I sometimes ask myself, "How the hell did I ever manage to learn electronics as a kid back in the 50's and 60's without the Internet???" I had no one I could ask, "How do I ...?"

Oh, the memories... you've brought to my mind my early childhood... I was insanely (not exaggerating here) interested in learning electronics since I can remember. I was transfixed (again, no exaggeration) every time I laid my hands in some magazine or another containing those drawings called "circuits", and I wondered first what they were for, and second who on earth was smart enough to design them in the first place... thing is, there was absolutely NO ONE within my circle of influence that even remotely knew, or was interested in, electronics... and this comes from a person who had 5 siblings, 10 aunts and uncles, and more than 30 cousins... not a single one of them gave a scat about electronics, nor for that matter, was inclined to be interested in science, technology, nor engineering... Not even my school teachers gave a tiny rat's sphincter about that particular subject.

So I just kept my eyes wide open every time I went into a bookstore or a magazine stand. And I remember sifting through all the soap opera crap that they had... see if I could find a jewel here and there... I remember a couple of times in which I found (what was then to me) the holy grail of electronics resources, and found a Popular Electronics special issue containing "more than 100 different circuits for the hobbyists"!!!! AND I DIDN'T HAVE A PENNY IN MY POCKET TO BUY THE THING! (I must've been around 12 at the time) ... so I ran to my dad and asked for a couple of bucks to buy the mag (I remember all the while I kept looking back at the stand, afraid that someone else might fetch it and deprive me of the knowledge that I so much yearned for), and he didn't even blink and gave me the money ... and I held him in deep awe and veneration after that (behold thy wise father! you mortal simpleton!) ... he denied me many stupid things I asked as a child... but he never hesitated supporting me when he knew that what I asked for was for my benefit and education (the other thing was a guitar)... God bless his soul... I didn't deserve the man... I'm beyond grateful for his having been my dad.

Anyway, looking at those diagrams was one thing, finding the parts to build them was another. And the back and forth with my dad asking for resources was yet another one... sometimes he bulged, sometimes he didn't... and every time he did, I had to take the bus to go downtown and buy the parts... that normally took several hours... I remember buying my first iron, and solder and paste... and getting burned, and being frustrated and cursing... all part of the fun...

Wanna hear something funny? I couldn't make one single circuit work until I was about 18 or 19 years old! ... now I realize it was because I kept on burning the semiconductors because I didn't know how to solder well (I had no tutor), and also because I wasn't reading the schematics right and because I wasn't being careful and was being too sloppy.... It was not until adulthood that my skills became more or less respectable, and I'm still working on them. Yes, I'm that stubborn, and then some... ask my wife.

For a solipsist, most of the world is just as imaginary as what I believe about the Internet.

As a final note on that subject, a solipsist believes that the universe that surrounds him has been created by his own mind, and that its existence also depends on his existence... therefore he believes himself immortal (though he doesn't believe in a God), in an abstract sort of way.

 

Hi all,

The number of ungrateful people on this forum is rather amazing! Shouting at members to give answers, requesting features and then having a go at the moderators as if they paid for a subscription or something, and all round lazy.

This is not a serious poll but I would like to see the result !

Regards

I didn't vote because I just don't participate in self-selective (i.e., junk) surveys -- they generally produce negative knowledge because you think you've learned something when in actuality you probably haven't, which I figure is less knowledge than at least knowing that you don't know something.

But I would have voted NO.

Some of the people you refer to just don't know how to interact on the forum and, in at least some cases, learn to adapt their behavior, usually because they just weren't aware of how obnoxious they were being. Most of the others in that category don't last long before they just go away on their own because the more they demand the less willing they find the membership willing to interact with them at all. A handful of others cross the line too far, too often and get banned. Permanent bans are not given out lightly (other than to the spammers and such, of course), so there is a remaining group of members that are annoying but not quite annoying enough to get the axe.

 

I suppose this week's study material is a little more ... practical?

The only reason you might think solipsism is less practical is because you don't know if a solipsist is somewhere among the people in your life. I ran across that word, "Solipsism" because I was studying people I have known!

Some of them can only be explained by solipsism.
When they don't fit DSM Personality Disorders, one must consider philosophical differences.
For instance, my strong tendencies toward being a pragmatic iconoclast are not personality disorders. They are merely philosophical differences. A Physician might think he is God, but I don't. He's merely better at that skill than I am. He still can't fix his TV or air conditioner. That doesn't mean I'm insane. It only means I have a different belief system.

 

I would also vote no. I prefer letting natural selection take place.

 

A Physician might think he is God, but I don't.

Mercifully, there are very few self-styled 'deities' in those ranks - 'saints', on the other hand, are quite another matter

Best regards
HP

 

I vote no. Things get heated and things get cool. Even us regulars have had our moment of ultra dryness that confuses the new-comers.

