Lindy Mayfield wrote:
> Some years ago I had the best time programming microchips in assembler
> and making motors turn and serial connections to my PC, and things like
> that.  The electronics required were very simple.  A resistor here and
> there (with a guess at the value) to connect LED's.  I couldn't continue
> because where I live now doesn't have the space for me to have a place
> to work.  I still have the passion though.
>
[snip]

> Olin was very kind to try to help me understand, but unfortunately I
> wasn't ready.  I really appreciate his kindness, though. Hopefully some
> day I'll get back into it.  In the meantime I'm happy just to lurk and
> marvel at the things I don't understand.
>
>
>
> -Lindy
>
>

Nice post, Lindy.

But, I have a very similar history to yours, except I have only 15 years
in computers. At the same time you were learning on the list I was too.
Maybe just a small step ahead of you.

Still, just a keen interest in electronics, and maybe some more space
than you to play...

but, my experience with Olin is different. At the exact time he was
being nice to you, he was being horrible to me.... In a post in the
"Analysis of Olin's EUSB2 Circuit" ..... after a full day of discussion
on his 'analyze the circuit challenge' originally posted in the thread
'Re: [EE:] How do you create and understand circuits? (i.e. why am i
sostoopid)' where he invites you to 'If you want a exercise, take a look
at the schematic to my USBProg PIC'

I spent the next few hours 'shadowing' you as you worked through some of
the details in the circuit... then, a day later, after you re-posted the
challenge, and were struggling to come up with an answer, I figured, as
a newbie, I would post what I thought the circuit did. I started the
post with:

Hi Lindy, I am somewhat new to this as well, and I had a stab at
understanding it.

Olin took exception to me making that post, after he expressly said it
was open to 'beginners'.

to quote him:
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Rolf wrote:

> > Briefly, the way it works is that the inductor (L1) ...
>

Sigh.  I had expected that everyone understood this was a learning exercise
for Lindy and others somewhat new to electronics, and that the best way for
them to learn would be to have them figure out pieces themselves with
guidance as needed to "walk them down the garden path".  Just telling them
how it works defeats this purpose, at least until they've spent some
reasonable effort to figure it out themselves and got close enough.  The
best way to learn something is to figure it out yourself.  Not only does
that make it stick in the brain, it also provides a pride of accomplishment
and a desire to continue onto the the next hurdle.  Each hurdle must be a
challenge, but attainable with a little work.  Place one big hurdle at the
end and the student will get scared off being overwhelmed, feel inadequate
("I'll never get this!") and possibly not come back.  Take down all the
hurdles and the student just walks along too easily with no necessity to
learn anything.  I thought this to be self-evident, but alas not.

I'm really dissappointed that people either didn't get this, or understand
so little about teaching even though it should be intuitive.  I guess I
shouldn't be surprised with over 1000 people on this list, since all it
takes is one or two to ruin it.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Basically, Olin can be nice, and can be nasty. You got lucky.

As it happens, I learned a great deal from that example, and before
Olin's rude 'comeback', I held him in high esteem. Now I am more cynical
when it comes to his motives.

Rolf

P.S. Olin does not subscribe to [OT] postings, so I have cc'd him directly.

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