# Attracting Engineers



## C-Dog (Jul 16, 2008)

According to the National Academy of Engineers it is the social benefit we provide.

Engineers make a world of difference.

Engineers are creative problem-solvers.

Engineers help shape the future.

Engineering is essential to our health, happiness, and safety.

Read More


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## roadwreck (Jul 16, 2008)

:sucks:

I say we change the topic to *attractive* engineers


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## Capt Worley PE (Jul 16, 2008)

I was expecting babe pictures. :angry:


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## maryannette (Jul 16, 2008)

Capt Worley PE said:


> I was expecting babe pictures. :angry:


I was expecting a different kind of babe pics.


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## JoeBoone82 (Jul 16, 2008)

If the topic changed.... wouldnt it still be pretty slim ?


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## TouchDown (Jul 16, 2008)

All you would need to do to attract engineers, is put out a broadcast of riddles / hoaxes / questions - like:

would a plane on a treadmill fly???

It's kind of like a bug-zapper for these type of mental / cerebral peoples... Those damn engineers would swarm around that pot of elixer by the handfulls. The trouble is how to trap them once they congregate.

The real question is, once an engineer is attracted, how do you catch one?


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## engineergurl (Jul 16, 2008)

through their pocket book and ego...


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## engineergurl (Jul 16, 2008)

did I guess right?

:eyebrows:


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## EM_PS (Jul 16, 2008)

interesting quote:

On a positive note, less than 15 percent of adults or teens surveyed described engineers using common derogatory stereotypes, such as "boring" or "nerdy.” However, the research also showed that many students don't enjoy math and science enough to become engineers.

We're not nerds! We're not nerds! take it everybody. . . .

I'm not sure if math &amp; science are ever "enjoyed", although given calculus or flemish poetry of the 18th century, i'm leaning towards integratin' &amp; derivitatin'


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## mudpuppy (Jul 16, 2008)

What's wrong with being a nerd?


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## Katiebug (Jul 16, 2008)

error_matrix said:


> interesting quote:
> On a positive note, less than 15 percent of adults or teens surveyed described engineers using common derogatory stereotypes, such as "boring" or "nerdy.” However, the research also showed that many students don't enjoy math and science enough to become engineers.
> 
> We're not nerds! We're not nerds! take it everybody. . . .
> ...


No, for me math is not "enjoyed". I took the math classes that they made me take to get my degree, and disliked most of them (although the poor quality of teaching may have contributed to some of that feeling). I retained what I needed to retain, and I can pick things up quickly if I need to re-learn them for some reason.

To be honest, I think a lot more kids in college could have majored in engineering but chose not to because of the amount of time that classes and studying would take. I didn't have much of a social life my last two years, although I still found some time for fun. Mr. Bug (who was not Mr. Bug at the time) spent a lot of Saturday afternoons reading a book in a lab while my friends and I worked on projects or homework. The engineering majors in general were not known for their rollicking social agendas. I was on an NCAA Division 1 sports team during my freshman year. There were three of us who were engineering majors. The coach sat us down along with the nursing majors at the end of the year and encouraged us to change our majors to something like communication or business, because the athletic department couldn't _find_ tutors for the engineering majors, and the nursing majors' clinicals meant they were unable to come to practice every day or go for competitions during the week. To our credit, two of the three engineering majors and all of the nursing majors basically said, "Screw that" and decided not to return to the team the next year. Life is all about choices.

A lot of people who I meet for the first time have no idea I'm an engineer. Then I'm told that I'm "so normal" - as if all engineers wander around with a pocket protector like Dr. Frink on the Simpsons.


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## EM_PS (Jul 16, 2008)

mudpuppy said:


> What's wrong with being a nerd?


i prefer geek. i actually have a shirt w/ 'geek' written in binary on the front - unreal how many people ask me "what's that mean?" Go thou &amp; study ye the mathematics (gosh that sounds familiar, where have i seen that recently?)


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## gymrat1279 PE (Jul 16, 2008)

I prefer geek too... although nothing is wrong with nerd if that floats your boat. I'm quite happy to be a geek.


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## mudpuppy (Jul 16, 2008)

What's wrong with walking around with a pocket protector?

Nerd, geek, Poindexter. . . proud to call myself all three.


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## EM_PS (Jul 16, 2008)

Uh-uh - can't do the poindexter label, as i still use that for people way too into their tech-craft, whatever that may be


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## FLBuff PE (Jul 17, 2008)

&lt;---Self proclaimed enginerd


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## maryannette (Jul 17, 2008)

GIRL GEEK, here!


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## Guest (Aug 4, 2008)

mudpuppy said:


> What's wrong with being a nerd?


:thankyou:



gymrat1279 PE said:


> I prefer geek too... although nothing is wrong with nerd if that floats your boat. I'm quite happy to be a geek.


Good point .. although I have heard there is some subtle (or not so subtle) difference in terminology but I haven't heard a definitive explanation yet.

