Engineers/techs that don't want to share knowledge? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: fubar.gr
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 24, 2015, 11:41:58 pm
content: I've encountered this "knowledge withholding" attitude several times by several people and I don't know what to make out of this.It usually breaks down into two categories1) Withholding knowledge from the general public.Some techs fear that if their "trade secrets" leak out to the general public, then they won't be needed anymore and they'll lose their client base.2) Withholding knowledge from fellow techs/engineers.This is about keeping a competitive edge against other techs/engineersPersonally, my knee-jerk reaction is that knowledge should be shared freely, but I was thinking lately that maybe the withholders are right after all and we should be entitled to keep our hard-earned knowledge for our personal gain?What's your opinion on this?

author: crispy_tofu
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2015, 11:45:20 pm
content: People always want to be better than others...

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2015, 11:50:41 pm
content: That depends on what you do. If you are a consultant than you share the knowledge for a living, so sharing it freely makes no sense.

author: bitslice
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 12:12:46 am
content: I've been in the situation where I've been asked to pass on a working knowledge of something to a kid, so they could make me redundant and give him my jobWhich sucks, but also funny when shortly after they had to scrap the system I'd built - because you pay peanuts, you get monkeysAs for passing on knowledge, on forums yes, because you always learn something new from just being there.But in a working environment sometimes knowledge is what keeps you employed, blame the management.

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 12:13:04 am
content: As a consultant my longest 6 month contract actually lasted 10 years with very good rate increases on each renewal. I put this down to my ability to mentor client "permie" staff and not be an arse about my magic black arts. Most of the staffers really didn't pick it up but occasionally I would find a bright spark and it was very enjoyable to work with someone interested. I couldn't care less if they where permies or contractors. But I did get pulled aside by other contractors who asked me to "slow down" and "not give the game away"...Of course it was a different game when the business decided to sack all the IT staff and replace them with Indian H1Bs... Thankfully I never got tasked with training them to take everyones jobs, because I was the last contractor out the door and much easier to get rid of than any permie.I guess they would rue the day they did that but it was/is fashionable in Blue Chip CEO circles. If only central banks would stop propping these too big to fails and the ridiculous debt enslaved economy by stealing from the taxpayers by artifical and absurdly low interest rates.

author: Tomorokoshi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 12:42:37 am
content: I've seen both, and I'm probably guilty of both.Some comes down to pride, some comes down to ignorance, some comes down to socialization, some comes down to practicality.Ignoring malcontents, one dynamic I've seen is between the older, "wiser" engineer and the young kid engineer.It can come from:1. Preventing how much trouble the new kid can get into2. Preserving his place in the knowledge hierarchy3. Reducing the chances that his tools / equipment / work area gets screwed upIt takes a while to learn where everything goes. New kids tend to commit minor infractions by doing things like borrowing tools without asking, leaving the solder station on, taking parts from the storage area without checking them out, etc.More subtly, a busy engineer with several projects and responsibilities gets slowed down by answering "basic" questions every 20 minutes from the new kid. Therefore, one may slow down the rate at which answers are given in order to stay on track.

author: andtfoot
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 01:35:09 am
content: I have sometimes been accused of "knowledge withholding" at work, but that's generally because I'm not asked questions in the first place.A few factors (not being a social person, not wanting to be a smart-arse, not knowing if the other person is actually interested, etc) means I don't often share knowledge without being asked for it.

author: all_repair
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 02:07:53 am
content: Not going into the obvious why some knowledge should and must not be shared.But I have met too many people that are simply too lazy and asking very lazy questions that they could have found out by doing a basic search and readup. It is simply waste of answerer time. A display of no respect of other people time. Answering these types of question likely cause more harm to the people that asked as they likely to not break out of that mode of behaviour.

