The sneering detractors

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Georgengineer.

Thanks for the translation. It was all Greek to me!

(Actually knew it was Latin, but SO long ago that had forgotten almost all that I had learned.)

With the tendency for tailgating, I like the "If you can read this you are too close" stickers. The trouble is that usually the text is so small as to encourage getting dangerously close to read it!

Now that is probably another red herring running!

Howard

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Something has been nagging me about Bob Stevenson’s choice of expression

… It seemed familiar, but not

Then, I suddenly realised that sneering detractors must be the anti-matter equivalent of strange attractors

**LINK**

https://www.stsci.edu/~lbradley/seminar/attractors.html

Thus … their evil can be balanced, if we witter on harmlessly in the usual chaotic way

MichaelG.

[DanielParticipant @daniel]

Posted by Howard Lewis on 23/05/2020 16:04:08:

…..

With the tendency for tailgating, I like the "If you can read this you are too close" stickers. The trouble is that usually the text is so small as to encourage getting dangerously close to read it!

Now that is probably another red herring running!

Howard

I have often had the same thought, Howard.

They could be a bit larger (in my case much larger).

ATB,

Daniel.

[DanielParticipant @daniel]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 23/05/2020 16:04:34:

Something has been nagging me about Bob Stevenson’s choice of expression

… It seemed familiar, but not

Then, I suddenly realised that sneering detractors must be the anti-matter equivalent of strange attractors

**LINK**

https://www.stsci.edu/~lbradley/seminar/attractors.html

Thus … their evil can be balanced, if we witter on harmlessly in the usual chaotic way

MichaelG.

Cheers Michael for that suggestion.

I had also thought it an odd choice of title that must have had some hidden meaning.

ATB,

Daniel

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Georgineer on 23/05/2020 15:53:14

Andrew, I find Lingua Latina occasionibus omnibus Henricus Barbus scripsit (Latin for All occasions by Henry Beard) valuable for social occasions.

I'm currently looking for a bumper sticker that says SI HOC ADFIXUM IN OBICE LEGERE POTES, ET LIBERALITER EDUCATUS ET NIMIS PROPINQUUS ADES. (If you can read this bumper sticker, you are both very well educated and much too close).

George B.

Careful you could end upon the receiving end of Ira Via…

(OK I had to get Google translate to help me with 'Ira'…)

[Nigel (egi)Participant @nigelegi]

I've been a model maker for over 40 years, taught by my dad, but never formally taught engineering. I use the wrong words and I'm sure there are some who would cringe if they saw me in my workshop, but what does it matter. My days in the workshop calm my mind and relax me after some long and difficult weeks at work. This is a hobby that brings me peace. I make models, I have fun researching and sketching ideas for new models to make.

It's very easy to criticise someone else, it's much harder to add worthy comments that help and encourage more people to enjoy this wonderful hobby.

My dad always said "it's very easy to break something, but if you make models it is unlikely you will break anything as you will understand what it takes to create" (words as I remember them and not as said as he died nearly 20 years ago).

Let's help the next generation, Nigel

[Mike JosephParticipant @mikejoseph75242]

This has come a long way from 'The Carpers' and I think that is a good thing.

And I may have started somethnig with the Latin – congratulations to all of you who can do it.

And to add to this day of wonder: I was talking to an acquaintance in front of a (sadly closed) pub and out of nowhere a blue tit alighted on my shoulder. – a real gem of a day!

Cheers all, am about to watch Arlo Guthrie's 'Alice's Restaurant'.

Keep mangling metal,

Mike

[Jon LawesParticipant @jonlawes51698]

At the end of the day this is supposed to be fun….

[JAParticipant @ja]

Posted by Mike Joseph on 23/05/2020 21:32:54:

Cheers all, am about to watch Arlo Guthrie's 'Alice's Restaurant'.

Keep mangling metal,

Mike

I thought it was an LP, from a long time ago. I could play it but I do not have a turntable.

JA

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by JA on 23/05/2020 22:39:38:

Posted by Mike Joseph on 23/05/2020 21:32:54:

Cheers all, am about to watch Arlo Guthrie's 'Alice's Restaurant'.

Keep mangling metal,

Mike

I thought it was an LP, from a long time ago. I could play it but I do not have a turntable.

JA

.

If you haven’t seen the film … try to

MichaelG.

[Mike JosephParticipant @mikejoseph75242]

Have just seen the film – not what I anticipated but still fun.

And keep mangling metal!

Mike

[Alan Waddington 2Participant @alanwaddington2]

Posted by Jon Lawes on 23/05/2020 21:51:53:

At the end of the day this is supposed to be fun….

Say that to myself every time i chuck another lump of metal in the bin……….

[Anonymous]

Posted by Nigel Graham 2 on 23/05/2020 12:41:49

The photo doesn't reveal the general engine type but I know various forms of steam admission were fitted by different makers.

