Knowledge.

Magnarc · Guru

Knowledge.

outlaw40 · Guru

The trouble with free information is you usually get what you pay for . If you have no technical ability then how do you know the advice you are getting from the nameless faces on a forum is accurate ?

dorian · Guru

outlaw40 wrote:
The trouble with free information is you usually get what you pay for . If you have no technical ability then how do you know the advice you are getting from the nameless faces on a forum is accurate ?

I expect that if I made a mistake, my peers would very quickly correct me. That's the advantage of a forum.

DeBe · Guru

The trouble with free information is you usually get what you pay for . If you have no technical ability then how do you know the advice you are getting from the nameless faces on a forum is accurate ? Your expecting us to put up credentials before answering?

outlaw40 · Guru

Come on now DeBe you know very well thats not what i am saying . what i was saying is OP says his technical ability is close to zero ( his Words ) now we all know that on any given topic on any forum you will get differing opinions and advice so how does he know if the advice he is getting is correct . lets just suppose he asks a question about wdh how the hell is he going to sort fact from fiction when bentaxlebebe and yobarr start in . seeking opinion on something you have some degree of knowledge is fine but for people who have no idea i think they would be better off going to a business where they know the person they are talking to is a tradesman . just my opinion which i believe i am still entitled to .

Mike Harding · Guru

Over time one sorts the wheat from the chaff - read and absorb for a couple of months (or better yet, years) in your areas of interest and you will learn who knows what they are talking about.

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

Hi Phil,
Some of us are experts (depending on where we've worked over many decades) but some are exspurts (nothing foul intended).

If I don't know anything about a subject, I just read what is written - sometimes I gain some useful info, sometimes not!

If I feel I can contribute to the situation & make it better to the OP, I will.

yobarr · Guru

outlaw40 wrote:
Come on now DeBe you know very well thats not what i am saying . what i was saying is OP says his technical ability is close to zero ( his Words ) now we all know that on any given topic on any forum you will get differing opinions and advice so how does he know if the advice he is getting is correct . lets just suppose he asks a question about wdh how the hell is he going to sort fact from fiction when bentaxlebebe and yobarr start in . seeking opinion on something you have some degree of knowledge is fine but for people who have no idea i think they would be better off going to a business where they know the person they are talking to is a tradesman . just my opinion which i believe i am still entitled to .

Deleted...

-- Edited by yobarr on Saturday 20th of June 2020 03:19:59 PM

Tony Bev · Guru

I agree with Mike Harding

Also, in my opinion, it is sometimes better to hear of how a layman, overcome a certain problem, as not everyone can understand, techi talk

I am another one, who has in the past, learned techi stuff, from this part of the forum, so a big thank you to those who contribute

Whenarewethere · Guru

Could someone provide some technical help with a thingamajig for my whatsitsname to fix my whatchamacallit!

Possum3 · Guru

Whenarewethere wrote:
Could someone provide some technical help with a thingamajig for my whatsitsname to fix my whatchamacallit!

It can only be turned on using a left handed screwdriver.

Whenarewethere · Guru

Or manual chainsaw, rope hammer or metric adjustable spanner!

Whenarewethere · Guru

Warren-Pat_01 wrote:
Hi Phil,
Some of us are experts (depending on where we've worked over many decades) but some are exspurts (nothing foul intended).

If I don't know anything about a subject, I just read what is written - sometimes I gain some useful info, sometimes not!

If I feel I can contribute to the situation & make it better to the OP, I will.

The expert can fix it but the layman gets it going!

Plain Truth · Guru

Whenarewethere wrote:
Or manual chainsaw, rope hammer or metric adjustable spanner!

You can get a manual chainsaw,don't fancy using one.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

About right .

Cupie · Guru

Aus-Kiwi wrote:
About right .

Oh, doesn't this bring back memories ..

Many years ago I would get 'visitors' from Central Office who were young just graduated highly enthusiastic females who would deliver a slick presentation with all the bells & whistles showing us how we should do a particular process for process improvement or whatever.

My ladies, of which I had about 150 at the time, would call them 'Little Titters' and get great entertainment from them while maintaining a high degree (too high perhaps) of seriousness & decorum during the presentation of course.

I would make myself even more unpopular by thanking them for their input & making the observation that went along the lines of ' Great idea, we tried that approach back in 19xx and this was the (unfavourable) result ..... bla bla bla'. Off they would go & I could expect a call from my boss in the next day or so asking that I be a bit more gentle next time.

Yair right!

-- Edited by Cupie on Thursday 25th of June 2020 04:29:33 PM

dorian · Guru

I've seen, and worked, both sides of this story. On one side you have the know-it-alls in engineering (me culpa) and on the other side you have the can't-be-told on the factory floor.

I regularly watch the aircraft disaster series on TV. I can recall at least two incidents that were caused by maintenance staff who directly contravened the technical manual. After all, they had been doing it their way for years and it had always been good enough for them.

On one occasion a maintenance "engineer" replaced the screws in an aircraft windscreen with ones that were slightly smaller, with the result that the windscreen blew out and the pilot was left hanging out the ****pit with his colleagues desperately holding onto his legs. The accident investigators were subsequently told by this engineer that his eyesight had been sufficient for him to match the replacement screws and that he hadn't needed to consult the parts list.

On another occasion the maintenance crew removed and replaced an engine for its regular service, but instead of following the manufacturer's instructions, they used a forklift to raise and lower the engine. They had been doing it this way for years, allowing them to shave several hours from the job. Unfortunately they cracked a critical suspension member (I forget its name), with the result that the plane continued to operate for several flights until one day the fracture propagated and the engine was torn off during takeoff.

