Subject: Re: Publishing Scholarly Work on the Web -- opinions?
From: "Dr. Andrew Wright"
Date: Tue, 17 Sep 1996 16:53:27 -0500
Regarding publishing via a web site.
1. As a researcher: If such a forum for scholarly work were available, I
would definitely access it. Unless, it became obvious that the majority
of the publications were trash and valueless. Then the process of
finding the worthwhile publication amongst the muck becomes more
prohibitive than searching the existing literature. This is yet another
argument for refereed publications.
Furthermore, the presence of this site is not going to preclude
searching the standard literature, since there are already many decades
of worthwhile information available only in paper form.
2. As an author: I doubt that I would strictly publish in this forum.
The lack of permanence and prestige are the two major factors. I can
see submitting to this forum IN ADDITION to the regular format.
Unfortunately, if "web-publishing" counts as a form of publication, most
journals require that you don't "dual-publish" the same material.
Consequently, I think a more rational approach is for authors to load
their individual publications on their own web sites, and to have a
centralized resource for searching among those web pages.
Andrew
Subject: Re: PE Liability
From: hobdbcgv@aol.com (Hobdbcgv)
Date: 17 Sep 1996 16:14:14 -0400
In some states, esp my home state, the firm is not permitted to be
licensed, only the individual. However, in nearly all, if not all states,
any firm with the word "engineeer" or "engineering" must have a PE as a
principal. In at least one state, such a corporation has to file special
forms each six months outlining work done, name the principal PE, and
various other paper, the PE signing as corporate officer.
Re:You do not "duck" criminal penalties by having a PE license If you
do work in an area reserved for PEs and harm someone, first you face the
penalty for doing the work without a license, and second you have a harder
time showing you were competent to do the work and not criminally
negligent, as you're not licensed and someone died as a result of your
error.
Subject: Re: Paints impregnating metals?
From: inet@intellisys.net (brian whatcott)
Date: 17 Sep 1996 20:12:28 GMT
In article <323CF761.68AD@3-cities.com>, roboglid@3-cities.com says...
>
>Grant Kerr wrote:
>>
>> I am looking for some information (if it exists) on how to colour
>> steels/metals by impregnating the pigment/paint/etc into the surface
>> of the metal. Ideally the impregnation should be 1-3mm deep
///
>> Grant Kerr
>>
>Impregnating? Is this the right word? Metals surfaces are not
>impregnated by coatings. Coatings wet the surface, their penetration
>into the substrate is a function of the substrate provided the
>viscosity and surface tension are low.
>
>Are you talking about filming the surface electrochemically? Or CVD
>or other method which uses thermal and chemical energy to assist the
>diffusion. Or building a colorful oxide film using "contaminant"
>atoms?
Sintered metals may be readily impregnated.
Otherwise, the only material I know of, that can take a 3 mm absorbed
color coat is anodized aluminum, which readily absorbs water-soluble
dyes in the oxide film, which is then sealed with hot-water....
brian whatcott
Altus OK
Subject: Re: Which engineers are more in demand?
From: Brett Wing
Date: Tue, 17 Sep 1996 23:01:19 +0100
In article <51ia48$osj@newsa.netnews.att.com>, "-A.RIZZO"
writes
>Somebody asked:
>>>
>>> Of mechanical, electrical, and aerospace, which engineer is more in
>>> demand? And which would you do if you were interested in all 3? (or
>>> all 8 for that matter) Thank-you kindly.
>
>I have to assume that the original request pertained to the demand
>for engineers in the US. The following response is based on this
>assumption.
>
>If we consider the traditional engineering disciplines, all appear
>to be in decline. Certainly, aerospace is leading the downward
>slide, following very closely behind physics as a major. But
>individuals in nearly all the other traditional branches of
>engineering have reason to be concerned as well, at least in
>the US. The reason is that very many companies are now exporting
>R&D; jobs as well as manufacturing jobs. The international flavor
>of this newsgroup certainly doesn't belie this observation. Foreign
>talent is much less expensive and just about as capable as local
>talent. So we shouldn't be too surprised that engineering jobs are
>going overseas.
>
>Were I bent on getting a degree in engineering today, and were
>I concerned about the longer term outlook for employment, I would
>strongly consider civil engineering. That's one engineering job
>that cannot be exported. The buildings are built right here, and
>they have to comply with local building codes. It's pretty
>difficult for a civil engineer in India to compete with a local
>civil engineer, no matter how good the Indian engineer happens to be.
