New trend? Missing technical descriptions!

[gerhardl]

A lot of the technical inquiries and technical questions landing on my disc presentday (including questions from this website) seems to miss the fundamental understanding of what you actually need to answer a technical question.

Typical is generalizing with 'small', 'large' etc instead of exact measurements or scaled details for temperature, pressure etc. Other examples are reactions like 'Do you really have to know all inscribed on the original signplate or tag? - Do you really have to know the flow?'

Even worse is the very often shallow 'consultant work' either lacking essential information necessary for dimensioning, or on the other hand describing in some detail commercial non-existing products and solutions.

A lot more could be said of course, ending up with present-day journalism, where sensations are more important than an accurate technical description. A 'birdseye' view and understanding of technical issues seems often to be totally lacking.

I know exceptions do exist!

Is this a world-wide trend, or am I only believing that everything was better in the old days?

 

[graybeach]

What you describe is just bad, non-thorough, lazy thinking. Maybe people can get away with this in the short term, but in the long term there will be serious problems. The New Orleans "hurricane evacuation plan" is a good example. Lots of details slipped through the cracks on that one.

 

[josephv]

I have seen many cases when technical details are over looked, because someone down the line wants to make a quick buck. You see, the moment you start uncovering technical problems, this means more money may have to be spent.

 

[csd72]

Part of the dumbing down of media I have witnessed over the years. They are adjusting their style to suit the lowest common denominator.

This is part of the reason why I dont watch the news anymore 90% sensationalism 10% information (and most of that 10% is in the weather and the traffic).

The problem with management is short term vision, the maintenance/fixing cost goes on todays balance sheet whereas the consequence of failure is next years problem.

 

[gerhardl]

Thank you for your input, 'widening up'! Mine is from a Scandinavian position. Your answers confirm my suspicion that much is the same all over!

Maybee you are right. An economical (money) driven culture worldwide, lacking or lagging to accept ethical and humanistic longtherm views. - Or at least thinking in shorterm views of satisfying the shareholders and the stock exchange.

And maybe this is also the reason its almost impossible to get a board of directors to cut seriously down on income for the next couple of years and go for longterm 'highgrade' (in all aspects) solutions.

And maybe it's because good engineers seek solid longterm solutions (that cost a bit more) that the ratio of financial and economical background MDs to engineering background MDs are more than 10:1....?

Maybe more engineers should engage in education and debates..?

 

[csd72]

I think the problem is that they let the accountants have more of a say than the engineers. Accountants never really fully understand the long term or hidden costs.

 

[davidbeach]

An accountant is someone who knows the costs of everything and the value of nothing.