I'm building two 4" Burrell single crank compound engines. Wow, designing from scratch is certainly a labour of love. I sure wouldn't want to do it without the aid of 3D CAD.

My engines are based on fullsize, they're never going to be exact replicas. There are some major differences which I can't correct without starting a new design from scratch, such as the brake being on the wrong side. Now that is interesting; I thought I'd better just check that statement. The SCC in the Burrell museum has the brake on the left. But in pictures of another engine supplied by a member of the TT forum the brake is on the right, as it is on my drawings. So it looks like anything goes!

Naturally there are some compromises (and even socket head cap screws) internally but externally I'm trying to stick to at least the spirit of the design, staying mostly with imperial fasteners, many of which I'm making myself.

Andrew

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Posted by Andrew Johnston on 23/05/2020 07:01:00:

Whatever else I may be good at I have zero ability for languages.

Andrew

Surprised to hear you say that that when your English is unusually competent. [Unusually again, perhaps, I make a study of these things.]

On the other hand, foreign languages were famously a closed book to Philip Larkin too, and yet what can we say about his use of English, except that it was masterly?

[JourneymanParticipant @journeyman]

One must ask… Is a "Sneering Detractor" akin to a " Vermicious Knid" ?

John

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Dilbert for Sunday May 24 2020

[VicParticipant @vic]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 21/05/2020 14:55:24:

This is a tricky one!

Surely we know that the Internet has serious quality problems? A fair percentage of material published on the web is unbalanced. Well-meaning or not, it's littered with mistakes, misunderstandings, naiveties, incompetence, Payola, faulty logic, safety hazards, and fake news. Some youtube videos containing good advice are unwatchable due to poor presentation, whilst others are convincingly slick but plain wrong. It's often hard to tell the difference between beginners blundering along as they learn from whizz-kids who really knows their stuff.

So what should forum members do about flawed information on the web? Personally I think it wrong to pretend all is well. An engineering hobby is about best practice and truth, not covering up because we like people, or admire their enthusiasm. No reason not to be polite though.

In that spirit I try to be clear it's the engineering I criticise, not the individuals! Personally I positively welcome being corrected because I get stuff wrong and misspeak rather more than I like. An important advantage of the forum is peer review. If I stick a carp video on the web, innocents will fall for it. If I post poor stuff here, there are several capable of putting me right and willing to do so. Well done them, because forum quality is all the better for it! Sad my ego is so badly bruised I often cry myself to sleep, but the end justifies the means.

Can't comment on Steve Jordan's work – never watched any of his videos.

Dave

You’re going to surprise me one day Dave by being wrong. Today is not the day – again!

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

I posted a comment to a YouTube video and up pops this person said English was his third language then began to correct my grammar. I simply replied that English was not my first language 'black country' was

H

[Bob StevensonParticipant @bobstevenson13909]

Vic & Dave……..Of course we should comment on poor or dangerous practices…indeed, there is a duty of knowledge to prevent injury, and also to help people who are trying their best etc…

But, there is a right and a wrong way of making comments. PLEASE read my last paragraph again! Most people here are, as I said, very helpful and friendly but the sneering detractors are not here to help……There have been sites on the web that have folded due to the attitudes of a few who were not confronted or put in thier place, it's just pure bully boy tactics and these people thrive on bullying.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Bullies will give up after they either get a good thumping, or find that they are ignored, and get no feedback.

Often, a bitten tongue is more effective that giving a metaphorical black eye.

If they are really bad enough, the Moderators can always ban them! (And some must sail close to that wind )

Howard

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Posted by Howard Lewis on 24/05/2020 16:55:11:

If they are really bad enough, the Moderators can …..

Ah, finally the voice of reason.

[VicParticipant @vic]

I very rarely comment on YouTube videos even if I see something amiss. I should do really I suppose but it’s not worth arguing over. Same on social media. The thing I will pull folks up on is rudeness.

[Mike JosephParticipant @mikejoseph75242]

Safe working practice also includes the electrics: a number of times I have been tempted to write to the ME to point out some dodgy wiring in the background of a photo but the trouble is that I usually get my MEs secondhand from a friend some months after publication…

Incidentally, some time ago I had a motor go flash-bang on me. This was written up at the time in MEW. Anyone with an older machine (like mine) might find it worthwhile having a Portable Appliance Test on the motor. The internal leads ('tails&#39 on my old Hoover motor were rubber and had perished – a potential fire.

[Mike JosephParticipant @mikejoseph75242]

That should have read: ( ' tails ' )

Smiley was auto!

[Andy CarruthersParticipant @andycarruthers33275]

Thanks for posting this thread Bob

I read this forum with interest, always something to pique my interest. I certainly don’t get everything right even with excellent advise given here – mostly I don’t have enough experience or foundation in the basics. But I do try and sometimes surprise myself, I’d rather try and fail than not try at all, at least I get into the workshop when opportunity permits and make some swarf

There are many whose posts I prefer, and a few I skip over, life is too short to get caught up on trivia

[Author]

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