Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is Expert Village?
Expert Village provides thousands of educational and comprehensive videos in a wide variety of interests. Our videos are highly focused and Internet-optimized, which means they deal with a specific topic and are generally short compared to traditional broadcast media. Our goal is to provide our users with qualified, trustworthy video content, a place on the Internet where you know that what you see does not need to be second guessed.

Who qualifies as an “expert”?
To be considered an expert on our site, the person must have either credentials from a legitimate licensing authority, extensive personal experience in the field, or both. If you feel that you fit the requirements and want to be an Expert Village expert, please apply here.

What makes Expert Village different from other internet video sites?
We believe our videos are exceptional for three important reasons.

1. High Production Values: Our filmmakers are highly skilled and we quality control every segment before it goes on the site.

2. Qualified Content: The danger in watching random videos from an “open” video upload site is that you don’t know whether or not you can trust the content. Is this a well-researched video or just a random video uploaded by an unknown source? You can trust the content you see on Expert Village, and that’s not necessarily true of everything you watch on the tube.

3. Targeted Topics: The Internet is not broadcast television. Most content being showing online was originally produced for broadcast, then digitized for the Internet, but watching video on the web is fundamentally different than sitting in your living room. Our goal is to provide very targeted instructional content that answers a specific question you have. No one wants to sit through a half-hour broadcast on the history of automobile maintenance when all you need to know is how to change your spark plug. Web searches excel at bringing you exactly and exclusively the information you need, and Expert Village is committed to bringing as many answers as possible to you through video.

How can I become an Expert Village expert?
To be considered for appearing in an Expert Village video, complete the “A” portion of the form at www.expertvillage.com/expertinfo.htm, which is under the “Become an Expert” tab at the top of each page. Our filmmakers will have access to a report showing what experts in which subjects are available in their area. It is up to the filmmaker to decide what experts or subjects he or she wants to make a video about; we cannot guarantee whether or not a given expert will be contacted by a filmmaker. Note that the experts appearing on our site are not Expert Village employees.

How can I become an Expert Village filmmaker?
To be considered for appearing in an Expert Village video, visit www.expertvillage.com/submit/login.aspx. More complete information about required video formats, pay scale, etc. can be found in the Filmmaker FAQ.

Why can’t I rate an article?
You must be a registered user to rate or comment on an article. Registration is free and quick, please visit the “My Expert Village” tab to sign up.

Why can’t I rate an expert directly, even when I am logged in?
The “expert rating” is an average of all of the rated videos that expert has on the site. It is not possible to directly rate an expert, other than rating each (or any) of their videos.

I see a mistake on your site – how can I report it?
Our experts aren’t perfect! If you see a problem with one of our videos or articles, please report it to us immediately by emailing [email protected]. We will research your comment and make changes where appropriate.

How can I suggest a topic or an expert I would like to see on Expert Village?
By all means, and thanks for asking! Please email your suggestion to [email protected].

Can I use material from Expert Village on my site?
Our embedded player is an easy way to put our videos on your web site. Each video page contains a piece of html code which you can use to show the video on your web site or blog. The video is hosted on our site and the player is maintained by us, so no special technical skill or systems are needed. You are also welcome to link to our videos and articles. If you wish to reprint our articles IN PRINT, we will probably grant permission, just send an email to [email protected]. We do not presently allow using our articles anywhere online.

How do I contact an expert on your site?
Generally, the expert will put some contact method in their bio. We suggest starting there. The experts who appear on our site are not Expert Village employees.

Why are there both text articles and video articles on Expert Village?
Although Expert Village is renowned for being the ultimate destination for informational videos, we would like our visitors to have the option to utilize other resources on the site to find what they are looking for. We have partnered with eHow to provide you with some of the most resourceful How To articles on the web. From tying a tie to losing weight, or pretty much any topic that can be explained in a step-by-step format, eHow is your source for clear instructions on how to do just about everything.

What is the difference between “linking” to a video and “embedding” a video?
When you link to a video, a visitor to your site will see a simple text link that they can click on to go directly to that video on ExpertVillage.com, much like the plain text links on this page. When you embed a video, however, a visitor to your site will see the actual video sitting there in a play box, and they can view it without having to leave your site. Embedding a video has many benefits, but the biggest ones are that they make it look like the content is intrinsic to your site, and it keeps visitors on your page rather than forcing them to leave to come to ours. Embedding is completely free and we do not track personal information about your visitors who watch the video, other than basic information like the fact that the video is embedded and that someone (we have no way of knowing who) has chosen to click on it.

I already have a set of how-to videos I have made, can I get them posted to Expert Village?
We would love to talk to you about your videos! Please send us an email to [email protected] outlining your qualifications as an expert and what your videos are about.