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 03:00:59 am
content: Hell, I share valuable info everywhere I go. It's one thing to be told valuable knowledge; it's another to actually understand and use it.A tech is probably a tech because they don't know how to, or aren't interested in being, an engineer. Contemplate that.I've worked at a place which had a stifling attitude (and really only due to one person; guess which position they had..). It was frustrating. It's my understanding, they aren't doing very well these days. Oh well...Tim

author: SL4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 03:03:39 am
content: If it's in a casual forum like this, or in an unofficial capacity - it's sometimes because the experienced 'genius' isn't really confident of their own knowledge - and don't want to be exposed as weaker than their image projects...OTOH - there are others that take corrections on the chin, and learn for themselves from the teaching process.

author: krish2487
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 04:22:53 am
content: A often used quote comes to mind"If you can't explain it to a 5 year old, then you don't really understand it yourself"I ve found that by actually explaining to others, I find it easier to understand it myself.Withholding knowledge really limits how best I can understand the item in question.This is, however, just a personal opinion.Knowledge is free, education is expensive.As teslacoil put it, merely knowing something does not make the person capable of using it.It holds true for the person sharing the knowledge too.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 04:30:37 am
content: I was told once that because I share so many tips and findings with others, that it looks like I'm bragging.Of course that person would sometimes get stuck on something for a long period of time and ask for my assistance and then when telling that person that it's a simple fix, just do this, the would say "That won't work! I know it won't work! I know it because I've tried it before!" And I say "Ok, well that was my suggestion, it's worked for me" and suddenly see that they've closed out that issue as resolved immediately after talking to me...

author: JoeB83
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 06:48:33 am
content: I've seen instances of this happening with engineers and techs alike where they wouldn't share info because they don't actually know the answer. Not helping or sharing info is less embarrassing than admitting they don't know.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 07:00:06 am
content: It's been my experience that asking Engineers questions is usually a waste of time.They are thinking about their current project,& don't want to be distracted thinking about other stuff.As a result,with the best of motives,they will give you a "snap diagnosis"of a problem cause,without spending much time thinking about it.Even when you've already looked into that possibility,it is very easy to find yourself revisiting it,assuming that you missed something.If you can get them to really think about the problem,they may have a very useful insight,but that is usually quite difficult.Nice folks,but a bit scatty!And,T3sl4co1l----sometimes a Tech is a Tech because they had to go out and earn a living & couldn't afford to go to Uni!

author: Seekonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 07:38:49 am
content: Nobody's so damn well educated that you can't learn ninety percent of what he knowsin six weeks. The other ten percent is decoration.Kurt Vonnegut, Player PianoOf course they will be afraid to let any of that knowledge get out.

author: Galenbo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 09:27:57 am
content: In real life and work, I'm more like the open-book kind of guy, but sometimes I keep things for myself.Top reasons:-I smell salesguy/meeting/managementism. No real intrest, out to remember some fancy words, ready to sell them.-The guy refused before to share it's little findings, and now wants to look into my work?-I sense the guy wants to hear the fast-forward, while I think he needs the slow motion.-Expect vs Ask.-The guy has no knowledge base to possibly understand what I say, and is below the starting point, only narrowly 'informed' by things like media.-He shows even no little repect for me or my lifestyle. That's not mandatory, of course. I don't expect info from guys I don't respect eather.-He wants a fast off the shelf solution and estimates it 5 minutes work but it took me a whole month.

author: fubar.gr
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 06:56:05 pm
content: Some time ago I uploaded a video in my YT channel filming myself swapping a faulty RCD.I showed how to open the electrical panel, how to identify the various parts inside, how to make sure that nothing is energized, and then went on with the actual RCD replacement.I got several angry comments from electricians requesting that I delete that video. One of them explicitly told me that I shouldn't be "leaking" trade secrets.Doh!

