== Pursell ==

== Pursell ==

The 26 questions to decide whether the engineering profession is right seem to be applicable questions to ask even today. By looking at these questions and studying them, one can determine the objectives, goals, and processes used by engineers in the early 20th century.  ~~Kyle Allwine

'''The 26 questions to decide whether the engineering profession is right seem to be applicable questions to ask even today. By looking at these questions and studying them, one can determine the objectives, goals, and processes used by engineers in the early 20th century'''.  ~~Kyle Allwine

An interesting point I found in the Waddell’s section on Vocational Guidance was how it was essential to the safety and prosperity of the community that engineers be naturally qualified and of good character.  Yes, professionals need to be considered carefully, and certainly engineers have a direct effect on the community, but does the safety prosperity of the community truly rely on the natural qualifications and moral character of its workers?  I think, in fact, it partially does, because we saw an example of this with the building of the Brooklyn Bridge.  There was corruption from Boss Tweed, the faulty cables, and substandard building with not digging completely down to bedrock.  However, the Brooklyn Bridge still safely stands and proved a prosperous investment for Manhattan and Brooklyn.  I thought, though the list of questions was particularly interesting as a way of determining abilities and potential in hopeful engineers.  Was this applied to other professions?   

An interesting point I found '''in the Waddell’s section on Vocational Guidance was how it was essential to the safety and prosperity of the community that engineers be naturally qualified and of good character.  Yes, professionals need to be considered carefully, and certainly engineers have a direct effect on the community, but does the safety prosperity of the community truly rely on the natural qualifications and moral character of its workers?''' I think, in fact, it partially does, because we saw an example of this with the building of the Brooklyn Bridge.  There was corruption from Boss Tweed, the faulty cables, and substandard building with not digging completely down to bedrock.  However, the Brooklyn Bridge still safely stands and proved a prosperous investment for Manhattan and Brooklyn.  I thought, though the list of questions was particularly interesting as a way of determining abilities and potential in hopeful engineers.  Was this applied to other professions?   

--Sara Krechel

--Sara Krechel

Sinclair claims, “The proofs of that maturation . . . were the readiness of engineers to assume a leading role in the solution of the world’s economic and social problems” (148).  This statement represents the aspect of technology that it should fulfill a need of society.  For example, Thomas Edison created an electrical system through the incandescent lamp.  Sinclair is arguing that engineers create objects that resolve problems in society.  Geoffrey Bennet states, “Kodak had correctly judged that the new generation wanted smaller, easy-to-load and easy-to-use camera . . . . The system was the perfect technical and practical answer to the need, truly in the spirit of George Eastman’s famous slogan, ‘You press the button, we do the rest’” (141).  Eastman made it easy for the common person to take a picture and have the company develop the image. –Samantha W.

Sinclair claims, “The proofs of that maturation . . . were the readiness of engineers to assume a leading role in the solution of the world’s economic and social problems” (148).  This statement represents the aspect of technology that it should fulfill a need of society.  For example, Thomas Edison created an electrical system through the incandescent lamp.  Sinclair is arguing that engineers create objects that resolve problems in society.  Geoffrey Bennet states, “Kodak had correctly judged that the new generation wanted smaller, easy-to-load and easy-to-use camera . . . . The system was the perfect technical and practical answer to the need, truly in the spirit of George Eastman’s famous slogan, ‘You press the button, we do the rest’” (141).  Eastman made it easy for the common person to take a picture and have the company develop the image. –Samantha W.

Waddell notes, “Many young men are graduating from engineering colleges who should have never entered them-and the sooner their mistakes are rectified the better.  It would be much preferable if they had never commenced the study of engineering, and if the requirements of the colleges had been much more severe and the duration of their instruction longer” (156).  Engineering colleges today are much more competitive and selective than in earlier decades.  However, is Waddell being fair that graduates of engineering colleges never should have applied in the first place?  Were the lower standards really producing incompetent engineers? –Samantha W.

