Are you offended when the media poke fun at your hobby?

Not so much they are uninterested as they are just absolutely clueless about anything scientific or applied scientific like engineering. I spent most of 20 years in newspaper newsrooms and was considered the office Einstein because I could work out percentages! I kid you not.

This thread seems to be two parallel discussions...

One is about people 'poking fun' at our hobby (which, let's face it is no more than Tool Time and 'More Power!' the other is about how the media deals with engineering in general. I think they are very different and it its hard to see to which camp some of the indignant responses belong...

I do think knowledge of engineering in the press is poor, but hey, the press struggle to understand MOST technical subjects. At least the BBC have the likes of Rory Cellan-Jones and Adam Rutherford.

I'm sure JS would have reminded us not to take ourselves to seriously though:

I got to work out 5% on $10.20 last week, "that's 51p so I would call it $10.70"

The young lady thought I was amazing "You did that in you're head !??"

The shopkeeper used a calculator and charged the extra penny

(sigh)

There seems to be a trend in the media nowadays to take the p*** out of any activity they don't understand, and one of the worst offenders is the BBC. And, yes, I am offended. When I trained as a journalist in the 1960s I was told that, if there was any activity I didn't understand, then I should speak to someone who did. On the other tack, I can still do mental arithmetic - in £/s/d. Proper money!

I have heard it said that half the UK population don't understand percentages!

My wife often laughs out loud when reading a humorous book, for some obscure reason people look at her sideways, as though this is odd.

Geoff

I was lambasted by G/F and mates when I purchased a lathe and mill, oscilloscope and various bits of electronic test equipment.

Nowadays it's a knock on the door with a humble "can you have a look at this?" Current project is a Marshall amp for a muso friend. I usually save more than 50% of submitted items from inhabiting the local rubbish dump.

Similar when I purchased my first multicopter, neighbours and friends asked why?

Why is because it's the way of the future. With a commercial licence one can earn a very lucrative income by filming wheat silos, irrigation channels, wind generators, real estate and crops etc etc etc.

The sweet aspect is when the local media ask for a few shots because their camera operator is not qualified/licenced/insured so cannot get clearance to fly. The downside is that to obtain authorisation a flight plan has to be lodged beforehand by a registered operator and it's not free nowadays.

So average geek earnings are about $120-$150 P/H (even for old geeks) but even more is on offer if one cares to work on a an oil rig in the Timor Sea during the cyclone season.

* Danny M *

Danny, this reminds me of my mother's reaction when I bought by first computer. "It's lovely, dear, but what exactly does it do?" She never did understand the reply I gave her: "Well, mother, what do you want it to do?."

Commenting/criticising other people's hobbies and interests isn't a one-way street:

Work colleague to me: 'You should take up bridge'.

Me: 'No thanks, I don't believe in games of chance'.

Colleague (outraged): 'Bridge isn't a game of chance!!'

Me: 'It would be, the way I'd play it!!!'

Best regards,

Swarf, Mostly!

No - I don't get upset by people taking the piss out of my hobby. It gives me great pleasure doing it and if I produce something that looks good/solves the problem then I am well pleased. I don't get upset either by people taking the piss out of me - my early engineering was done in an atmosphere where taking the piss out of each other was expected and it was expected for you to give at least as good as you got.

If I say "I'm having a senior moment" then I am making fun of myself. I once got corrected " you can't say that now, you must say you are having an agest moment:" That did upset me. I don't do - can't stand - politically correct. My reply back soon ensured I got the information I wanted and the telephone call swiftly terminated.

The bad light engineers and engineering is held in general in the UK does upset me. 16 years in the food industry where engineers and engineering was considered a necessary evil, and any of the management and production staff considered themselves far better able to fix problems themselves until they ended it with a situation so dire that only the engineers could, and had to, fix saw to that. Engineering is held in high regard in other countries it seems but not here, despite as has been said that if it were not for engineering we would not be where we are, or have what we have, today, and that does upset me.

Chris.  Confirmed Anorak.

Edited By ChrisH on 27/10/2017 11:50:19

I love it. I think my old Drummond may henceforth be known as the "Flagellator". The Drummond Flagellator. Has a certain ring to it I reckon. Describes to a T some its antics, interrupted cuts on 4" square bar, milling slide extended to full height and a 22mm end mill chewing up a bit of 1" plate etc. Definitely a Flagellator.

I might even cut the part of the label off an HP Sauce bottle that says "By Appointment to Her Majesty the Queen" and stick on the headstock casting.

Over the years I have been involved in various hobbies and interests, and even now, I consider myself lucky to have had a job which in reality was as much a hobby as anything. I've done a little bit of radio, television (pre-digital junk), model railways, electronics, choral singing, and now model engineering. I do find it interesting, well funny actually, when people ask "Well, what do you actually do with it?" My answer is: "Self-education by experimentation, and if I happen to be able to repair or make something of use along the way, then that's all to the good." But the comment I liked best, was when my neighbour came round, saw what I was doing, (can't remember what it was) and then went home and said to his wife: "He's a genius"!

Seriously though, there is another consideration. My maternal grandfather left work at (presumably 65), had no outside interests, and was dead at 70 having developed Alzheimer's or something similar. (Described to me as "He's lost his memory." I'm now well past that age, and on two occasions over the last three years I've been told by the medical staff at the GP surgery that I'm showing no signs of mental deterioration. I'd like to think it is because of all the interests I have.

So, do I care about what others think? Do I heck, I just give mental thanks that I can still do it.

Modestly yours,

Peter G. Shaw

As a 'pretendy' engimeer, target shooter, Freemason, Grandad, and generally grumpy old man, the bolt threaders, (were Julian and Sandy bolt threaders?) can take the ---- any time. Anyway, take the mick all you want, it will be my turn next :-) --- I think I have just discovered a new insult - a bolt threader. Thanks guys, made my day

No,I gave up being offended long ago,I found it was better to give than to receive !

Someone asked "What,s football"? Football is a "Game" where grown men dress up like clowns and chase around a field after a ball [like we used to do when we were kids],trying to kick it between two poles,while those watching them swig beer from cans and mouth curses at them and all around them Sound familiar ?

Usually ends in a fight. Suppose they could be doing worse,like making swarf !!

Perhaps skilled people should be protectionist like accountants and lawyers etc. If they have to bring their car to a protected mechanic they might find it costs them £300 an hour.

Mike

Now there's a gasp inducingly good idea. Perfectly innocent engineering words used as deadly insults!

You half-nut. You ball raced mandrel you. That man's a total tailstock...

The possibilities are endless. I shall never be short of abuse again!

Dave

Dave, John,

Excellent! I remember hearing, at Railfest 2004, a young couple encouraging their children not to swear, by using phrases such as , "Great Steaming Pistons!" and, "Red Hot Cinders!"

The there are innocuous words said with huge emphasis and great feeling, "Oh, Dear!", "I Say!", "Good Heavens!"

But I do like "You half-nut"

Geoff

Of course anyone who doesn't like seeing model engineering poked with a sharp stick should avoid ME's 'Club News' pages

Neil

"He's a few thou short of a full 16th"

Friend of mine [yes,I still have a few,I think,four,at the last count !] had the perfect answer to this. He said,"Why not give each a ball to play with? that way they would not need to go chasing around trying to take it from each other and yelling their silly heads off all the time" Makes sense !