RE: New Current Interesting Link - Drawing on Experience

Great response:

You put into three sentences, whats taken me 20 years and I still have not figured out in entirety. Thats why, I hang with the baboons. That Drury link was great. The part I liked was his comment on taxation without representation, the reason for our forefathers fighting for independence. That is only a minor issue today. Waht a small reason. Makes me wonder, if they would have gone to war over weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, as well as knowing what we know today....

Mike Waugh

-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Bowers [mailto:pbowers@pipingdesign.com] Sent: Saturday, April 24, 2004 12:38 PM
To: PipingDesign@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [PipingDesign] New Current Interesting Link - Drawing on Experience

Good post.

The most important thing (in engineering and probably everywhere else) is to realize your limitations and not fall victim to the Peter Principle. Posturing, bafflegab and inflated egos have no place in real engineering as far as I'm concerned.

I could go on and on about this maybe later, to the dismay of many.

Paul "sub-genius" Bowers

--
"The word "genius" isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy like
Norman Einstein," - Joe Theisman


----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Waugh" <mike@waudesign.com>
To: <PipingDesign@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 24, 2004 12:17 PM
Subject: Re: [PipingDesign] New Current Interesting Link - Drawing on
Experience




> Paul:

>

> I trust that the reverse is the case as well, ie an engineer does'nt

become a CAD designer.  Personally I can recall all too many occasions
when engineers either did not undertake to perfom what was initially
required, the engineering itself and chose instead to fling thier ideas.
Or, they were consistant in changing thier minds as to the requirements
during the eveloution of thier ideas.  The result of this,  it left the
CAD designer redrawing and redrawing the designs, to the eventual
satisfaction of the engineer.


>

> The point I make, it is possible that the CAD designer is actually

more tuned into the design than the engineer may be, qualifications
aside? For example,  I am a chemist by education. With a background in
laboratory, quality, statistics, materials, process engineering, an real
world experience to back it up,  I may be able to a make the case that I
have more in the way of knowledge of materials than many engineers may
have.  I would not distinguish in the first place, because I believe
even specialties are limited and there are no gods in this respect.
But, there is after all, a whole world in materials science that goes
beyond statics, dynamics, kinematics and the physical world, etc. I have
been witness to engineers select the cheapest material and the wrong
materials. And yep, they call themselves engineers.


>

> There are  "human" factors that come into play here, such as egos and

what I would characterize as a superficial opinion that many engineers
believe they are an upper class. This phenomenon carries over to the job
market, and I have seen many instances where an employer for example,
wants a CAD designer with an engineering degree.  Best of both worlds?
The engineer may know his science,  but his quest for engineering
knowldge may have diminished his knowledge of CAD systems, or visa
versa. The latter is critical and in my opinon, it eventually boils down
to the individual,  and while even our "better" engineers in this world,
may have license to certify designs to the satisfaction of others,
there is graveyard out there of failed designs,  these can hardly be
ignored should we really be seeking some truths in this matter.


>

> Mike Waugh

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: Paul Bowers <pbowers@pipingdesign.com>

> Sent: Apr 24, 2004 11:29 AM

> To: PipingDesign@yahoogroups.com

> Subject: [PipingDesign] New Current Interesting Link - Drawing on

Experience


>

> www.pipingdesign.com

>

> <<In the Mechanical Engineering Design supplement in March, Jean

> Thilmany explored the idea that the advent of computer-aided design

has


> served to blur the distinction between engineering and what used to be

> drafting. That was a very perceptive article.

>

> Given the present state of software development, it takes a

substantial


> investment in time and training for anyone to become proficient with a

> solids modeling system. This gives the operator every right to regard

> himself as a professional, but it doesn't make him an engineer.>>






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