OT: Engineers

On 9/15/07 2:12 PM, in article rkioe3poqpf2sik15brsli0t429v07dl2v@4ax.com,
"John Larkin" <jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote:

> On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 23:01:12 +0200, Martin Griffith
> <mart_in_medina@ya___.es> wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 12:19:01 -0700, in sci.electronics.design John
>> Larkin <jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:27:22 -0700, HardySpicer <gyansorova@gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> In north America I am led to believe, an engineer is a train driver.
>>>> How do you distinguish yourselves if you live there from such an
>>>> occupation? If you say you are an engineer do people then ask which
>>>> line you serve on?
>>>>
>>>> Hardy
>>>
>>> Around here, if you tell someone that you're an engineer, they usually
>>> assume that you're the tech kind, not a train driver. They will often
>>> ask "what kind", meaning mechanical, electrical, electronic, computer.
>>> I answer "I design electronics" and they usually look impressed.
>>>
>>> There are also "stationary engineers", people who operate power
>>> plants, boilers, HVAC systems in buildings.
>>>
>>> Does a stationery engineer design paper products?
>>>
>>> John
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> I've had a few occasions when I have had to put "I design
>> electronics"(sort of) on forms, for banks and other slave traders, and
>> the sheeple assumed that that everything comes "designed", they had no
>> idea that people actually do it.
>>
>
> Yeah, I never could get my mother to understand what I did.
>
>>
>>
>>
>> Martin
>
> Does a staff engineer design flagpoles?
>
> John
>

Frequently.

You need to run up the ideas on something, you know.

HardySpicer <gyansorova@gmail.com> hath wroth:

>In north America I am led to believe, an engineer is a train driver.
>How do you distinguish yourselves if you live there from such an
>occupation? If you say you are an engineer do people then ask which
>line you serve on?

During the industrial revolution, an engineer was anyone that dealt
with engines. Over the last 200 years, the meaning was expanded to
include anyone that deal with anything that moved. Recently, this has
morphed into anyone that actually moves on the job, as opposed to
those that simply sleep on the job or are otherwise immobile.

The problem is that many electronics engineering jobs do not fit the
definition. For example, few of my electronic designs ever moved or
had any moving parts. Few included any form of energy conversion
machinery or engine. Frankly, the act of designing circuitry does not
really qualify even being called an engineer.

I've been looking for an alternative for my entire career. At one
point, I was a "Member of the Technical Staff", which only camouflaged
the problem. When mistakenly allowed to select my own title, I chose
"Keeper of the Faith" from the Planet of the Apes movie. At one
point, I became an "electronic designer", which caused some confusion
since my father owned a lingerie factory and some people thought I
performed some kind of computerized fashion design. The worst was
"Radio Freq Designer", which was invariably followed by some fool
asking what manner of "freak" show I worked for. "Wireless Designer"
was no better as someone would ask how I designed without using any
wires.

I never really solved the engineer title problem and eventually
decided that a change of profession was necessary. I turned my hobby
into a profession and became a computer consultant, which is both
sufficiently vague and commonplace to avoid the usual dumb questions.
The change also gave me a fast answer to the inevitable "what do you
do"? question. My standard retort is "This week"? They usually
change the subject immediately thus avoiding the inevitable deluge of
technobabble. If I mistakenly answered "computer consultant", I would
immediately be asked to fix their computer problems, for free of
course.

I don't have any great suggestions on how to get rid of the
non-functional "engine" term in electronics design. The best I can
suggest is to either not use it, obscure it, or find a different
profession that at least has a name that properly describes the
activity.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

