From: jl@glen--canyon.com   
      
   On Sat, 31 Jan 2026 02:18:25 +1100, Bill Sloman    
   wrote:   
      
   >On 31/01/2026 12:43 am, Liz Tuddenham wrote:   
   >> Bill Sloman  wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> On 30/01/2026 9:15 pm, Liz Tuddenham wrote:   
   >>>> Bill Sloman  wrote:   
   >>>>   
   >>>> [...]   
   >>>>> The only electronics I did as a kid was to build a completely passive   
   >>>>> crystal set   
   >>>> [...]   
   >>>>   
   >>>> I think we may quote that in replies to some of your future posts.   
   >>>   
   >>> It didn't include any parts with gain, or any power source. What's your   
   >>> preferred description of the classic crystal set?   
   >>   
   >> The part that caught my eye was: " The only electronics I did as a kid".   
   >> Many of us spent our childhood teaching ourselves electronics - so we   
   >> may remind you of this difference next time you start making disparaging   
   >> remarks about other engineers' knowledge and abilities.   
   >   
   >John Larkin seems to think it gives you some kind of advantage.   
      
   Of course it does. As there is a huge advantage to learning chess or   
   math or languages or soccer when you are young. Actually doing stuff   
   involves practical feedbacks and acquired instincts.   
      
   University education seldom installs much in the way of instincts   
   either. It's too rigid and formalized, and too late.   
      
      
      
      
   >   
   >If you taught yourself when you were a kid, you didn't have a   
   >well-qualified teacher.   
      
   A mentor with instincts is great if you are lucky enough to have one.   
      
   >At least when I got into it, I did have a   
   >university library and book-shop to draw on and did get some advice from   
   >people who really knew what they were doing.   
      
   Obviously too late.   
      
   >   
   >I learned a lot when I started doing electronic engineering as my main   
   >job, and had some really skilled teachers and examplars, as a well as   
   >lot of colleagues who merely thought that they knew what they were   
   >doing, and earned a few disparaging remarks. A few disparaging remarks   
   >got published as comments in the Review of Scientific Instruments.   
      
   I sometimes read RSI when it's available. The circuits are hilarious.   
      
      
   John Larkin   
   Highland Tech Glen Canyon Design Center   
   Lunatic Fringe Electronics   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)