Hi, I'm new

Sounds like your ethics are such that you should consider prelaw, Ahuja.

What is posted here is public, so there is no reason why you couldnt take something from the site and claim it as your own work.

But when someone then asks you for the underlying details or your thought process, you'll be 'outed' right quick. Or when it fails because you listened to somebody that can't do the math your defense of "but I took it offthis cool internet engineering site, it has to work." probably won't endear you to the jury.

People come here to ask for assistance on technical issues.

From all over the world.

When I join a forum, I usually lurk for a couple of weeks and try to figure out

a) whats going on.

B) whats it all about.

c) who knows what the heck they are talking about- and in which fields; and who don't.

d) who is on an ego trip.

e) what are the upper and lower limits of expertise witnessed.

f) that there are some pretty bright hombres posting here from all around the world and when I travel, maybe, just maybe, we can share the joys of our lives and make the world a little friendlier place.

Helping oneself to the host's dinnerware merely because it isn't locked up is seldom seen as proper ettiquette and worthy of a return invitation.

See you on the news someday.

milo

Law isn't exactly my thing. I've just grown up around a professor for the last 15 years so I get lectured about ethics on a daily basis. I just know how to reason to an extent.

I have no background experience in engineering other than as a hobbyist with model airplanes, legos, and computers. I'm excited that my school is offering an engineering elective next year. This being said, I understand a majority of what I talk about, simply because I read a lot, don't be afraid to correct or politely critique what I talk about just because I'm some high school kid.

Well Ahuja, many great engineers got their start exactly that way- building models, at first to learn about the thing modeled, then tinkering to improve the models , then developing ideas about underlying principles from the results of their tinkering.

Legos are used in some college classes, And give a person a "bounded rationality" for building something as there are indeed bounding constraints by the Lego's particular geometry.

I can't imagine knowing too much about computers.

The point is that the "doing" is often more instructive than the "reading."

So One thing to try to keep in mind as you approach engineering and other possible career considerations is "is this subject important as a means or as an end?"

For example computers, are an extremely valuable tool that have made engineers much more capable of very ambitious projects, but it may not be the area that you would want to work in as a career due to the fact that much of the engineering for the computers and chips and systems has gone offshore or requires phd degree ... so computers would be an area that is a supporting means and you would try to keep up with that as a 'supporting' body of knowledge. Statistics is another area that you should investigate to help you gain better understanding of handling data sets and much in our every day life.

There is an old saw that the people that don't know history are doomed to repeat it. For engineers, This is vital insight. I would suggest that you read the book The ghost map by steven johnson http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Map-Steven-Johnson/dp/1594489254 to see just how messy the first real triumph of the modern scientific method, data analysis, and rational thought was, and how difficult it was to achieve despite the lives at stake. The existential pleasure of engineering by florman http://www.amazon.com/Existential-Pleasures-Engineering-Thomas-Dunne/dp/0312141041 and others will also be informative reads.

ANd finally, You should read the autobiographical books by richard feynman "surely you're joking mr feynman" http://www.amazon.com/Surely-Feynman-Adventures-Curious-Character/dp/0393316041 to see just how much fun a life in science and engineering can be.

DOn't be in a rush to post, feel that you have to post... lurking is fine. Be patient and observe how the folks on this forum operate and in no time at all you'll be able to tell who is the real thing. ANd The ability to sort out competence will serve you well in life- regardless of what your career choice is. And if you do come up with a great question, well, do feel authorized to ask it here. We all enjoy a great question.

milo

It's too bad all of the good jobs in computer tech have gone to asia and india. That's not my thing either, I just know how to assemble and use computers. Aerospace seems to be my thing.

Well theres plenty of work to be done in that field!

especially systems, controls, and human interfaces/ergonomics to name a few.

Hows your math? Hows your logic?

Materials science seems to be a limiting factor for the craft structures and powerplants at this point.

Airbus is twisted in their underwear over mere wiring issues. When you think about it, planning a complex build requires the planning systems themselves to be engineered as well.

Avionics and migration from pneumatic hydraulic to electromnechanical fly by wire will be a huge migration necessitated by eliminating weight. Look at www.parker.com and www.eaton.com to see how these two companies envision themselves as suppliers to Aerospace. Remember there is more to engineering than just the engineering. It happens in a broad and global environment. Learn about suppliers and manufacturing.

milo

At my school, a large consortium of various companies conducted a career path survey. Among those companies were Boeing and Lockheed-Martin. The survey was more or less a standardized test without a grade on it with an aptitude survey at the end. About a month later I got a letter in the mail requesting a release of information on my grades and standardized test scores from the state-wide No Child Left Behind tests everyone takes, and the PSAT etc. etc. I really didn't care, so they got what they wanted. Career information papers and brochures began pouring into my mailbox, most of them were from the same three companies, Boeing, L-M, and DuPont. There was all kinds of info on scholarships and grants. It did kind of seem like those "Please-come-visit-our-glorious-campus" letters you get from colleges that want to show you around.

Here's an interesting story.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/316966_dreamliner24.html

While everybody's worrying over the high tech stuff, the simple fasteners are becoming THE constraint.

milo

Hi Ahuja,

As far as I know, CR4 only has publishing rights to the contents of the posts, threads, blogs, etc. They do not own the ideas (CR4, please correct me if I'm wrong).

Regarding people taking ideas from the posts and making claims that they own it is a tad different.

I think there's a law or rule somewhere that if you put something in the public domain, you have waived rights to that idea unless you have filed or owned a patent for it. Without a document, you cannot claim that it is yours.

I've heard instances where people started boasting about some new discovery or invention before he patented it and lost it to one of the listeners. He can complain all he wants and, maybe even file suit, but then the burden becomes one of proving that you got the idea first. If the thief happens to know more about the principles behind the idea (he happened to be a magna cum laude while you were just Joe-average), you'll have an even more difficult time.

This is not to discourage posts about new ideas. Some posters deliberately keep some critical data out of the post (which makes it difficult to give good answers sometimes).

On the other hand, some ideas are not really new. Careful research will tell you whether it is or isn't.

Hi Ahuja,

Welcome to CR4. This material is covered fairly succinctly in the CR4 Rules of Conduct. In essence the ideas and opinions presented are your own and remain such, but the addition of the words to the CR4 site/community is permanent. They may be quoted and reproduced.

Separately, but just as important, broadcasting an idea on any forum or in any public space is the best way to surrender your innovative thought. Any time you talk about an idea prior to obtaining a patent or copyright you are providing others with the opportunity to steal it.

As in any situation, personal or professional, it is wise to give serious thought to what you say before doing so.