How Smart Are We??

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mpgmike

mpgmike

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For decades I considered myself a “Car Guy”. I got into electronics a tad over a decade ago because to work on daily-drivers, one needs an understanding of electronics. Today that’s what I do for a living. So of late I’m an “Electronics Guy with a Strong Passion for Cars”. In addition to FABO and FBBO I also frequent electronics and Microchip (microcontrollers) forums.

We come to this Forum with a knowledge base and experience. Folks post questions, fighting with their own project. At times we think to ourselves, “Geez, this guy doesn’t know much.” Other times we follow a build thread and have to admit, “Golly, that guy sure knows his stuff!” Either way, there is a group of members we consider below our abilities, a group ranking above, and usually a majority that fall within our skills and experience range. Consider the gap from the dumbass to the genius.

When I get on the electronics forums, that gap is a magnitude wider than I feel it is here. The idiots are truly clueless (usually much more so than here). However, the geniuses could show Einstein much. The precious range where I feel others are on my level is much smaller.

Do you have another passion where you see something similar?

NV5_Fig14.jpg
 
It sure ain't electronics, I can tell you that. LOL
 
Stand up philosophy is my strong suit electronics-not so much.
 
I really enjoy taking care of my farm pond. When I moved in I was in the clueless catagory and thought muskrats were cute. Now I have elevated myself to a balanced pond caretaker. BTW my profession is diamond grader so any questions I am the Michael Jordan (yes I am that old).
 
i spent 47 years as a mechanic. a mechanic, to me, is someone that can fix anything that comes into the garage. i hate the word "technician". i also spent 29 years in the parts store world, at night and weekends. i always strived, not to be the best, but to do the best job i could. i love history and i read all i can about everything and anything in the past. the op mentions guys that don't know or man that guy knows, but the way i look at it was what they told us in the army, there are no dumb questions. ask away. i feel that same way. i tell people, i am not smarter than you, i have just seen more in my life time than you have so far in yours. in the early 80's when autos were transitioning from electronic ign to computers, a lot of guys were dumbfounded and scared. most just pulled their hat down and started to understand where the factory guys were coming from. my grandpa said to me "if you don't learn something new everyday, you ain't paying attention." i agreed 100% with the op. we need to help the others on this site that ask for help that we have the knowledge to help them with. (sorry, this is long and winding and was written on a throne like RRR's)
 
rbkt65 said:
i spent 47 years as a mechanic. a mechanic, to me, is someone that can fix anything that comes into the garage. i hate the word "technician". i also spent 29 years in the parts store world, at night and weekends. i always strived, not to be the best, but to do the best job i could. i love history and i read all i can about everything and anything in the past. the op mentions guys that don't know or man that guy knows, but the way i look at it was what they told us in the army, there are no dumb questions. ask away. i feel that same way. i tell people, i am not smarter than you, i have just seen more in my life time than you have so far in yours. in the early 80's when autos were transitioning from electronic ign to computers, a lot of guys were dumbfounded and scared. most just pulled their hat down and started to understand where the factory guys were coming from. my grandpa said to me "if you don't learn something new everyday, you ain't paying attention." i agreed 100% with the op. we need to help the others on this site that ask for help that we have the knowledge to help them with. (sorry, this is long and winding and was written on a throne like RRR's)
Click to expand...

Agreed 100% but it doesn't help when those that "know" argue from a position of authority. When someone tells me I'm wrong, tell me why, in real terms, not that you have done XYZ for 400 years and I haven't so therefore you're right... maybe you've been doing it wrong for 400 years and getting lucky...

MY mistake, and I own it, is that I will argue until I'm blue in the face, until you prove me wrong, then I'm all over what you have to offer. I don't do this for everything, just the things I a believe I "know". I guess what I mean, is that I am open to being wrong, but bring a crowbar.
 