JR


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## Dexman1349 (Aug 4, 2008)

error_matrix said:


> interesting quote:
> On a positive note, less than 15 percent of adults or teens surveyed described engineers using common derogatory stereotypes, such as "boring" or "nerdy.” However, the research also showed that many students don't enjoy math and science enough to become engineers.
> 
> We're not nerds! We're not nerds! take it everybody. . . .
> ...


Funny thing is that at one point my wife's boss was being a real dick to her. It got to the point that I got really pissed and chewed him out over the phone. That same day he found out that I was an engineer and he actually called me back a short time later to apologize because he was scared of what engineers are capable of.

I think it's kinda nice to have that level of mental intimidation over some people...


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## ROBIAMEIT (Aug 4, 2008)

Dexman1349 said:


> Funny thing is that at one point my wife's boss was being a real dick to her. It got to the point that I got really pissed and chewed him out over the phone. That same day he found out that I was an engineer and he actually called me back a short time later to apologize because he was scared of what engineers are capable of.
> I think it's kinda nice to have that level of mental intimidation over some people...


THAT IS FUNNY . . . . .


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## ROBIAMEIT (Aug 4, 2008)

Katiebug said:


> A lot of people who I meet for the first time have no idea I'm an engineer. Then I'm told that I'm "so normal" - as if all engineers wander around with a pocket protector like Dr. Frink on the Simpsons.


funny . . . . im told all the time i am NOT a "typical engineer" . . . . now whats THAT supposed to mean?!


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## Capt Worley PE (Aug 4, 2008)

Dexman1349 said:


> That same day he found out that I was an engineer and he actually called me back a short time later to apologize because he was scared of what engineers are capable of.


You ought to have a background in weapon design. THAT really gets to some people.


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## Mike1144 (Aug 7, 2008)

Dexman1349 said:


> That same day he found out that I was an engineer and he actually called me back a short time later to apologize because he was scared of what engineers are capable of.
> I think it's kinda nice to have that level of mental intimidation over some people...


He probably saw that movie "Arlington Road". Of course he might be afraid of his kids teachers after seeing "The Substitute". Or archaeologists after seeing "Indiana Jones".


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## csb (Aug 7, 2008)

ROBIAMEIT said:


> funny . . . . im told all the time i am NOT a "typical engineer" . . . . now whats THAT supposed to mean?!


I get this too...and then people follow it up with, "But you have so much personality!" Um, thanks?

We had to take this class in college called Engineering Ethics and Economics and the ethics part said there were only four professional careers- doctors, lawyers, engineers, and clergy. If that's true, we're the only group that hasn't gotten our own TV sitcom yet. Maybe that's why we're not bringing them. Just picture it now...instead of Grey's Anatomy it would be Bernoulli's Equation...steamy!


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## frazil (Aug 7, 2008)

jregieng said:


> Good point .. although I have heard there is some subtle (or not so subtle) difference in terminology but I haven't heard a definitive explanation yet.


Here ya go...

*Normie*: A normal person. Blah.

*Geek*: An outwardly normal person who has taken the time to learn technical skills. Geeks have as normal a social life as anyone, and usually the only way to tell if someone is a geek is if they inform you of their skills.

*Nerd*: A socially awkward person who has learned technical skills due to the spare time they enjoy from being generally neglected. Their technical knowledge then leads normies to neglect them even further, leading to more development of their technical skills, more neglection, etc. This vicious cycle drives them even more into social oblivion.

*Dork*: A person who, although also socially awkward, doesn't have the intelligence to fill the void with technical pursuits, like a nerd, and is forced to do mindless activities. Almost always alone. Usually with an XBox. Like playing Halo. All day. Every day. Not even understanding how the Xbox is making the pretty pictures on the screen. Very sad.

example: "If you met me at a party, you would have no idea that I enjoy finite element analysis-based inviscid flow modeling using computational fluid dynamics. That's because I'm a geek."


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## Guest (Aug 7, 2008)

Wow frazil, that is like total poetry!! 

Even though, I am feeling an awkward turtle moments! 

JR


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## mudpuppy (Aug 7, 2008)

frazil said:


> *Nerd*: A socially awkward person who has learned technical skills due to the spare time they enjoy from being generally neglected. Their technical knowledge then leads normies to neglect them even further, leading to more development of their technical skills, more neglection, etc. This vicious cycle drives them even more into social oblivion.


Ouch, that hits close to home.

But at least I'm not a *Dork*.


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## FLBuff PE (Aug 8, 2008)

frazil said:


> Here ya go...*Normie*: A normal person. Blah.
> 
> *Geek*: An outwardly normal person who has taken the time to learn technical skills. Geeks have as normal a social life as anyone, and usually the only way to tell if someone is a geek is if they inform you of their skills.
> 
> ...


I guess that I am also a geek, cuz I understood everything in the exmple, but had friends (normies) drive up from Denver for a visit last weekend.


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## C-Dog (Aug 15, 2008)

I wonder if this add campaign actually worked...


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## csb (Aug 15, 2008)

Yeah, because sex really interferes with my ability to engineer...


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## Sschell (Aug 15, 2008)

I never knew that being an engineer and having sex are mutually exclusive... good thing I am no longer an engineer!

Now if I could only find someone to....


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