>
>But I suspect that what really drives engineers isn't necessarily
>the longer term outlook for employment but the enjoyment that they
>get from mastering technology. We do what we do because we like it.
>
>Today, I would advise any engineering student to strive to do much
>more than simply learn engineering. The tunnel-vision perspective
>is a dangerous one, because it prevents one from seeing the complete
>corporate system of which we, engineers, are mere components.
>The engineers that are in greatest demand are the ones who can
>see what their companies need and can adapt to provide it. For
>these, there are always jobs.
>
>Tony Rizzo
>
Speaking from a UK perspective it seems to be rather different over
here. Contrary to what "establishment" surveys suggest the remuneration
for civil and structural engineers is crap. If you want a satisfying job
fine, but don't even think about joining the professional side of the
industry if you want appropriate rewards. An article in last week's New
Civil Engineer ( our professional institution magazine) suggested that
there was a demand led market for engineers. The universities are
pouring out too many engineers the result of which companies can pay
ludicrously low salaries for graduates. Mind you there is also a school
of thought that says the quality of engineers turned out by the UK
universities is dropping. This has inevitable repercussions on the
quality and efficiency of the industry as they seem to have adopted the
philosophy that lowest cost = greatest efficiency. However the decisions
to use the cheapest, least qualified and least experienced staff are
made by people who I suspect of being a long time from the sharp end of
engineering.
I agree that engineers need to take the broader view, as much because
the philosophy of the accountant alone, far too many of whom seem to
have infiltrated the management structures of engineering, does not
necessarily proivide the most appropriate operational organisation.
However we also suffer from a variety of other problems which allows for
the advancement of the management aware and (particularly impotant)
technically able engineer. I believe far too many see management as an
opportunity to delegate the tediousness of design, calculations and
detailing to thers. The result of which is that the decision makers, who
really need to maintain a degree of knowledge and ability in their
discipline to be able to make INFORMED decisions, become increasingly
isolated.
I do not expect this situation to change within my lifetime. I certainly
would not encourage my son or daughter to enter any of the engineering
disciplines in construction
--
Brett Wing
Subject: fire extinguishing system search
From: chris legrange <103127.3433@CompuServe.COM>
Date: 18 Sep 1996 00:20:05 GMT
I was watching late night television in the UK about a month ago
and I caught part of the show "Beyond 2000", I think was the
name, a science and technology show. I am interested in a fire
extinguisher system based on Soviet rocket fuel of all things.
The name might have the initials "F.E.S." ?
If anyone could provide details on the product and a contact, or
how to email the show, please email me directly.
Thanks in advance,
Chris Legrange
Engineer
de Havilland Aircraft Company
Downsview, Canada
--
chris
Subject: Re: Publishing Scholarly Work on the Web -- opinion anyone?
From: Jim Papadopoulos
Date: Wed, 18 Sep 96 00:50:47 -0500
"Hugh Winkler" writes:
>peer reviewed. If you want the latest, possibly flawed, information, you
>browse the submitted list. You can offer your review too. But a high graded
>group of reviewers would have to pass the paper to the final published
>stage. They might consider the unsolicited reviews as well -- this might
>improve the current review process.
>
If I might extend that thought slightly,
rather than a detailed review, it would
also be useful for readers simply to
annotate "pass" "fail" or "stupid"
"interesting" "novel" etc. --- just a word or
two of their main reaction.
At a low level, if the few who make an effort to
read, pan the paper, I probably won't look at it.
At a higher level, if someone I respect has an
opinion, I'd be likely to weigh it heavily.
Even anonymously, I should think that I could
learn which (numbered,not named) reviewers
grasps the subject in a way I admire, so
I would use their response when I hadn't time.....
Jim Papadopoulos
(someone who has seen very little evidence
of good reviewing in several fields)
Subject: Re: PE Liability
From: judsons@savage-alert.com (Scott Judson)
Date: Wed, 18 Sep 1996 03:37:56 GMT
"Kevin Rhodes, P.E." wrote:
>Eric Mieczkowski wrote:
>>
>> So, if you're not a licensed PE and your work violates some aspect of the law,
>> you're criminally liable in addition to being civally liable. Let me turn this
>> one around. If you DO hold a PE license and your work violates some aspect of the
>> law, are you liable in the same manner (i.e. criminal and civil)?