"Don Bowey" <dbowey@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:C311C5A8.774B8%dbowey@comcast.net...
> On 9/15/07 2:12 PM, in article rkioe3poqpf2sik15brsli0t429v07dl2v@4ax.com,
> "John Larkin" <jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 23:01:12 +0200, Martin Griffith
>> <mart_in_medina@ya___.es> wrote:
>>
>>> On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 12:19:01 -0700, in sci.electronics.design John
>>> Larkin <jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:27:22 -0700, HardySpicer <gyansorova@gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> In north America I am led to believe, an engineer is a train driver.
>>>>> How do you distinguish yourselves if you live there from such an
>>>>> occupation? If you say you are an engineer do people then ask which
>>>>> line you serve on?
>>>>>
>>>>> Hardy
>>>>
>>>> Around here, if you tell someone that you're an engineer, they usually
>>>> assume that you're the tech kind, not a train driver. They will often
>>>> ask "what kind", meaning mechanical, electrical, electronic, computer.
>>>> I answer "I design electronics" and they usually look impressed.
>>>>
>>>> There are also "stationary engineers", people who operate power
>>>> plants, boilers, HVAC systems in buildings.
>>>>
>>>> Does a stationery engineer design paper products?
>>>>
>>>> John
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> I've had a few occasions when I have had to put "I design
>>> electronics"(sort of) on forms, for banks and other slave traders, and
>>> the sheeple assumed that that everything comes "designed", they had no
>>> idea that people actually do it.
>>>
>>
>> Yeah, I never could get my mother to understand what I did.
>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Martin
>>
>> Does a staff engineer design flagpoles?
>>
>> John
>>
>
> Frequently.
>
> You need to run up the ideas on something, you know.

Except staff engineers don't have anything to do wit flagpoles. They design
the things sheep are rescued with

On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 16:47:13 -0400, the renowned "Michael A. Terrell"
<mike.terrell@earthlink.net> wrote:

>Spehro Pefhany wrote:
>>
>> On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 06:49:14 -0700, the renowned mpm
>> <mpmillard@aol.com> wrote:
>>
>> >On Sep 15, 4:27?am, HardySpicer <gyansor...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> >> In north America I am led to believe, an engineer is a train driver.
>> >> How do you distinguish yourselves if you live there from such an
>> >> occupation? If you say you are an engineer do people then ask which
>> >> line you serve on?
>> >>
>> >> Hardy
>> >
>> >Easy...
>> >Train engineers have greasy fingernails.
>> >The other ones have pocket protectors.
>>
>> Sanitary engineers have mops.
>
>
> While unsanitary engineers need mops.

C. says there's no such thing as a civil engineer.


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

HardySpicer wrote:
> In north America I am led to believe, an engineer is a train driver.
> How do you distinguish yourselves if you live there from such an
> occupation? If you say you are an engineer do people then ask which
> line you serve on?

Some garbage collectors call themselves "sanitary engineers". Context
usually makes all clear.

Jerry
--
Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get.
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

On 9/15/07 6:01 PM, in article
6cqdnRMsDNkFHXHbnZ2dnUVZ_gqdnZ2d@centurytel.net, "BobF" <no@thank.you>
wrote:

>
> "Don Bowey" <dbowey@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:C311C5A8.774B8%dbowey@comcast.net...
>> On 9/15/07 2:12 PM, in article rkioe3poqpf2sik15brsli0t429v07dl2v@4ax.com,
>> "John Larkin" <jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 23:01:12 +0200, Martin Griffith
>>> <mart_in_medina@ya___.es> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 12:19:01 -0700, in sci.electronics.design John
>>>> Larkin <jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:27:22 -0700, HardySpicer <gyansorova@gmail.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> In north America I am led to believe, an engineer is a train driver.
>>>>>> How do you distinguish yourselves if you live there from such an
>>>>>> occupation? If you say you are an engineer do people then ask which
>>>>>> line you serve on?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hardy
>>>>>
>>>>> Around here, if you tell someone that you're an engineer, they usually
>>>>> assume that you're the tech kind, not a train driver. They will often
>>>>> ask "what kind", meaning mechanical, electrical, electronic, computer.
>>>>> I answer "I design electronics" and they usually look impressed.
>>>>>
>>>>> There are also "stationary engineers", people who operate power
>>>>> plants, boilers, HVAC systems in buildings.
>>>>>
>>>>> Does a stationery engineer design paper products?
>>>>>
>>>>> John
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> I've had a few occasions when I have had to put "I design
>>>> electronics"(sort of) on forms, for banks and other slave traders, and
>>>> the sheeple assumed that that everything comes "designed", they had no
>>>> idea that people actually do it.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Yeah, I never could get my mother to understand what I did.
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Martin
>>>
>>> Does a staff engineer design flagpoles?
>>>
>>> John
>>>
>>
>> Frequently.
>>
>> You need to run up the ideas on something, you know.
>
> Except staff engineers don't have anything to do wit flagpoles. They design
> the things sheep are rescued with
>

Of course they do, I just said so. A flagpole is just an extra long staff
that isn't a people.