author: DimitriP
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 09:39:45 pm
content: Quote from: fubar.gr on November 25, 2015, 06:56:05 pmOh..you are talking about THEM....well, when it comes to anyone that usually comes over to your house /apartment or building in general, all bets are off.Specifically:Electricians, plumbers,contractors,roofers, pool repair, carpet installers, movers, glass repair, home inspectors, and last ...but not least....appliance repair.For all of the above, the more YOU do , the less work they have. So they hate it.Just do a search for moisture in walls, for every guy or gal having detected moisture with a thermal camera there is at least one inspector/roofer type of guy complaining that homeowners should NOT be able to buy thermal cameras.I dont' have a pickup truck full of tools but for almost anything that goes wrong in my house I'll go against anyone with a ford F350 ( or whatever the "trade model" is) with a magnetic sign on the door. Anywhere , anytime.But like them, I want $120 to show up, $70 an hour, plus expenses,, travel time, plus parts plus lead time for the parts to be delivered.If you know what I meanHow about a link to the video ?

author: Flump
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 11:01:22 pm
content: i had this problem with an arduino sketch , i just needed some basic help but on the 3 forumsi posted on (not eev) they just said said very vague stuff on how to go about it and when isaid i didnt understand and could they explain more they clammed up.

author: FireFlower
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 11:20:18 pm
content: I have seen the 2nd one at my work but that happens only becomes company hasn't made any policy about sharing information because they think everybody wants to share information they haveDamn management!Anyway when I started as part timer at my current work place, well I am still part timer but more like house person already and almost irreplaceable to them (irony?). I have been teaching my fellow work buddies at work how to identify problem and fix it themselves, something other repair guys do not approve because they're dummies who can't tell difference between positive and negative terminals. Well they stay that way if you do not teach them.So we had this one guy who was closing to his retirement age and he said he will quit around that time and enjoy the world by travelling around. I think he wanted to share knowledge but he didn't have skills to teach so pretty much his advice were very general when I asked pretty specific stuff about the boards what he had fixed before. Of course he didn't make any documentation either so there you have the old guy who has been working in house for over 30 years and 0 days spent on documentation what he has doneDamn management!

author: DimitriP
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 11:20:56 pm
content: Quote from: Flump on November 25, 2015, 11:01:22 pmSo one of three things happened...You abandoned it,Someone from the 4th forum answered /explained it,You figured it out.If the first, it wasn't important enough,if the second you got luckyif the third, you made your own discovery and that's a good thing

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 11:59:25 pm
content: Quote from: Macbeth on November 25, 2015, 12:13:04 amThat closely follows my experience, although I managed to eke out 16.5 years in one contract ;-)Firstly, when anyone asks me a question, invariably I respond asking them about the context, so I can furnish a reasonable response around it. More often than not, giving a simple basic response is of little value and sometimes can be devastating.I worked with a guy once who we daren't send to customers but he was shit hot technically. He was crap at giving out information, you had to know exactly the right question to ask, and he'd give you a terse answer that was technically correct. The problem was that sometimes he'd give a technically correct answer to your question knowing full well it had no value for the context you were asking it, and sometimes in those contexts it was plain wrong.On one occasion I went to a customer overseas armed with the knowledge he'd furnished me, only to find that when I got there that didn't apply. He knew that all along, I'd just not asked the question in the right way, we looked stupid as a company, I looked stupid, and it helped in us losing a £20m/annum contract. It was the only time I have ever given someone a hairdryer treatment in my career, something I'm not proud of, although afterwards I was somewhat consoled by the fact that his contract wasn't renewed, but mine was.I find that some people I've dealt with just need spoon feeding to be honest shouldn't be there at all. As a general rule I try to give pointers rather than give a final answer, in an attempt to get people use and improve their analytical skills. Regretfully, some people just don't seem to want to learn.On one job a few years ago I was desperate to get the tech guys to figure it out for themselves, I knew they were capable of it, but years of being crushed by the corporate machine meant they'd gone pretty sterile when it came to figuring out stuff for themselves. I gave them a few pointers and what they should look for, but I failed. Years of mindless procedure following had stifled their natural talent for taking some information and being able interpreting it. I gave them a shot at fixing a production system, but they couldn't even apply a few basic calculations I'd given them with the performance figures they'd collected, instead they took my worked example and used those figures instead to apply to the production system

