Re: Digest Number 591

>An ignorant person seeks assistance, so just guide him if you can. Don't
>wallow in your own greatness, imputing motives to others.
The post imputed no motives--it was a statement of how I feel when I see such a post. If you like, think of it as a sort of shoe. Anyone can try it on, and explain to the list that it fits, if they feel compelled.

By way of background, I'm on several other technical lists one of which have banned anonymous e-mail accounts because of posts of a suspect nature. One such was from a Cuban nuclear researcher using cracked FEA software, apparently posting for someone in his group who didn't speak English. Others were from anonymous users working on clearly military projects. Like faculty in flight schools around the US, I never gave it much thought before.

The post seemed noteworthy for several reasons. The poster was so completely unacquainted with piping standards that he hadn't even checked information that's linked on PipingDesign. References to standards would have been available in any design office in the world and in dozens of manufacturer's catalogs. The post never mentioned a company, a university or even an identifiable ISP or a locale. If the guy was doing self-study, he never mentioned it, nor did he mention a project or an application. It stood out because most people on the list enjoy talking shop, including a lot of people I've mentored briefly. We don't get many posts containing such a vague laundry list of specs. As to ignorance, ignorance of standards is one thing--no one knows everything or has a complete library at hand. But ignorance of the basics of searching for technical information on the Internet is quite another.

Suppose a complete stranger were to show up at your office, unannounced and unintroduced and ask to see all your technical documentation. What do you suppose your reaction would be? Curiosity? Call security? Or would you just lay it out and walk away?

>Lewisite, Saran, Fatman and LittleBoy etc. are the gifts to mankind from
>civilizations (!) which have the Pacific or Atlantic in their neighbourhood
>for surreptitious waste disposal.

You'd think older civilizations would have learned from our horrible example.

Christopher Wright P.E.    |"They couldn't hit an elephant at
chrisw@skypoint.com        | this distance"   (last words of Gen.
___________________________| John Sedgwick, Spotsylvania 1864)