This reply is directed to renosteinke's comments about "electrical engineers." Mr. Renosteinke, Sir, your comment comes across a little prejudiced against EE's. You may have many more years in the field than I (I've been in the field since 1958), or you may have more experience than I, but let me tell you that the best electricians I've known and currently know are EE's. Another way of putting this is the best EE's I know are also electricians. Take your pick. The point being, as an EE-PE myself, your comment is nothing but a transparent putdown.
The sad thing is, I think many others feel the same way you do. To be sure, the fields, on both sides of the fence, are filled with competence and incompetence, but one should be careful not to include everyone, and particularly SteveFehr, in such a strongly prejudiced, generalized statement in a public forum.
Now that I've vented some frustration over the generalized putdown, I agree with you about "apprenticing." Every good technical person knows that learning is a life-long activity. I also agree the best way to learn something by doing it with direction from someone more experienced who knows what he's doing.
Again, the best engineers I know are the ones who have learned by doing under the direction of those electricians and engineers more experienced.
As they say, good decisions result from experience, and experience results from bad decisions.
Rich Thomas