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2015, 12:29:58 am
content: Quote from: Howardlong on November 25, 2015, 11:59:25 pmIf you managed that AND stayed out of IR35 then I am very impressed

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2015, 12:32:14 am
content: Quote from: Macbeth on November 26, 2015, 12:29:58 amIndeed I did, and it's now over seven years since I finished so HMRC here's your middle finger.

author: Paul Moir
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2015, 08:21:35 am
content: 3) Do not ... cast your pearls before swine ...The trick is to know when you're the swine, so you can convince the other you are not.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2015, 10:02:29 am
content: To have to try and force information out of an engineer is not on. I have had to work with the engineers on the rare occasion who do not share information and think they are better than everyone else.From of technical perspective, this is usually because of three main reasons:(1) They have problems with pride, usually due to lack of their own self esteem(2) They are socially inept, often due to a poor upbringing(3) They are first class wankersMost engineers I know and certainly all the engineers I work with are more that happy to share information if it helps the requester and helps get the job done. We are a great team and that is one reason I like working where I do. I have found in most companies it is like that, but you do get companies where "there is always one".

author: Gribo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2015, 12:51:04 pm
content: In my experience, the ones not sharing information are usually the least secure with their skills. There is more than enough work for every engineer and technician out there without having to reverse engineer someone's josecurity.h file.

author: Seekonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2015, 04:51:49 pm
content: From a different perspective.....I went to college prior to the era of political correctness. When a student would ask my physics teacher a question he would just stare at them a minute and then say "You don't belong here." I never had to ask a question but at the time thought it was a little harsh. Now I am in total agreement. None of those students were prepared and just wanted to be spoon fed information. Most questions I see on engineering blogs could easily be answered if people just did a little research. Really, if you honestly have to ask a question it is unlikely you will do anything with the answer. I've hired electronics techs for dozens of years and have given a four question test. Simple stuff, a transistor driving a LED with all the voltages listed. Applicants that said they did component level repair would run out of the building after looking at the test. Four multiple choice answers 25% if you close your eyes. I even gave credit if they didn't choose the two stupidest answers. 35% was a good score and they would be hired. Shameful what passes for education!

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2015, 05:05:27 pm
content: The only people scared of giving away their 'knowledge' are the ones that don't have very much and/or don't know how to create it...

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2015, 05:37:00 pm
content: Quote from: fubar.gr on November 24, 2015, 11:41:58 pmDepends. I can't think of anyone that I have worked with who withheld information with co-workers. Work related topics stay at work. Employees that give away or sell their companies trade secrets are a problem.If it's general hobby stuff, I think for the most part I will take the time to at least point someone in what I think is the right direction.

author: jaxbird
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2015, 05:42:58 pm
content: Sorry to say this, but in most cases if someone does not want to share knowledge with you, it is because he thinks you are not worth the effort. As in he thinks you are an idiot.I've never known any engineers who were not eager to share knowledge with a suitable student.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 26, 2015, 05:47:17 pm
content: Us field techs have an interesting relationship with an engineer with one of our major equipment suppliers. He started out in the field so still has the field tech mentality. When he came to train us on the new equipment, he asked if we wanted to be trained the company way or his. We all chose his. He is still available by email for vexing issues. My company hired away one of the company techs to work in the central processing center. He was horrible at supplying information to us field techs. We all thought that it was because of perceived job insecurity. 11 years later, he is much more approachable, giving out information, honest opinions and will say when even he has no clue. It's a shame it took so long.I agree with joeqsmith. Within the company, information should be shared freely. We can't share most of the information outside of the company, a lot of it even with the customer. It revolves around IP, HIPAA regs and company policy in general. The customer gets what is necessary to honor the contract even though they basically define the contract.