>>
>> > Also, sometimes having the PE responsibilty allows the corporate veil
>> > to be pierced because corporations cannot "own" the license and thus the
>> > actions are viewed as the joint and several responsibility of the person
>> > and the corporation.
>>
>> What you are saying is that by obtaining licensing as a PE, I can no longer be
>> treated as a member of a corporation for liability purposes, but rather exist as a
>> seperately liable legal entity.
>>
>> If I am reading this correctley, what seems to be true is that criminal liability
>> is reduced or eliminated by PE licensing, but the risk of civil liability is
>> increased.
>>
>> Thank you sincerely for helping me wrestle with this. I just can't seem to get
>> good information on this anywhere.
>>
>> Eric
>I run an engineering firm in Kentucky. Not only am I licensed by the
>Board, but so is my firm. Hope it helps.
The same is true in Connecticut. Also, our firm has a large number of
PE's but only one or two actually stamp drawings.
It is also noteworthy that the ownership of Professional Engineering
Firms is regulated in CT- the majority of the firm must be owned by
PE's (or registered architects if an A/E firm).
If you are really concerned about this, talk to a lawyer. As much as
it pains me to say it, lawyers are actually useful. They will be
familiar with state laws. Best time to use a lawyer is before you
really need one.
Subject: Properties of polyurethane sought
From: rongraham1@aol.com (RonGraham1)
Date: 18 Sep 1996 04:14:06 -0400
I am seeking literature on the properties of polyurethane.
Any pointers would be welcome -- especially on-line ones
-- and would be cheerfully summarized.
Of particular interest is a catalog offered in the most
recent package of reply postcards sent to Design News
subscribers. I lost that postcard, so I don't have the
vendor's name and address, and I've not found anyone
at Design News who knows enough about the postcards
they ship to help me locate the missing vendor. :-) If
you have this postcard handy, and can point me to the
vendor, you shall be praised with great praise. :-)
Dr. Ron Graham
Project Engineer for Robotics, GreyPilgrim LLC, Philadelphia
"...the phantasmagoria that haunts the engineer's nights and
dogs his days..."
-- former US President Herbert Hoover, on failures
Subject: research positions available
From: mpeliugr@leonis.nus.sg (liu gui rong)
Date: 18 Sep 1996 08:36:44 GMT
A number of research opportunities in the field of:
Applied/computational mechanics (Solid mechanics, structure dynamics,
mechanics of composite material, vibration and wave propagation,
fluid mechanics, FEM, BEM, CFD, numerical analysis, etc.).
Positions:
1) Postgraduate research students (7 positions in all above fields
except fluid mechanics and CFD)
2) Research fellows / Research Engineers / Senior Research Fellows
/ Senior Research Engineers (6 positions in CFD, and positions in FEM)
3) Post Doctoral Fellows
4) Post Master Fellows
Interested please sent your detailed CV to
Dr. Gui-Rong Liu
Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering
National University of Singapore, S 119260
Singapore
Tel: (65) 772-6481, Fax: (65) 779-1459
E-mail: mpeliugr@nus.sg
Subject: !!!!!!!!NEED AN EMAIL BOX ANONYMOUS?????????????????
From: "ben there"
Date: 18 Sep 1996 09:07:29 GMT
FINALLY YOU CAN HAVE A TOTALLY ANONYMOUS IDENTITY ON THE INTERNET. As we
all know one of the best providers of this, anon@anon.penet.fi, just
discontinued its anonymous e-mail service. Many have done this recently.
The ones left are often so hard to use and set up, it takes a rocket
scientist to figure it out. Penet was not exactly easy. Well that's where
we come in. We offer an advanced anonymous mailing service, The way it
works is so secret that "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you".
I can tell you this much about it. Once we set you up with an account you
can send and receive e-mail all you want with the knowledge that your mail
never even goes onto your web server at all. You will have an off site
e-mail box that handles your messages. The site where your email is handled
does not even know who you are. we don't want to know who you are. Not even
when setting up your box. Not only that. When logging on to this web site,
you will have already gone through channels that strip your identity away
before logging on to the site. After all, how can anyone know who you are
when there are no trails back to you.
This has nothing to do with your present email provider. Your mail you
receive on this account, never goes too your present email site. You do
not even use your present email software to retrieve your mail. You will
simply use your present web browser ( like Netscape or Microsoft Internet
Explorer ) to connect to a web site based email site. You will then do your
email send and receiving , right there on the site. You will have of
course, already gone through an undisclosed path to the site.