BTW, it irks me that almost everyone who works in a technical capacity is referred to as an engineer, even those who drive a train.

Whenarewethere · Guru

& even more frustrating about all these failures is that multiple layers & people have not followed procedure.

iana · Guru

Anyone who works on an engine is an engineer according to the dictionary. I did an apprenticeship working on aircraft, and was called an engineer, that's the way its always been. Mistakes happen in all trades and services, however it would have been the L.A.M.E who was in charge that would have got the blame, he/she is meant to check everything.

dorian · Guru

iana wrote:
Anyone who works on an engine is an engineer according to the dictionary. I did an apprenticeship working on aircraft, and was called an engineer, that's the way its always been.

Then you were an aircraft mechanic. An engineer designs the engine, a mechanic maintains it.

Whenarewethere · Guru

About six years ago our block of units had to cut the concrete floor out between two Units one above the other. The two engineering drawings cost $10k. One drawing for the concrete slab & one for the formwork. I'm not an engineer but they could not even get a simple slab drawing right. It was basically a cut & paste specs from a book, but it did not work for our building.

& I had even provided these idiots all the dimensions of our building.

Later when putting in the reinforcing I showed the builders a 415 volt instantaneous hot water system in the Unit next door. Don't drill in the slab there. Later they drill into the plumbing, it took 10 days to fix.

Afew hours later they drilled into the heater's power supply. A new cable had to be run up to the roof, along the building, down four floors & back to the electrical room. About 10 days later we had hot water again.

All could have been avoided if they listened. Luckily they paid for the whole stuffup as we had signed a contract for a complete job.

iana · Guru

Just like our doctors, who are actually medical practitioners. But I agree with you, in America that's what they are called. I only fly reluctantly now days, had too many close calls.

dorian · Guru

I confess that these days I'm next to useless. Even during my young working days I wasn't much of an engineer. Ironically, I had a business which primarily involved the maintenance and repair of computer systems, and I was good at that. So I really do see both sides.

In fact I found numerous examples of bad or unreliable designs that left me shaking my head. One thing that I really missed was good diagnostic information, and I don't necessarily mean paper manuals. I'm referring to error reports from the faulty device to enable a repairer to quickly narrow down a faulty component. I reckon that if all design engineers were forced to spend one week troubleshooting simulated faults on their own designs, then they would quickly develop some empathy towards those who do it on a daily basis. The programmers who write the firmware are even less aware of their failings in this regard.

-- Edited by dorian on Friday 26th of June 2020 09:44:38 AM

Whenarewethere · Guru

An example of good design is brakes & brake pads. You can't put them in the wrong way.

Just read on ABC, 150 Pakistan pilots have been fired because they had fake pilots' licences. A failure on many levels here!

dorian · Guru

The problem with those countries is that they are rife with corruption, and this is accepted as part of life, both in politics and business. I saw a lot of it when I lived and worked in Asia many years ago.

On one occasion a police chief (to whom I had been seconded) told me that he was a CIA informant, and that the CIA had set him up in business, and that he had sold every computer system by paying bribes. Other people told me that they had engaged in election fraud and stock market manipulation. I personally saw customs officials and traffic police accepting bribes. A friend told me that on one visit to Indonesia, he had run the gauntlet of customs officials, all with their hands out. When he insisted on seeing their supervisor, he in turn suggested that he could fix all his problems for an additional sum.

Whenarewethere · Guru

I think having systems in place that are self checking are good. I do that on a spreadsheet. If it doesn't add up two different ways then there is an issue.

But, the more we rely on self checking systems the more we stop thinking for ourselves.

Probably the most basic thing is that Grey Nomads can do is LISTEN to our car. Service it properly & when driving check the car regularly & for Christ's sake (disclaimer, I'm not religious) get out & fix the bloody problem or instigate a plan to get yourself out of trouble.

I'm sure a few of you have wondered why I have three compressors. Apart from the issue I could not be bothered stuffing around waiting to re-inflate 4 tyres, I have redundancy. Not only that, the 3 compressors are on a quick release brackets so I can pull each of them out to replace a compressor easily. Also quick release hose connectors everywhere even though I sacrifice a bit of efficiency.

Additionally part of the tyre plan is TPMS, also I have spare TPMS batteries, tyre repair kit. So there are numerous levels of redundancy, & can power the compressors from the car or auxiliary power. I can't solve every problem, but there is a lot of peace of mind, & I have helped quite a few others in the process who have see the light after a rude shock of their perilous situation!

Whenarewethere · Guru

Some years ago going through Dubai, the operator on the X-ray machine was asleep. I looked around wondering what I should do, don't really want to get shot, other security just ushered us through! No one was interested in security.

Probably along the lines of the Ruby Princess in Sydney. Passengers have said they have never been ushered off a boat so quickly in there lives with nonexistent border controls. No wonder 19 people (thereabouts) died & probably accounts for a $100b of destruction to our economy. Simply because it's not my task & or I don't want to get involved.

iana · Guru

One problem I see often, is the initial poster gives insufficient information. From there answers based on those few words, can be off track. The more info the better. Resident experts can pose a problem, especially if they believe their information is correct, not realizing there maybe more than one answer, there is no budging them to except another opinion. WIKI is a typical case with that. I don't believe in experts, but believe everyone should be willing to listen and learn. So yes there is much brain power on these forums, harvesting it can be a problem though.

Mike Harding · Guru

After 45 years as an electrician, technician, electronics design hardware engineer and firmware writer, tertiary qualified and worked around the world in more industries than I can recall... I've never met a technician who thought he couldn't do a better job than the original designers....

dorian · Guru

Many problems only come to light after the products have been tested over time. It's always easier to improve something than to create it in the first place, especially if you have the benefit of hindsight.