Electronics are my best. But been doing this **** for 50 years so I'm pretty well versed. But sometimes it's great to talk to someone else and throw ideas around. And if someone has any questions I'm always open for that. But I sure as hell don't know everything! And I fully agree with grandpa.
Do you or others you know repair electronics. Face plate on a infotainment system for a 07 Subaru?
 
rbkt65 said:
i spent 47 years as a mechanic. a mechanic, to me, is someone that can fix anything that comes into the garage. i hate the word "technician". i also spent 29 years in the parts store world, at night and weekends. i always strived, not to be the best, but to do the best job i could. i love history and i read all i can about everything and anything in the past. the op mentions guys that don't know or man that guy knows, but the way i look at it was what they told us in the army, there are no dumb questions. ask away. i feel that same way. i tell people, i am not smarter than you, i have just seen more in my life time than you have so far in yours. in the early 80's when autos were transitioning from electronic ign to computers, a lot of guys were dumbfounded and scared. most just pulled their hat down and started to understand where the factory guys were coming from. my grandpa said to me "if you don't learn something new everyday, you ain't paying attention." i agreed 100% with the op. we need to help the others on this site that ask for help that we have the knowledge to help them with. (sorry, this is long and winding and was written on a throne like RRR's)
Click to expand...

Hmm. I liked the era when a "shop foreman" ran a dealership service department. Typically someone who came up through the ranks and could actually discuss technical details with you. Now all you get is a "service advisor", some sweet young thing who has difficulty getting past "I can get you in at 9:00". As to the transition to more and more digital equipment on autos, it is just like anything else, you get the tools, you get the service information, you do it. BTW, my Dad told me the same thing your grandad did. Along with "you can learn something of value from even the stupidest SOB". Finally, I don't mind helping people if I can. But good God, please do some research first on your own. Try to help yourself first. This "I am an empty vessel, fill me with your knowledge" crap doesn't cut any ice with me.
 
I’ve been a wrench all my life. Automotive Electronics and automatic transmissions were always kind of black magic at every place I’ve worked. There is always one or two “specialists” that got those projects. Wanting to be well versed, I usually throw myself into stuff I don’t understand just to get better at it. When I built my falcon I decided to start from scratch and build the entire EFI system from the ecu to the engine. Harness and all. It was definitely a learning experience. But it was fun and I no longer have to rely on someone else to fix it or tune it. I did the same thing with the 904 and 46re for my darts. Still hate doing those but at least I can understand them now.
 
I dunno man, I just sit back and watch. People are funny and most are pretty stupid IMO, and full of poop. The ones that talk like they know are the best.
 
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You're very smart for doing something you like and enjoy! Technical guru knowledge is meh compared to a life well-lived.

I'm going to start a new endeavor, cultivating cannabis. It's legal now here. I don't even smoke it anymore, just going to do it because I can. I'm going for pretty flowers over THC content lol

I started in electronics back in the 70s working on F-15s, back when 'electronic technicians' made decent money and got benefits. I built radios and such when I was a kid, so it was natural for me. Later on, I got into computer programming and systems admin, and made that my career. I had the 2nd Windows NT Server in the state of NM when I worked at Los Alamos, and I worked directly with Microsoft developing the product. Back then, Microsoft was a joy to work with. I dealt with true badasses located in the USA and learned all I could soak up. Then I became one of the first 2000 Microsoft Certifed Systems Engineers (MCSE) in the country. I thought I was hot ****.

I still enjoy writing a slick algorithm that performs a 'miracle', but querying and retrieving data and displaying it to a 'user' is rote as it gets for me. I'm done with most anything computer. It doesn't excite me anymore and I'm glad to be away from it.

I kept the pin as a memento
mcse.JPG
 
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Been into electronics longer than I've been into Mopars. Haven't really kept up, even though I've made my living at it for 40 years. CudaJim has been into chip design and other aspects of electronics since before I met him (1983), so between us we have over 80 years of electronics experience BUT we still managed to try to hook up a ground to a license plate screw...Hmm, wonder why the trailer lights don't work...
 
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