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May 2004

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Subject:
From:
Brian Ellis <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
TechNet E-Mail Forum.
Date:
Thu, 27 May 2004 09:13:13 +0300
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OK, now I've established, in some degree, the point of
over-specification-itis, plese allow me to go one stage farther.

The cause is mainly ignorance, often of people who think they know it
all and feel clever at having rooted out a spec that is probably
irrelevant to their situation. These are maybe the people whose further
education is reading a freebie "technical" magazine. (OK, I know I'm
caricaturing them). They don't attend IPC meetings, possibly because the
bossman thinks they are too low in the pecking order to justify the
expense. But the basic sin is that there is no polyvalent courses of
physics, chemistry, alectronics, mechanics etc. in their tech education.
They know too much of one speciality and nothing of the others. They are
therefore incapable of making a reasoned decision.

I'm lucky. I studied electronics in the 1940s, but the University I
attended in Scotland, at that time, also forced us to learn about
chemistry, physics etc. and there was even a one year course (one hour a
week) on manufacturing techniques, which included the metallurgy and
chemistry of soldering. Furthermore, we had to do our practical projects
ourselves, by hand. This meant that I knew which end of a soldering iron
I had to hold in my hand when I obtained my degree (and operate machine
tools, such as milling machines, lathes etc.). In other words, we were
all-round engineers, fit to face the practical world. I also took
post-grad courses in chemistry, physics, heat, toxicology etc. I believe
this may be different to today's engineer and thus causal to replacing
commonsense and reasoning by specs and standards. I agree they may offer
a guideline, but must be applied with knowledge.

Brian

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