I sometimes used my shorter staff (5' 9") to beat away people with really
dumb ideas.

Martin Griffith wrote:

...

> I've had a few occasions when I have had to put "I design
> electronics"(sort of) on forms, for banks and other slave traders, and
> the sheeple assumed that that everything comes "designed", they had no
> idea that people actually do it.

Don't say "'designed", say "built". When I told someone that I had
designed the first character-at-a-time dot-matrix printer, he thought
that I had put pretty shapes and colors on the case.

Jerry
--
Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get.
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

John Larkin wrote:

...

> Does a staff engineer design flagpoles?

Electrical engineers are plugged in. Mechanical engineers get wound up.
Chemical engineers are battery operated*. How is it that some civil
engineers are rude?

Jerry
_________________________________
* Except the ones that run on alcohol.
--
Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get.
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

"Don Bowey" <dbowey@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:C311D238.774D1%dbowey@comcast.net...
> On 9/15/07 6:01 PM, in article
> 6cqdnRMsDNkFHXHbnZ2dnUVZ_gqdnZ2d@centurytel.net, "BobF" <no@thank.you>
> wrote:
>
>>
>> "Don Bowey" <dbowey@comcast.net> wrote in message
>> news:C311C5A8.774B8%dbowey@comcast.net...
>>> On 9/15/07 2:12 PM, in article
>>> rkioe3poqpf2sik15brsli0t429v07dl2v@4ax.com,
>>> "John Larkin" <jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 23:01:12 +0200, Martin Griffith
>>>> <mart_in_medina@ya___.es> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 12:19:01 -0700, in sci.electronics.design John
>>>>> Larkin <jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:27:22 -0700, HardySpicer
>>>>>> <gyansorova@gmail.com>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> In north America I am led to believe, an engineer is a train driver.
>>>>>>> How do you distinguish yourselves if you live there from such an
>>>>>>> occupation? If you say you are an engineer do people then ask which
>>>>>>> line you serve on?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hardy
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Around here, if you tell someone that you're an engineer, they
>>>>>> usually
>>>>>> assume that you're the tech kind, not a train driver. They will often
>>>>>> ask "what kind", meaning mechanical, electrical, electronic,
>>>>>> computer.
>>>>>> I answer "I design electronics" and they usually look impressed.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> There are also "stationary engineers", people who operate power
>>>>>> plants, boilers, HVAC systems in buildings.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Does a stationery engineer design paper products?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> John
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> I've had a few occasions when I have had to put "I design
>>>>> electronics"(sort of) on forms, for banks and other slave traders, and
>>>>> the sheeple assumed that that everything comes "designed", they had no
>>>>> idea that people actually do it.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Yeah, I never could get my mother to understand what I did.
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Martin
>>>>
>>>> Does a staff engineer design flagpoles?
>>>>
>>>> John
>>>>
>>>
>>> Frequently.
>>>
>>> You need to run up the ideas on something, you know.
>>
>> Except staff engineers don't have anything to do wit flagpoles. They
>> design
>> the things sheep are rescued with
>>
>
> Of course they do, I just said so. A flagpole is just an extra long staff
> that isn't a people.
>
> I sometimes used my shorter staff (5' 9") to beat away people with really
> dumb ideas.
>

:-)

Jerry Avins <jya@ieee.org> writes:
> [...]
> * Except the ones that run on alcohol.

I'll drink to that... [pint-o-guiness consumed]
--
% Randy Yates % "Maybe one day I'll feel her cold embrace,
%% Fuquay-Varina, NC % and kiss her interface,
%%% 919-577-9882 % til then, I'll leave her alone."
%%%% <yates@ieee.org> % 'Yours Truly, 2095', *Time*, ELO
http://home.earthlink.net/~yatescr