Jay Windley wrote:

The true path, I believe, lies somewhere between extremes. What I want to
instill in the minds of design novices is neither recklessness nor anal
retentativity. I believe that some people looking for a CAD system are
really looking for guidance on how to approach the problem of design. I
would want to warn them away from CAD if their thought is that it's a magic
bullet. The best thing I believe I can offer people is confidence in their
innate design ability, regardless of the tools used. I want people to look
for design expertise where it really lies, not in some shrink-wrapped
package.

We're in a lot closer agreement than I'd originally thought.
You're dead on with your comment about CAD neither being a magic
bullet nor a substitute for a fully engaged intellect. My
personal approach would be to tell 'em so - then give all the
encouragement I could to master /some/ CAD package (along with as
many other tools as possible).

One of my discoveries was that being able to use a CAD package
boosted my self confidence quite a bit because I could do
somewhat of a "dry run" in advance of every project. When I began
the actual work I felt as if I'd "been here before." I'm not sure
if it would work that way for everyone though.

Back in my early wodworking days I'd have given almost anything
for access to a resource like rec.woodworking - a lot of things
are getting better.

--
Morris Dovey
West Des Moines, Iowa USA