author: jaxbird
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2015, 05:55:02 pm
content: Quote from: GreyWoolfe on November 26, 2015, 05:47:17 pmHIPAA requirements are no secret though, they are very open in what they require from anyone dealing with any health records. However many small clinics cannot live up to these requirements yet.

author: Neilm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2015, 07:57:21 pm
content: The only time I have refused to "share information" was when I knew that the tech asking me the question was just doing it to get the overtime. ANY tech with 20 years of fault finding experience in electronics should at least have some idea of a window comparator and he should have heard of ohms law. (He is also well known for putting in requests to change test specifications so all the boards pass)Fortunately I have a new manager so now when that tech turns up if I can't answer the question he originally asked in less than 10 minutes I tell him to arrange my time with my boss.

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2015, 08:29:48 pm
content: At least he put in requests. Worse still are people who change tests on their own initiative, because a given test is consistently failing.Yes, moron, the boards in this batch WILL all fail in the same place if the original photo plot has a scratch on it.

author: FireFlower
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2015, 08:39:11 pm
content: I have many times requested test specs to be changed but just because I know they cannot be met. For example board has +24V line and it gets feed backed back to same board trough connector (hey there ain't reason to put extra power supply there to power up that another input line with +24V right? And then they measure the line after diode to see if it is +24V. So first test says min requirement for +24V line is 24.00V and usually it is around 24.4 or 24.5 volts but sometimes some component tolerance combinations you see 24.1 to 24.3 and that second 24V rail that is feed backed trough connector back into board is now showing 23.9V and its spec says min voltage is 24.00.Because technically there was nothing wrong with board and fixing these boards was nuts because clearly somebody brain farted with test specsI have seen same things happening when ramping up overshoot triggers over voltage protection etc and board fails even tough there ain't nothing wrong with it.I see nothing wrong with requesting test specs to be changed when you clearly state the issue and explain your opinion what to do fix it.

author: 3roomlab
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2015, 09:37:32 pm
content: Quote from: Seekonk on November 26, 2015, 04:51:49 pmi believe there are certain people who cannot read properly due to certain conditions, but can be taught well, i cant remember what the mental condition is called.

author: IconicPCB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2015, 10:18:03 pm
content: dyslexia

author: iampoor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2015, 04:25:40 am
content: Quote from: free_electron on November 26, 2015, 05:05:27 pmI think it also depends on the person your dealing with. I dont share knowledge with people who only intend to capitalize on it.....I have had some clients that I shared too much information with, an they figured they could then "do the work themself". Needless to say, it turned into a mess...

author: IconicPCB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2015, 05:57:41 am
content: Fundamental truth.. there is no compulsion to volunteer knowledge. Nobody can beat you about the head to spill it, just like nobody can force You to love somebody.There may be a requirement to instruct people within the job/position definition.Let us not forget techos are not sharing their income while apprentices with the engineering students who end up with a sizable expense to acquire their knowledge.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2015, 08:00:38 am
content: Quote from: GreyWoolfe on November 26, 2015, 05:47:17 pmIn my experience,trade secrets,IP,etc are a pile of horse faeces when it comes to hardware.Very few manufacturers have new & innovative ways to do things------often their technology is very similar to their competitors.Softwaremaybe different---Financial details of the business certainly are.A Tech chatting about his job very rarely causes any problems.An Accountant doing the same could be a disaster!By the way,if your customer is at the other side of the World,do you basically abandon them,like many suppliers?

author: Seekonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2015, 08:06:46 am
content: Last year a car ran out of gas in front of my house. There were four people in the vehicle all in their very early 20's. I had just cut grass and my gas can was out. They asked me if I would go and get gas for them. I declined but told them there was a gas station just around the corner and they could use the can. I'm an old man and walk past it every day with my dog. They never took up my offer. Next thing I saw was all four of them outside the vehicle on cell phones trying to get someone to save them and it obviously worked.They did what they thought reasonable and so did I. The world went on. What goes on in other peoples heads is seldom what you think.