Here is the beauty of our service. We provide you with easy. Did I say
easy!!!!!!! Yes an easy anonymous web presence that until now has been a
nightmare. Have you ever tried setting up your own anonymous email before.
I've been ready to trough my computer trough the wall several times. It is
certainly not easy for most people to get it right. All the work will be
done for you. When we set you up you will be sent a link that will take you
through the whole complicated trail. You can simply double click on a
desktop icon or put the path in your bookmarks or favorites. You connect
right to the site, where you are asked for your nickname and password. Then
you are in. You compose and send email right there on a very easy to use
web page.
Now I am going to say something that is said to often, but it definitely
applies in this case. This is so easy to use that a 5 year old can do it. I
know because I showed my little boy how. Within 10 minutes he could log on
a nickname and password and could have composed his on mail, if he had
known how to read and right. It is really that simple. No more "enon-x "
this, and "enon-send" that. I never could get all that crap right.
The best is that you can rest freely in the
knowledge that some busy body is not tracing your activities back to your
server, where it is very easy to identify your identity. Unfortunately most
people do not realize just how easy it is to identify you, with the present
system of anonymizers. If you send and receive email on your service
providers system, then you can be traced. Unfortunately some extreme
examples of this have occurred in China, where people have actually lost
there life in a struggle to gain a democracy there. They thought they were
safe using the anonymous sites out there. That cannot happen with this
service, because no one can just walk in and seize the records of the users
names on the system. There are no real ones the way i will set it up for
you. This happened at anon.penet.fi at least twice, as I understand it.
You might wonder if this Email service supports file transfer. You bet it
does. If your Web browser supports the attachment of documents and files
(e.g. Netscape Navigator 2.0 and later or Mirosoft Internet Explorer), you
can send them. Due to limitations of bandwidth requirement to send and
receive documents, only one attachment can be sent with each Email message.
You may also receive attachments sent to your account. They show up as
downloadable hotlinks which can be downloaded to your personal computer by
clicking on them. Gif images are automatically deciphered by the system and
displayed in the browser window.
So what are you waiting for. All the cost to you is our processing fee of
$29.95. That is it. All the free email you want to send from then on. It is
possible to do this do to the fact that the web site is advertiser
supported, as are others popular sites, you see on the Web. Just send a
money order or cashiers check made out to:
Richard Watkins
300 Rustic Hills
Royal, AR. 71968
Let me know by Email as soon as you decide, so I can be processing your
account. This is not needed, but we can have you up and running sooner. We
can then Email you with your Email address and password. Note you can
change the password once you log on. We need to know what NICKNAME you
would like. Please give us several choices, as many are already taken. We
might have to add a number to the end. Such as: foxygirl22 Your
nickname may be up to a total of 12 letters and numbers.
email it to : rwwatkin@cswnet.com
Please label subject line of email to us as: new email cust
Please make note that I am also trying to put together an anonymous snail
mail service, for those that wish to send letters and packages. I aready
have it about worked out. If you would be interested in this, please email
me for more information as it comes to be.
Subject: New UK based Virtual Library for Engineering
From: Roddy MacLeod
Date: 18 Sep 1996 11:07:05 GMT
EEVL, the new free UK based virtual library for Engineering, now
live!
http://www.eevl.ac.uk/
The Edinburgh Engineering Virtual Library (EEVL) went live
on Friday 13th September. The EEVL gateway to Internet resources
in Engineering will be extremely popular with the engineering
community and will solve one of the main problems facing users of
the Internet - locating useful resources from the millions
available.
Earlier in the summer EEVL launched two useful services for
engineers, the EEVL Engineering Newsgroup Archive, and the
Offshore Engineering Information Service, both of which have
proved successful. Now EEVL's Main Service, its searchable
database of high quality engineering networked resources, will be
freely available to anyone anywhere in the world with an Internet
connection and appropriate World Wide Web browsing software.
The database, containing descriptions and links to over 1300
Internet resources in engineering, has an extremely user friendly
interface, and allows practising engineers, academics,
researchers, students, and information specialists to search or
browse for engineering resources by title, keyword, or subject.
The database is actively managed by a team of engineering
information specialists, with headquarters at Heriot-Watt
University Library, in Edinburgh, UK. Resource
descriptions and links are checked regularly, making EEVL the
premier site on the Internet for locating UK engineering sites.
