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Re: OT: in favour of gradualism

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On 2017-02-04 11:34, Don Y wrote:
> On 2/4/2017 8:24 AM, Joerg wrote:
>> On 2017-02-03 08:35, Don Y wrote:
>>> On 2/3/2017 5:21 AM, Winfield Hill wrote:
>>>> bill.sloman@ieee.org wrote...
>>>>>
>>>>> Atul Gawande has written another impressive piece for the New Yorker
>>>>> http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/01/23/the-heroism-of-incremental-care
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> It is mainly a plea for better primary-care medicine - what your
>>>>> own doctor does for you at your local practice - but it includes
>>>>> a reference to the 1967 collapse of the Silver Bridge across the
>>>>> Ohio River, which was due to a failure in inspection and maintenance,
>>>>> making the point that while doing heroic operations and building
>>>>> new bridges are both extremely glamorous, the cost-benefit analysis
>>>>> says that it's better to spend time on making sure that what's
>>>>> working stays working, and perhaps improve it a bit from time to
>>>>> time.  Development rather than a new design from scratch.
>>>>
>>>>  Would that we could snap our fingers and get a doctor like that.
>>>
>>> Why do we EXPECT medical professionals to be more "dedicated"
>>> than any other profession?
>>
>> Because we as engineers are dedicated?
>
> You've never met a "9-to-5" engineer?
>

Yes, but usually in government positions. Very occasionally in private 
industry but then those were very bright folks.


> I had a (regular) job, many years ago.  Bringing up the prototype
> I naturally was excited and "didn't want the day to end" (until
> seeing it run).
>
> Next day, boss called me in his office and casually mentioned:
>     "I see you kept the guys here until 8PM last night..."
> (keep in mind, *I* am not the project manager.  nor have any
> other "special responsibilities" as far as the project was
> concerned -- Just Another Engineer with my little portion of
> the pie)
>
> I was startled by the comment -- as if it was an accusation.
>

If it was a union shop it might have been.


> He went on to say that he couldn't recall the last time ANY of
> "the guys" had stayed past 5PM.
>

That doesn't sound like a place I'd want to work at. Don't get me wrong, 
I strongly believe in balancing one's private life with work and pulling 
all-nighters year round isn't good. Neither is living off Big Macs and 
128oz caffeine-laced sodas with tons of sugar. People make too many 
mistakes then anyhow and they should have a life. Even engineers. 
However, dropping the pencil at 5:00:00 no matter what is not cool. 
There has to be some flexibility. In my consulting agreement I have a 
clause that if I have to work after hours or on holidays because the 
situation demands it there will never be an upcharge (which some other 
professions tend to do).


> I did a gig at an IBM facility where the shifts were staggered
> in 6 minute intervals.  I'd watch the engineers that I was
> working with diligently gather up their belongings to ensure
> they'd be leaving in their assigned 6 minute interval -- while
> I'd typically spend much of the night continuing my tasks.
>

That would drive me crazy.


>>> Next time you "cut a corner", think about the likelihood that
>>> your healthcare providers are behaving similarly -- do you think
>>> YOU cut that corner out of malice, laziness, ignorance, etc.?
>>
>> Some of us don't cut corners.
>
> Every engineering decision cuts a corner -- everything is a tradeoff.
> *You* decided which way to cut the corner (in favor of X over Y).
>
> Do you strive for -- and achieve -- "perfection" with every design?
>

Generally yes. Perfection to me and in the eyes of my clients is when 
the design is reliable, easily produceable and below cost target.


> If you leave the MD's office in better condition than when you
> arrived, has he *not* cut a corner?  Could you have left in
> EVEN BETTER condition?  Should he hound you AT HOME to follow
> his prescribed treatment plan?  How *dedicated* is he -- not?


What is usually meant by cutting corners is not small compromises. It's 
the bigger stuff, things that can have dire consequences. Example: I had 
major back issues in the past. What did most of the medical pros do? The 
usual, inject cortizone, prescribe pain pills, prescribe muscle 
relaxant. _That_ is cutting a corner. Finally another professional (not 
an MD but a CPA!) told me I might have a magnesium deficiency and it 
couldn't hurt to take supplements for a while. Half a year later I felt 
a lot better and have never had a debilitating back pain attack ever 
since. It has been over a decade now so I can be quite sure that the 
medical diagnosis of the CPA was better than that of several MDs.

