> Lots of things (not just diodes) have cathodes. I first learned about them 
> at the age of 12, when I was playing with vacuum tubes, and most people 
> learn about cathodes in high school physics (X-ray, electrolysis, etc). 

But I am not likely to encounter those things, so why bother? I can 
match a circuit symbol with the physical thingy, in nearly all cases 
that is all I need. (But I will try to remember the -K|- idea). I'd 
rather fill my mental attic with stuff I am more likely to need, like 
the details of the Cortex-M3 instruction set.

> You're very intelligent, way more intelligent than me (I'm not a professor, 
> and I don't work on space stuff)

I would not know that, an some people argue that intelligence is a 
circular property :) And professor is another word (ilke engineer) that 
can have different meanings; I am certainly not a professor in the Dutch 
sense. I just teach some subjects (in most cases the 'teaching' part is 
much more challenging for me that the 'subject' part).

 > but if I didn't know you and you said you
> didn't know that "cathode" means "the negative terminal", you would make a 
> bad first impression.
> IMO, you're just being stubborn for no good reason (out of spite?).

I am often stubborn just for stubborns sake. But like to think that I 
will yield to a good argumentation. But in that case I am the judge for 
the 'goodness'...

-- 

Wouter van Ooijen

-- -------------------------------------------
Van Ooijen Technische Informatica: www.voti.nl
consultancy, development, PICmicro products
docent Hogeschool van Utrecht: www.voti.nl/hvu

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