On Sun, 2 Nov 2014 09:17:42 -0500, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

"robobass" wrote in message
...
On Friday, September 26, 2014 12:32:23 PM UTC+2, Lloyd E. Sponenburgh
wrote:
Larry Jaques fired this volley
in
:

Indeed. Too many of those uberProfs never get into the trenches
at
all, missing 2/3 of knowledge in their field by default. The
result
is that I seldom trust anyone with anything over a Master's. Too
often, it _is_ Piled Higher and Deeper.

Heh! I hired an East Indian once who hired on as hourly 'work'
staff at
the fireworks plant, but who professed to be a degreed mechanical
engineer by trade.

It became clear early on that he had zero manual skills, and no
knowledge
of tools or physical methods. He was simply astounded and
enthralled by
a simple scissor-style PVC pipe cutter, when it was demonstrated to
him.

I once asked him, as inoffensively as I could, how it could be the
case
that he was both degreed in the trade, and absent the manual skills.
He
said, "Oh, engineers nebber get deyer hands durty! Dat is for de
laborers! We design... Dey make de products!"

OhhhhhhKaayyyyy!

Never met an engineer worth his salt who couldn't turn a wrench!

LLoyd

Don't get me started. I have a good friend who has a high position in
aviation safety engineering. He has such an astoundingly poor
understanding of basic physics, mechanics, and electricity that I
don't understand how he even manages his household, let alone his job
. Many examples, but one day we were talking about car brakes, and I
mentioned that the rear discs were typically smaller than the front
ones. He had no clue as to why that should be. Still, he makes way
more money than me. My practical knowledge seems to have thwarted my
joining the 1%, but I have friends in the 0.1% who say that when the
**** really does hit the fan, then it's going to be good old Rob who
gets them through it. I like that.

=======================

In my experience the most capable engineers resist being moved into
management, so the less qualified ones become the bosses.
-jsw

WAY too true. The good engineers (among other disciplines) don't have
a stomach for the politics and bull**** that is involved, generally,
in a management position. They know what they are good at - and prefer
to stay with that.

Those who are not so good at what they do move up to something else.