-- 
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

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OT: in favour of gradualism bill.sloman@ieee.org - 2017-02-03 03:39 -0800
  Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Winfield Hill <hill@rowland.harvard.edu> - 2017-02-03 04:21 -0800
    Re: OT: in favour of gradualism bill.sloman@ieee.org - 2017-02-03 04:57 -0800
      Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Jon Elson <elson@pico-systems.com> - 2017-02-03 11:38 -0600
        Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com> - 2017-02-04 07:21 -0800
          Re: OT: in favour of gradualism krw@notreal.com - 2017-02-04 10:42 -0500
            Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com> - 2017-02-04 08:15 -0800
              Re: OT: in favour of gradualism krw@notreal.com - 2017-02-04 11:36 -0500
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com> - 2017-02-04 09:40 -0800
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism krw@notreal.com - 2017-02-04 13:52 -0500
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com> - 2017-02-04 11:50 -0800
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism krw@notreal.com - 2017-02-04 20:31 -0500
            Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Jon Elson <elson@pico-systems.com> - 2017-02-04 18:04 -0600
              Re: OT: in favour of gradualism krw@notreal.com - 2017-02-04 20:33 -0500
    Re: OT: in favour of gradualism jurb6006@gmail.com - 2017-02-03 05:00 -0800
      Re: OT: in favour of gradualism bill.sloman@ieee.org - 2017-02-03 09:03 -0800
    Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-02-03 09:35 -0700
      Re: OT: in favour of gradualism bill.sloman@ieee.org - 2017-02-03 09:10 -0800
      Re: OT: in favour of gradualism tabbypurr@gmail.com - 2017-02-03 17:18 -0800
      Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com> - 2017-02-04 07:24 -0800
        Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-02-04 12:34 -0700
          Re: OT: in favour of gradualism tabbypurr@gmail.com - 2017-02-04 12:04 -0800
          Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com> - 2017-02-04 12:07 -0800
            Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-02-04 14:15 -0700
              Re: OT: in favour of gradualism John Larkin <jjlarkin@highlandtechnology.com> - 2017-02-04 14:02 -0800
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-02-04 15:19 -0700
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism "tom" <tmiller11147@verizon.net> - 2017-02-04 17:36 -0500
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-02-04 15:46 -0700
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Lasse Langwadt Christensen <langwadt@fonz.dk> - 2017-02-04 14:56 -0800
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-02-04 16:17 -0700
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism "tom" <tmiller11147@verizon.net> - 2017-02-04 18:22 -0500
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-02-04 16:55 -0700
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism John Robertson <spam@flippers.com> - 2017-02-04 18:22 -0800
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-02-04 21:26 -0700
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism "tom" <tmiller11147@verizon.net> - 2017-02-04 17:35 -0500
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-02-04 15:44 -0700
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism "dcaster@krl.org" <dcaster@krl.org> - 2017-02-04 17:42 -0800
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism krw@notreal.com - 2017-02-04 20:56 -0500
              Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com> - 2017-02-05 08:14 -0800
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-02-05 11:56 -0700
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com> - 2017-02-06 14:35 -0800
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-02-06 16:43 -0700
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com> - 2017-02-06 17:12 -0800
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-02-06 18:59 -0700
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com> - 2017-02-07 07:40 -0800
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism tabbypurr@gmail.com - 2017-02-07 12:16 -0800
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism krw@notreal.com - 2017-02-06 21:11 -0500
                Re: OT: in favour of gradualism tabbypurr@gmail.com - 2017-02-05 12:43 -0800
          Re: OT: in favour of gradualism krw@notreal.com - 2017-02-04 20:42 -0500
      Re: OT: in favour of gradualism John Larkin <jjlarkin@highlandtechnology.com> - 2017-02-04 10:05 -0800
        Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com> - 2017-02-04 10:24 -0800
        Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-02-04 12:45 -0700
          Re: OT: in favour of gradualism "dcaster@krl.org" <dcaster@krl.org> - 2017-02-04 17:54 -0800
            Re: OT: in favour of gradualism Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-02-04 21:45 -0700

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