I look at range and depth of knowledge, and ability to cope with unforseen problems and ailments. Years of experience matter, but so does the quality of that experience. There is no good way to readily gauge that online, but by following postings over time, one can get a pretty good idea.

I think a lot of the knowledge is trickled down from the bigger breeders...a keeper with one snake cannot possibly produce the same kind of data about optimal conditions as someone who keeps hundreds of that same species. Word of mouth..."I heard so and so say that he does it this way and gets really good results" filters down to the smaller and smaller guys, and ultimately the whole community benefits.

But judging that online, when you're new to the scene and don't know any of the players? It can be pretty challenging and I think like any social group that one enters, you just need to get to know folks. I hope this makes sense...I just got home from working my overnight shift, and I'm pretty dopey. :-P