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2015, 08:14:12 am
content: Quote from: IconicPCB on November 27, 2015, 05:57:41 amExplaining to people how stuff works invariably makes my job easier, never harder. Plus I'm much more likely to get repeat business from a customer who understands what I've done and why it works the way it does, than from one who doesn't.

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2015, 10:04:44 am
content: Quote from: AndyC_772 on November 27, 2015, 08:14:12 amI whole heartedly agree except in one situation, when a customer is asking questions unrelated to the job at hand. Very occasionally that can end up in repeat custom, but most of the time it just leads to them taking that information to tell someone cheaper what to do. I've seen it happen to people ranging from joiners and motor mechanics to web and software devs. Not sure if it could often happen to EEs but I'd happily bet that it has done.

author: GNU_Ninja
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2015, 11:44:01 am
content: Well kid, I could give you the information, but then I'd have to kill ya.Old NSA motto

author: Galenbo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2015, 12:19:51 pm
content: Quote from: free_electron on November 26, 2015, 05:05:27 pmI heard that before, from a sales/management type of guy, on the TAKE side of the situation.

author: woodchips
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2015, 12:59:13 pm
content: Is there a little bit of pots and kettles here?There was a thread started on 30th September 2015, "The skills of a pro", which petered out after a few posts. I thought this was an excellent idea, to get a feel for what hidden skills a pro has but seems no one wanted to tell their stories. Shame.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 27, 2015, 02:25:41 pm
content: Quote from: jaxbird on November 26, 2015, 05:55:02 pmWe aren't in health care but HIPAA regs apply to us because of potential access to PII.Quote from: vk6zgo on November 27, 2015, 08:00:38 amOur customers are various US governmental agencies so we most certainly don't abandon them. We provide combined software/hardware solutions. Almost all the equipment supplied we get is from 3rd party vendors but we do build custom solutions integrating the equipment to match the specific need.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2015, 04:31:12 pm
content: Quote from: GreyWoolfe on November 27, 2015, 02:25:41 pmFair enough,my comment was based upon experience of manufacturers sending out failure prone equipmentwith a few photocopied pages of information,or none,then forgetting about it.Trying to get additional information from some of them is like pulling teeth.I must say,that it is more common with European companies,where what little they do send looks like it was translated by "the Office Boy who has an English girlfriend".Even worse are those companies who do the same thing,then "die & go to manufacturer's heaven".

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 27, 2015, 07:50:26 pm
content: The company I worked for previously, we did warranty work for Dell, Compaq and Lexmark. We also worked on computers under 3rd party warranty companies and there were times I had to service them with only an exploded parts view to take them apart (original Sony Vaio). It served me well, I am now comfortable opening up any laptop but Apple and can usually figure out how to take them apart without any documentation. We didn't work on Apples.

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 28, 2015, 06:56:35 am
content: In the context of discussion on a forum, I am, for the most part, very much dissuaded from participation. For every elementary question asked ten volunteers will proffer the same answer, maybe adding some small elaboration to their individual contributions out of a desire make their answer more apparently insightful than the unacknowledged ones proceeding it.Additionally, there is no contribution that can't be elaborated upon or re-worded with minimal additional investment of ones own brain power, and this seems to be popular way to take contrived issue with any statement or contribution regardless of how technically clear-cut or erudite it may be. To be the most "productive" forum contributor in this regard you need only be a semi-sociopathic looser with enough spare time to apparently read every f&^%ing forum thread and contribute 50,000 words whenever the need arises.Lurking topics of interest and avoiding the majority of fauna has greater appeal to me. I'm honestly embarrassed that my post count is getting close to 1900. I should manage my time more productively.