I’ve followed this thread and even contributed to it. I chose to reply to this post by random selection.
Perhaps it is an axiom of life that those who have labored to gain special skills (perhaps even wisdom) tend to berate those younger, less expert persons who come behind them. They are not practical enough, not knowledgeable enough, don’t understand the language that I speak in well enough, don’t have the experiences that I hold dear, don’t seem interested in the things that I think are important, can’t ever step into my shoes. I expect that my mentors felt that way about me and my contemporaries, i.e., the world is going to the dogs! We managed, however, and the world continues to turn. School is designed to give the student a basic set of tools, not the total knowledge necessary to careers. Engineers learn as much or more on the job as they do in college. EMC is a broad field, even though we all tend to see the field through the narrow viewfinder that defines our jobs. The EMC field evolves as technology evolves. Future jobs will not be carbon copies of our jobs. So, while it is entertaining and therapeutic to vent over the shortcomings of our successors, along with academic institutions, let’s give them a break! Thankfully, our predecessors gave us a break (at least mine did). Jim __________________________ James L. Knighten, Ph.D. EMC Engineer Teradata Corporation 17095 Via Del Campo San Diego, CA 92127 858-485-2537 – phone 858-485-3788 – fax (unattended) ________________________________ From: emc-p...@ieee.org [mailto:emc-p...@ieee.org] On Behalf Of Bill Owsley Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 7:48 PM To: Edward Price; emc-pstc; k...@earthlink.net Subject: RE: EMC Eduction and Training Having served nearly 40 years ago in the previous most unpopular war, Kiplings words as quoted by Mr. Cortland give me pause in the consideration of the question asked. I find wanting, the general "you" in the quote, and still feel that the ideal of who the "you" should be, worthy of the price paid, then, and now. And now I feel as if I'm changing the diapers of those new graduates and young engineers that I doubt have ever wriggled a razors edge across the galena. Their education in the physics of EM consists of digits. Small wonder they look at me like I'm speaking some foreign tongue when I talk about the orthogonal E and H fields propagating along the third axis, all that were created by time varying voltages or currents. Me thinks the next apprentice should have a physics degree, double E's should be double D's for digital designers. - Bill Indecision may or may not be the problem. --- On Tue, 12/16/08, Cortland Richmond <k...@earthlink.net> wrote: From: Cortland Richmond <k...@earthlink.net> Subject: RE: EMC Eduction and Training To: "Edward Price" <ed.pr...@cubic.com>, "emc-pstc" <emc-p...@ieee.org> List-Post: emc-pstc@listserv.ieee.org List-Post: emc-pstc@listserv.ieee.org List-Post: emc-pstc@listserv.ieee.org Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2008, 9:21 PM Ed Price wrote Perhaps you can take some comfort from Kipling's words of 125 years ago, when he addressed the peculiar way that society only appreciates you when they really, really need you: For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!" But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot; An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please; An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees! And Cortland Richmond replied: Kipling is the soldier's patron saint. I served 21 years: (part of a longer work): And know our living ever watch, To ask, as we would do, Is what you are, worth what we paid? Is what we paid, worth YOU? We are the currency you spend For freedom, fear, or oil; Our blood, the coin you pay, Dark on some foreign soil. copyright Cortland RIchmond Ahem! All said, msny firms seem not to understand that one designs OUT problems (EMC or otherwise) and thereby saves money. We need someone to speak at the EMC Symposium about the pychology of getting our employers to do what is right. As it is, I'm turning into a (461/DO-160-/Part15)- waving missionary. Cortland KA5 - This message is from the IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society emc-pstc discussion list. To post a message to the list, send your e-mail to <emc-p...@ieee.org> All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://www.ieeecommunities.org/emc-pstc Graphics (in well-used formats), large files, etc. can be posted to that URL. Website: http://www.ieee-pses.org/ Instructions: http://listserv.ieee.org/request/user-guide.html List rules: http://www.ieee-pses.org/listrules.html For help, send mail to the list administrators: Scott Douglas <emcp...@ptcnh.net> Mike Cantwell <mcantw...@ieee.org> For policy questions, send mail to: Jim Bacher: <j.bac...@ieee.org> David Heald: <dhe...@gmail.com> - This message is from the IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society emc-pstc discussion list. To post a message to the list, send your e-mail to <emc-p...@ieee.org> All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at http://www.ieeecommunities.org/emc-pstc Graphics (in well-used formats), large files, etc. can be posted to that URL. Website: http://www.ieee-pses.org/ Instructions: http://listserv.ieee.org/request/user-guide.html List rules: http://www.ieee-pses.org/listrules.html For help, send mail to the list administrators: Scott Douglas <emcp...@ptcnh.net> Mike Cantwell <mcantw...@ieee.org> For policy questions, send mail to: Jim Bacher <j.bac...@ieee.org> David Heald <dhe...@gmail.com> - This message is from the IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society emc-pstc discussion list. To post a message to the list, send your e-mail to <emc-p...@ieee.org> All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at http://www.ieeecommunities.org/emc-pstc Graphics (in well-used formats), large files, etc. can be posted to that URL. Website: http://www.ieee-pses.org/ Instructions: http://listserv.ieee.org/request/user-guide.html List rules: http://www.ieee-pses.org/listrules.html For help, send mail to the list administrators: Scott Douglas <emcp...@ptcnh.net> Mike Cantwell <mcantw...@ieee.org> For policy questions, send mail to: Jim Bacher <j.bac...@ieee.org> David Heald <dhe...@gmail.com>