I like it. Ya, it's like the constant pressure of people wanting to come across as experts will be louder and more visible than actual expertise.
Decentralized systems will in time alleviate this, I'd hope. Eventually people realize the limitations of "experts" and stop expecting a handful of people to guide the world correctly.
"that demonstrated how know-it-all douchebags — from marketing specialists, organic proponents and get-rich-fast schemers are actually more likely to fall for for made up bullshit facts themselves"
Interesting, and makes sense. They probably don't consciously realize what they're doing, so they believe other people in the same way they believe themselves.
now you are saying something. Indeed, much like "ebay reputation" what works will rise above in a matter of public consensus and not of bullshit from a small circle of peer reviews.