Explicit knowledge can be defined as that gained from books or listening to a lecture. Basically, this type of knowledge would be some form of reading or auditory resource. It is typically easy to transfer to others, an example would be a manual for driving and operating a car.
Tacit knowledge can be defined and described as knowledge gained from experience, action and practice. It is typically difficult to transfer this type of knowledge to other people. A good example would be flying a plane.
Let’s start off by making a distinction between different types of knowledge. The practice of system administration relies heavily on both types of learning so just one type of experience is not enough to be great in this field. Essentially, the two knowledge types work hand in hand. So for example, reading a ton of books, while useful in its own right will not be nearly as effective as reading books and then applying the knowledge gained from hands on experience. Likewise, if somebody never bothers to pickup a book and relies entirely on hands experiences they will not be as knowledgeable as someone who incorporates both types of knowledge. It is in the opinion of many in the field that much more can be learned from hands on experience than by books alone. Types of Learning