Communicating via internet can get frustrating to say the least. On the other hand so fulfilling at times. Time and a place...I guess

 

Mercifully, there are very few self-styled 'deities' in those ranks -

The only mitigating factor I can think of is: They are very memorable. That makes them seem to be more of a problem than they really are.

Sign in the waiting room:
"The quality of your care depends on who your doctor is...you or me."

Or this one: "Where did you learn, 'alveoli'?"
"I passed high school biology, didn't you?"

Or: "You got your State License? So you are not an employee? I refuse to correct my mistake because you have shown that you will not be a working tax payer."

Somebody should have told me that some doctors think they are in charge of social engineering, and too stupid to realize I got my license the same place he got his...The (Florida) Department of Professional Regulation.

 

"You got your State License? So you are not an employee? I refuse to correct my mistake because you have shown that you will not be a working tax payer.

---Emphasis Added---

Did he really say that!?!

Best regards
HP

 

Communicating via internet can get frustrating to say the least. On the other hand so fulfilling at times. Time and a place...I guess

For me the utter lack of both verbal and visual (body language) queuing is the biggest source of confusion given not all people have equal and or capable reading and writing skills.

Beyond that the total disconnect between people to where there is zero reasonable, um... (lets just say the fact you can't get your ass handed to you by someone else for being an ass and worse ) ramifications like what can very well happen in real life plays a strong second to that.

 

Did he really say that!?!

Not in those words, but he conveyed the message. I asked him to correct a surgical mistake which I do not wish to make public. That mistake reduced my ability to walk (daily mileage) by about 80%. He looked at some papers he had and said, "No job." Then he walked away and that was the last I heard from him.

See you in PM.

Edit: If he had allowed me to speak, I would have told him I got my license the same place he got his, and that I had a business partner and a business plan, but his surgical mistake was seriously limiting my ability to walk. I consulted another doctor and he documented the mistake, then said to have the surgery revised when I couldn't walk at all. Until then, just try to be satisfied with 2 hours of activity per day without pain or skin ulceration.

Two hours per day can not produce a successful business!

 

Not in those words, but he conveyed the message. I asked him to correct a surgical mistake which I do not wish to make public. That mistake reduced my ability to walk (daily mileage) by about 80%. He looked at some papers he had and said, "No job." Then he walked away and that was the last I heard from him.

See you in PM.

Edit: If he had allowed me to speak, I would have told him I got my license the same place he got his, and that I had a business partner and a business plan, but his surgical mistake was seriously limiting my ability to walk. I consulted another doctor and he documented the mistake, then said to have the surgery revised when I couldn't walk at all. Until then, just try to be satisfied with 2 hours of activity per day without pain or skin ulceration.

Two hours per day can not produce a successful business!

What a horrible, frustrating experience... how long ago was that?

 

I say that they be punished by having their location made public! Let the local constabulary take care of the problem!

 

how long ago was that?

1986

 

Not in those words, but he conveyed the message. I asked him to correct a surgical mistake which I do not wish to make public. That mistake reduced my ability to walk (daily mileage) by about 80%. He looked at some papers he had and said, "No job." Then he walked away and that was the last I heard from him.

See you in PM.

Edit: If he had allowed me to speak, I would have told him I got my license the same place he got his, and that I had a business partner and a business plan, but his surgical mistake was seriously limiting my ability to walk. I consulted another doctor and he documented the mistake, then said to have the surgery revised when I couldn't walk at all. Until then, just try to be satisfied with 2 hours of activity per day without pain or skin ulceration.

Two hours per day can not produce a successful business!

#12 I say you need a lawyer if not the DA! There's totally a difference between surgery and ADW/mayhem and he crossed line cuz by refusal to revise based on his fascist mania he demonstrated actionable intent! So it's crime not just tort!

So to disclaim I'm not lawyer but based on ur post unless I'm missing something I'm right all the same!

 

To the question in the OP, common members can do little other that complaining to moderation (I did it very rarely) but they can resort to the Ignore option (I do it from time to time).

 

What is worse, being ungrateful, or expecting people to be grateful?

 

What is worse, being ungrateful, or expecting people to be grateful?

Being ungrateful is worse.

To show a lack of gratitude for someone else's help shows you either don't really need whatever it is or you don't deserve it. It's part of basic social courtesy and manners which are the figurative oils that keep society working smoothly.

If you can't show gratitude for help offered to you then you are not worth my or others wasting time helping you again.

 

What is worse, being ungrateful, or expecting people to be grateful?

The ancients understood the answer to that question:

"For when the noble Caesar saw him stab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,
Quite vanquish'd him"

 

What is worse, being ungrateful, or expecting people to be grateful?

...and complaining that people are ungrateful.

...and threatening to ban them if they are ungrateful.

 

What is worse, being ungrateful, or expecting people to be grateful?

...and complaining that people are ungrateful.

...and threatening to ban them if they are ungrateful.

Once we start threatening to ban people, we'll get people as "grateful" as Trumps staff...
(Not a political statement, just an example of "forced gratefulness")