A simple thread made me thinking about the community

[Boncuk]

Here is a guy asking for help. The thread's original title:

"nee ur help and ur experince in electronic job".

I know it's a laugh for many people, but I looked at it from another point of view:

There is a person asking for help!

Certainly his mother's language is not English, but that is no reason why to reject help or offer basic basic electronic courses (probably by a self-made teacher?)

I could see by the title that the member was crying for help, which was refused in many cases.

Is the community at a level to laugh about any unqualified or lingual mishap? I also noticed an increasing number of statements, allowing no further interpretation.

A statement is: "You are dumb!", a question is: "Are you dumb?" You decide which one is more polite!

Please remember: We all have started out connecting at least one motor to a transformer using a switch: Push the switch -> motor on - push it again -> motor off.

After a while we probably noticed that the short proof transformer got hot to fry eggs on it. My father gave me a good hint pointing towards water valves for comparison. I fixed the error and enjoyed the motor rotating at max speed until the brushes were burnt off. (to buy new ones)

But this is not the problem.

It is more a mental than an electronic problem. I'm sure that many of our members don't have the time to give private language lessons, but there are some friends around here who have the time, but don't give a sh.t!

Well, I'm giving this friend my care. It doesn't take much more than 1/2 hour of daily training.

Let's wait and see how his English has improved after one month under the wings of a fatherly friend.

Boncuk

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Let's wait and see how his English has improved after one month under the wings of a fatherly friend.

And as we've all said in the existing thread, no one is criticising his 'English' because it's not his native tonque, only his use of "text speak" which makes him look retarded.

 

[Boncuk]

He probably hasn't learnt anything better.

 

[JimB]

Boncuk makes some very good points.

It is true that we native English speakers get rather irritated when the language is murdered by these foreign johnnies.
As a big generalisation native English speakers dont bother to learn a foreign language, probably because "they" (the foreigners) all speak English anyway.

Here on ETO we see all kinds of requests for help:

Someone who knows nothing about electronics, but is obviously well educated in some other field but needs help and can express their needs very accurately.

A Student who is studying electronics and can express the problem clearly, but just needs a bit of help understanding some obscure point.

The no hope student, probably from a third world country. Is incapable of understanding the basic concepts of electronics, but can write English reasonably well.

The truely useless student, no real understanding of electronics, uses text speak and wants (no, expects it NOW, if not sooner) the completed work presented to him on a plate, for free.


One of the problems of third world students is that they may be taught English by someone who only speaks it very badly themselves, the student does not stand a chance.
The student latches on to the concept of text-speak as a way to overcome their lack of ability in English, they think it makes them look cool and proficient in English. But in reality it only makes the problem worse.

There is also a problem with UK based English speakers, many years of decining educational standards have created a sub-culture which thinks that bad spelling and grammar is acceptable, may be in day to day life, but in any branch of science or engineering the correct use of words which are spelt correctly spelt is vital if the end result is to be a success.

The end result is that here on ETO, users of semi literate text-speak in broken English get the cold shoulder, if not a swift kick in the goolies!

JimB

 

[tvtech]

Slightly Off Topic..

Seriously though it is difficult enough to help a person to learn "basic electronics". Never mind full blown TV repairs where I know my stuff.

Sigh....

I started a thread a little while back..and thankfully it's buried now. It would of been an impossible task to keep it going without killing someone because they misunderstood my instructions.....

Trying my very best to keep members/newbies alive here.

23KV to 27KV is not fun to play with. Even if the CRT TV is Off.

The tube can still store charge after Months of being turned off/not used.

 

[canadaelk]

I consider myself a nooby to English (after 40+ years). They invented schematics to overcome the language barrier. Learn that langauge, think it, dream it, it will come to you! E

 

[Mickster]

Even within schematics, there are international differences though.

And what is it with those bloody transistor pinouts?

 

[Boncuk]

It is true that we native English speakers get rather irritated when the language is murdered by these foreign johnnies.JimB

Hi JimB,

if you want more irritation just study any user's manual translated from Chinese to English.

Something similar happened when the checklist for the C160 (Transall) was translated from German to English.

Landing gear doors had developed to "landing gear flaps".

I wasn't even authorized to correct for that error since the translater had copyrights on it.

Boncuk

 

[Boncuk]

And what is it with those bloody transistor pinouts?

What's wrong with different pinouts?

Sometimes BEC comes more handy than EBC (easier to route).

Boncuk

 

[Mickster]

What's wrong with different pinouts?

Sometimes BEC comes more handy than EBC (easier to route).

Boncuk

Fine for design, but substitution can be a PITA.

EDIT: BTW, that's a very kind gesture from yourself and a great opportunity for the member concerned. Two thumbs up!

 

[canadaelk]

For one-offs or test circuit designs I use a 4-pin star-shaped pattern: E-B-C-C. E (to many, oh, whatever!)

 

[tcmtech]

I prefer my transistors to be CEB or CBE myself.

 

[Boncuk]

Fine for design, but substitution can be a PITA.

That problem can be solved easily.

Please check out ECA - Semiconductor Information Resource Since 1970

On the main page select comparison list (German: Vergleichstabelle) and type in the transistor you want to substitute.

May be you'll have to pay a small fee for the info.

ECA also publishes datasheet books of all known semiconductors.

Regards

Boncuk