From: bill.sloman@ieee.org   
      
   On 25/02/2026 3:16 am, john larkin wrote:   
   > On Tue, 24 Feb 2026 17:39:48 +1100, Bill Sloman    
   > wrote:   
   >   
   >> On 24/02/2026 4:59 am, john larkin wrote:   
   >>> On Mon, 23 Feb 2026 16:52:17 +1100, Bill Sloman    
   >>> wrote:   
   >>>   
   >>>> On 23/02/2026 2:31 am, john larkin wrote:   
   >>>>> On Sun, 22 Feb 2026 15:12:29 +1100, Bill Sloman    
   >>>>> wrote:   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>>> On 22/02/2026 3:22 am, john larkin wrote:   
   >>>>>>> On Mon, 16 Feb 2026 11:59:04 -0800, john larkin    
   >>>>>>> wrote:   
      
      
        
      
   >>> $1000 and some imagination could start a nice little business.   
   >>   
   >> You also need customers.   
   >   
   > That's part of having "some imagination."   
      
   Imaginary customers aren't a reliable source of real income.The kind of   
   business plan that invests money in attracting the interest of real   
   customers gets expensive fast. One of colleagues made money out of   
   designing stuff for members of his golf club. My hockey club members   
   weren't into that.   
      
   >>> I might teach a class at a local college. Every student would get some   
   >>> parts and some solder and a DVM.   
   >>   
   >> And a collection of horrible examples of how to do electronic design   
   ineptly.   
   >   
   > I have a single circuit in mind. Something that will give the kids some   
   > instincts. Well, some of the kids.   
   >   
   > Giving away DVMs would be useful to all of the kids.   
      
   A DVM is useless without something to measure. That single circuit needs   
   a power supply to produce voltages for the kids to measure. If they   
   learn anything, they'll want different components to solder into at   
   least slightly different circuits.   
      
   >> Your lack pf enthusiasm for hiring people who have got Ph.D.s tells the   
   >> story.   
   >   
   > I'm just an engineer. I do what works.   
      
   You do what you think will work. The stuff that you don't seem to be   
   equipped to think up might work better. Exposure to people who might   
   think up better circuits isn't something that you seem to be all that   
   enthusiastic about. Perhaps you think that they don't exist.   
      
   --   
   Bill Sloman, Sydney   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)