.

[Baz.]

And even though this person did cure my computer I would also like to know whether it is advisable for me to accept advice from non-expert people here in the future?

Completely up to you...use your own judgement. If you are not sure, it is better to ask first than later.

Malware Removal advice/running tools/replacing files should generally only be done under the guidance of a person from the Administrators, Moderators, Experts or Trusted Advisor groups.

All the experts here have been judged by the Malwarebytes staff in one way or another to be skilled professionals in dealing with and or removing malware. This may include working in the AV industry, completing malware-removal training at one of the malware removal forums or having a lot of professional experience in this field.

[AdvancedSetup]

You can also take a look at the following article: http://www.malwarebytes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=12264

[mountaintree16]

Alexx,

There are honorary members, rogue reporters, etc.. here that are very knowledgeable in different things with computers (aside from Malware removal - ONLY Experts etc... are authorized to help with that and only in the malware removal forum). If you hang around here, after a while you'll get a feel for who knows what and who you're comfortable taking advice from.

And like Baz. said, only take advice from people if you feel comfortable doing it, especially if you don't know that they are an Expert etc... here

As for Experts, etc... please see the link that AdvancedSetup gave you That should give you an idea of who can help you with what in terms of Malware removal.

Many of those people also are very knowledgeable in general computer knowledge (help aside from malware) and they can be trusted to give you help.

As for me, personally, I don't help someone or give an answer to something unless I am positive or nearly positive on what the answer is, and if I am not sure, I ask for help. I don't know a whole lot yet but I am learning slowly but surely, and I jump in and help people when I can.

I hope that this helps clear that up for you!

Also, just as a side note, when replying, please use the "add reply" button at the bottom of the page or erase what the person you are replying to said, as this makes the forum easier to read.

Thank you

[Firefox]

As for me, personally, I don't help someone or give an answer to something unless I am positive or nearly positive on what the answer is, and if I am not sure, I ask for help. I don't know a whole lot yet but I am learning slowly but surely, and I jump in and help people when I can.

I am with mountaintree16 on this one as well. I have been in the computer field for over 25 years. I work in the industry, and even though I dont have the expert title on this forum, I do work on computers in the real world and fight viruses and malware. I however respect the rules of this forum and do not post in the Hijackthis section as per the rules.

[mountaintree16]

Well said, Firefox.

I've been using computers for over a decade, and although I don't know a whole lot yet, I am learning a LOT here and I still have much to learn. I definitely know a lot more than I did before I joined this forum though (and I thought I knew a lot before I joined, hehe).

[noknojon]

Hi alexx -

The HijackThisForum is for people who think they have serious problems but there are still people with a lot of info they can still pass on to you -

If you choose to take any advice outside that particular part of the forum it is done as Helpful Advice only -

You must be qualified to respond in that area (as per AdvancedSetup)

Many in the forum will have a good basic idea of your problem but they will NEVER answer in HJT areas -

And like Baz. said, only take advice from people if you feel comfortable doing it,

Thank You -