Resources in the EEVL database include Web sites for engineering
e-journals and electronic newsletter, engineering
companies, professional societies and institutions, engineering
departments within higher education, government sources,
engineering email lists, resource guides and directories,
research centres, recruitment services, software, and more.
EEVL fills a large gap for engineers and industrialists as far
as Internet resources are concerned and it is likely that EEVL
will become the first port of call for anyone looking for
Engineering information on the Internet.
EEVL is funded through the Electronic Library Programme (eLib),
managed by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) on
behalf of the UK Higher Education funding councils. The EEVL
Project lead sites are Heriot-Watt University Library, and the
Heriot-Watt Institute for Computer Based Learning
(ICBL). Partner sites are the University of Edinburgh, Napier
University, Cambridge University, Imperial College of Science,
Technology and Medicine, the Nottingham Trent University, and the
Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE).
For more information, see the Web site at: http://www.eevl.ac.uk/
or
email eevl@icbl.hw.ac.uk
Subject: Re: ANNOUNCE: Video Camera On a Chip to be produced in USA
From: rstevew@armory.com (Richard Steven Walz)
Date: 18 Sep 1996 10:55:56 GMT
In article <51hqaf$prg@dfw-ixnews8.ix.netcom.com>,
LEONARD MARSHALL wrote:
>VIDEO CAMERA ON A CHIP made in USA
>
>The CMOS sensor has 72,000 pixels and has a EIA B&W; composite video
>ouput. Operates on only 5VDC @20Ma.vs. 120Ma for the standard CCD
>sensor.
>
>The complete camera on a chip has all circuitry needed to see a 225 TV
>line B&W; picture on a standard video monitor.
>
>Complete camera on a chip will sell for under $20.00 in 10,000 pc.
>quantities. A complete camera with lens & miniature cabinet will sell
>for under 49.00 @ 500 pcs.
>
>For more information contact: Leonard Rogers or Nathan Mordukhay
>Optical Systems Div. Marshall Electronics.
>Lmarsgo@ix.netcom.com
>Tel:1-800-800-6608
-----------------------------------
They'll have to do a BIT better. I have lately seen a flood of used or
overstocked NTSC B&W; surveillance cameras out there for $50 each! For
something small, that's cute, but it'll have to come down to $20 to
actually dent the market, except for people building little "bug"
robots and blimps. That's a limited nich market. They will sell at $20
or $25, but it won't make them wealthy instantly! They'll have to work
some years to get the price down and profit up to do that! Then
they'll just make three of them into cheaper camcorders is all with
color filters. America DOES want cheaper camcorders!! If somebody can
hit the camcorder market at half the going price and small, they could
clean house. But that's the only way to sell those, except for tiny
surveillance, and that demand, despite news of terrible crime levels
is going down as crime is actually diminishing as the population ages.
-Steve Walz rstevew@armory.com http://www.armory.com/~rstevew/
--
-Lots of New FTP Electronics Stuff!! 500 Files/30 Dirs (Full Mirror ==> *)
--
-Steve Walz rstevew@armory.com ftp://ftp.armory.com:/pub/user/rstevew *
Europe:(Italy) ftp://ftp.cised.unina.it:/pub/electronics/ftp.armory.com *
Oz: (Australia) ftp://gold.apana.org.au:/pub/electronics/ftp.armory.com *
(U.Cinci) ftp://ieee.cas.uc.edu:/pub/electronics/mirrors/ftp.armory.com *
Subject: Young's Modulus vs. Temperature
From: Robert Paynter
Date: 18 Sep 1996 11:54:02 GMT
Does anyone know relationships between Young's Modulus and Temperature
for typical "Engineering Materials", eg Steel, G.R.P. I'm sure the
general effect is: "As temperature increases stiffness reduces" but
can anyone quantify it. I'm not looking for extremes, of stress
or temperature.
Any leads will be appreciated
Robert Paynter
Dept. Aeronautics, .... ... \_/
Imperial College, / ( (. ) -.( ).(_)--
/ (...).) ( (.. ).\
c/o Energy Research Unit ----O=< (......)..)\
Rutherford Lab, Chilton |\ / | \
DIDCOT, Oxon OX11 0QX -| \ -,-,-,-, |
United Kingdom ,-,| -,-,-,-, Tel:+44 (0)1235 445304
email: R.Paynter@rl.ac.uk -,-,-|,-,-,-,-, Fax:+44 (0)1235 446863