Difference between revisions of "325--2011--Week 9 Questions/Comments"
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| − | 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. | ||
