Re: New Current Interesting Link: What Makes an Engineer Good?

From: <George>
Date: Wed Sep 29 2004 - 12:02:00 EDT

'Nother two cents:
For me, a "good" engineer is one who doesn't have his mind made up about the answer. Too many times, we get locked into a single solution, no matter whether it's the best fit or not. So you need a combination of the old timer's knowledge of all the ways something can be done, and a beginner's lack of a set system or approach. And always be willing to change your mind: Mckinney's third law of engineering: Never let your opinions set up too firmly, with a solid you can have mixtures, but with fluids, you can have solutions.

George McKinney

   Yeah, I thought that "make it cheaper" bit at the end of the article    stood out like a spontaneous boner at a grandfather party also.

   As you say, good communication is one of the most important elements;    what's the old maxim about being able to explain a complicated concept    effectively to someone who knows nothing about the subject matter?

   We should all eschew obfuscation.

   Paul

   Christopher Wright wrote:

> For my 2¢ worth, the things that make a good engineer good are
> communication skills and the ability to think critically. Doing the
> science and math is important, but while clear thinking and good
> communication can remedy bad science, I've never seen projects where
> good science overcame bad communication or disorganized management.
>
> The ability to make something cheaper is nonsense. Anyone can make a
> thing cheaper if you don't mind making it a little crappier. Purchasing
> agents do it all the time--it's the reason the US was having so much
> trouble with counterfeit bolts. Lots of companies thrive on making
> better stuff--Apple Computer and Honda are two which come to mind. When
> you concentrate on cheaper, you get fake pipe flanges made from cast
> parts and slugged welds and the Oldsmobile diesel.


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Received on Wed Sep 29 12:02:00 2004

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