Waddell notes, “Many young men are graduating from engineering colleges who should have never entered them-and the sooner their mistakes are rectified the better.  It would be much preferable if they had never commenced the study of engineering, and if the requirements of the colleges had been much more severe and the duration of their instruction longer” (156).  '''Engineering colleges today are much more competitive and selective than in earlier decades.  However, is Waddell being fair that graduates of engineering colleges never should have applied in the first place?  Were the lower standards really producing incompetent engineers?''' –Samantha W.

This section was very interesting. Waddell comments that he thinks there should be better qualified engineers and that the education leading up to becoming a successful engineer needs to be more rigorous. I think that with an increasing population and thus increasing competition for the job that it has become more competitive, just not necessarily because the field required better applicants. The questions that were suggested also seemed extremely universal and relevant. Those questions are good, it seems, regardless of the time and can even be twisted to become relevant for other fields. --Meagan B.

This section was very interesting. Waddell comments that he thinks there should be better qualified engineers and that the education leading up to becoming a successful engineer needs to be more rigorous. I think that with an increasing population and thus increasing competition for the job that it has become more competitive, just not necessarily because the field required better applicants. The questions that were suggested also seemed extremely universal and relevant. Those questions are good, it seems, regardless of the time and can even be twisted to become relevant for other fields. --Meagan B.

Bennett’s article contains two photographs that capture towns and their events.  One is during the day and shows the daily activities of a town.  Another is at night and shows all of the houses lit up and all of the boats tied down.  They are more modern photographs and have vivid colors.  On page 146 there are photographs from the 1950’s that are still in color and are a great improvement in color film.  The film/digital camera industry has made great technological improvements, but what comes after digital cameras?  –Samantha W.

Bennett’s article contains two photographs that capture towns and their events.  One is during the day and shows the daily activities of a town.  Another is at night and shows all of the houses lit up and all of the boats tied down.  They are more modern photographs and have vivid colors.  On page 146 there are photographs from the 1950’s that are still in color and are a great improvement in color film.  The film/digital camera industry has made great technological improvements, but what comes after digital cameras?  –Samantha W.

The sheer quantity of models developed is staggering. Just as impressive, though, is that for many of those new and more expensive models, vital aspects of photography--such as the quality and clarity of the resulting photo--would not be improved, and would oftentimes decrease in quality in successive products. The idea that even moderate success could be claimed by a product that produced poorer images than its predecessors is surprising, but there were instances in which just that happened. The drive to make the camera smaller, more portable, and more attractive actually decreased its ability to perform its function. --NIcole S

'''The sheer quantity of models developed is staggering. Just as impressive, though, is that for many of those new and more expensive models, vital aspects of photography--such as the quality and clarity of the resulting photo--would not be improved, and would oftentimes decrease in quality in successive products. The idea that even moderate success could be claimed by a product that produced poorer images than its predecessors is surprising, but there were instances in which just that happened. The drive to make the camera smaller, more portable, and more attractive actually decreased its ability to perform its function.''' --NIcole S

In this excerpt Bennet writes about the history of coloured photography from the time that artists were painting in the colour on the photos as early as the 1800's.  Colour has always been a necessary part of photography.  We see too the drive to continually improve the camera to make it a motre sellable product.  Sometimes we see though that perhaps this had a negative effect on the actual quality of the photo.  We continue to attemp to achieve even greater heights in technological advancement, but like Samantha stated what will really come after digital? or have we reached a peak? Sheri Foster

In this excerpt Bennet writes about the history of coloured photography from the time that artists were painting in the colour on the photos as early as the 1800's.  Colour has always been a necessary part of photography.  We see too the drive to continually improve the camera to make it a motre sellable product.  Sometimes we see though that perhaps this had a negative effect on the actual quality of the photo.  We continue to attemp to achieve even greater heights in technological advancement, but like Samantha stated what will really come after digital? or have we reached a peak? Sheri Foster