Bill-
New, better tools are great. Did I ever say otherwise? I know you used to
do boards on rock slabs with a chisel. I started with papyrus and oxblood,
so OK, you've got seniority on me. We've displayed adaptability and now (as
then) use the best tools we can get our hands on. What's that got to do
with anything?
Here's the underlying reason IPC pairing up with a commercial entity
bothers me: Once it starts where does it stop?
Are you OK with it if somewhere down the line IPC says, "If you want your
designs automatically certified IPC compliant, you have to use CADTOR
software." And you or your company just invested in MENTANCE and can't
afford to buy a seat of CADTOR. But because of this pairing of IPC and
CADTOR, none of your customers will accept your MENTANCE designed layouts
anymore. And maybe you had your life savings invested in MENTANCE, and
because you weren't on the inside and didn't see it coming, you didn't sell
before IPC made the announcement.
Now I don't think this will ever happen, so y'all don't have to tell me how
stupid that is. DID EVERYONE HEAR THAT? YOU DON"T HAVE TO TELL ME HOW
STUPID THAT IS! But there is a line somewhere between impartial standards
and full blown product endorsement. Where is it today?
And in general, it chafes me in the same way that Halliburton getting
gazillion dollar no-bid jobs awarded to them by our government, some of
which happen to be ex-execs at Halliburton chafes me. So I rant. Grip this,
buddy! I'm happy to be alive and employed and living in America, just like
you want me to be. I embrace new technology. In fact, I'm dancing the
maranga with it in my lead-foil hat!
It's likely that I'll soon be urging my company to at least evaluate moving
to the PCBL tools (though maybe under an assumed name, now...). I never had
an issue with the tool.
-Chris (a kinder, gentler CID)
"Brooks,Bill"
<[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask]
Sent by: DesignerCouncil cc:
<[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: [DC] Propaganda Rant
05/11/2005 12:52 PM
Please respond to
"(Designers Council
Forum)"; Please respond to
"Brooks,Bill"
You know, I don't really understand this 'whining' or what sounds like
'sour
grapes' or whatever... well I do understand it a little, but I just get
fatigued by it...sheeze.
I have been a designer for most of my life, going on 32 years at it
anyway... and I used what ever tools I could beg or borrow to improve my
efficiency and productivity as a designer/drafter/technician/engineer.
I was designing boards for 20 years before the IPC ever had anything to do
with my field in design... didn't know anything about them or care to then
either. They didn't train me, they didn't make the tools I used... they
didn't do anything for me that I knew of either.
The guys developing this software that you seem to resent their affiliation
with the IPC are fellow DESIGNERS... who saw a need and went after it...
God, I hope there are more people like them out there, who want to do
things
to help me do my job better, faster, and more accurately too. I stay
gainfully employed because there are guys and gals just like them who are
willing to do more, step out on the ledge and make the leap and innovate...
I thank them for being creative and truly helpful to all of the designers
out there who benefit from what their vision has made.
If the IPC helped them then they should get some of the credit too. If
Mentor or Cadence or Altium or some other CAD or CAM company comes along
with software that works with the IPC specs... I am ALL for it! Bring it
on... we can always use more tools that make us heroes at work.
How many designers want to keep on doing the same thing with the same tools
for their entire career? Are we getting comfortable? Do we want to
stagnate?
Or even go backwards? Sometimes I think we need to step back and look at
things from a different perspective once in a while... be grateful for what
you have, and try to get out there do the other guy one better. That's the
name of that tune... otherwise you might as well hit the unemployment line
or retire on social security... if there is still any left.
I remember vividly the guys who were designers for years on the board
looking down their noses at the 'new fangled CAD systems' that were coming
out for PC's and they swore they would retire before learning to do design
all over again on some damn computer... It didn't have a drafting machine
attached to it, or a decent scale, there was not place to sharpen your
pencil and frankly it was just 'way too small'. Besides, drafting was an
art, you see, you had to twirl that pencil while you drew the lines and
make
sure not to smudge the lead on the paper, plan out your drawing and lightly
pencil it in with blue lead first so you could figure out how to get the
layout centered on the format... and an electric eraser was well a
necessity... for the big changes... or complete redraws... "Never draw more
in the morning than you can erase in the afternoon", they would say.
Come on...get a grip, quit whining and get back to work... you are a lucky
bunch and you aren't living in India or China or Bosnia trying to make a
living with a drafting table because your employer can't afford the
expensive CAD tools from America... put it into perspective, you are very
blessed. And please don't discourage the innovators who happen to be
designers like you too... they just might make your work load lighter and
make your life a whole lot more enjoyable, and mine too.
Stop and smell the roses once in a while... even though they have thorns...
they are pretty nice, and they smell good.
Best regards,
Bill Brooks - KG6VVP
PCB Design Engineer, C.I.D.+, C.I.I.
Tel: (760)597-1500 Ext 3772 Fax: (760)597-1510
_______________________________________
Member of the San Diego Chapter of the IPC Designers Council
Communications Officer, Web Manager
http://dcchapters.ipc.org/SanDiego/
http://pcbwizards.com
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