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Author Message David G. Axt, CDT, CCS, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 1999 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Friday, March 03, 2023 - 11:51 am:    (crickets) This discussion board used to be a lively place where there was great exchange of information and ideas. Not so much now. Where did everybody go? David G. Axt, CDT, CCS, CSI, SCIP Specifications Consultant Axt Consulting LLC Lynn Javoroski FCSI CCS LEEDŽ AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 2309 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Friday, March 03, 2023 - 12:43 pm:    I'm retired, but still see questions in my in-box. Maybe it's you who are asleep, David! (grin) Loretta Sheridan Senior Member Username: leshrdn Post Number: 75 Registered: 11-2021 Posted on Monday, March 06, 2023 - 08:02 am:    I still check every day. I always learn a lot here. I also enjoy the aphorism of the day. (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Sunday, March 05, 2023 - 11:07 pm:    David, you have a point. there have been only about a half dozen postings on Coffee Pot and Water Cooler since the beginning of the year not counting four, but only four, aphorisms of the day. I don't know about others but I've been pretty busy lately and there is really nothing that interesting in my life that bears mentioning. Wait! Today I bought tickets for the live production of Hairspray at the San Antonio Majestic Theater this coming Friday. I will attend with my adult daughter and wife. I'm not being facetious. This is a musical we all really enjoy and it will be a chance for us to take a break from our busy schedules and share quality time together. Who else is looking forward to a fun or interesting happening in the near future; vacation, gathering of friends, community event? Lynn Javoroski FCSI CCS LEEDŽ AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 2310 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Monday, March 06, 2023 - 08:52 am:    Not sure if this qualifies as an "aphorism", but "Our life is full of interpunctions, or commas; death is but the period or full point.” Thomas Jackson; Maran Atha; A. Maxey; 1657." And as for exciting stuff in life, I'm looking forward to our region conference in May. Over the past year and a half, we've dealt with COVID, pneumonia, CLL, and the upcoming closing of our church. Definitely NOT fun stuff! So the conference is the beginning of the fun stuff; then (hopefully) Alaska in July. David G. Axt, CDT, CCS, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 2000 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Monday, March 06, 2023 - 11:27 am:    I am referring to the whole discussion board. I see fewer and fewer posts and replies. It would be interesting if Colin could (or would) post a graph of traffic on this forum. Maybe I am wrong. (It would not be the first time or last.) Maybe there is a lot more discussion than I assumed. David G. Axt, CDT, CCS, CSI, SCIP Specifications Consultant Axt Consulting LLC Colin Gilboy Board Administrator Username: admin Post Number: 14 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Monday, March 06, 2023 - 11:34 am:    No way to develop stats in this forum. The forum software is obsolete and the developer is out of business. What makes this forum work is the emails sent out on every posting (when requested in the users profile). This generates quick and multiple responses. I had looked at changing to a newer forum software and I could not find one that sent out emails after every posting. I assume the forum software developers were concerned about the email quantity. Colin Gilboy Publisher, 4specs.com Jeffrey Potter Senior Member Username: jpotter Post Number: 45 Registered: 02-2017 Posted on Monday, March 06, 2023 - 04:50 pm:    It seems the CSI blogs are getting more hits from my perspective. I enjoy 4specs will support Colin anyway I can. I love what 4-specs is about. Its rough to say, but I think we are seeing the affects of generational retirement with this blog. I don't know what type of marketing Colin does, but it would be great to get some young blood on this forum. James Sandoz, AIA, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: jsandoz Post Number: 365 Registered: 06-2005 Posted on Tuesday, March 07, 2023 - 08:45 am:    Lynn, I was able to attend the Texas Society of Architects conference in El Paso late last year. That was my first "event" since March 2020 when COVID shut everything down. We took precautions of course but it was so nice to see folks again and sense that things might be returning to normal. Wishing you safe travels to and from the regional conference and a wonderful time while there. My family experienced a church closing about 25 years ago. It was indeed sad but it compelled us to find a new church home and we made many new friends there. Lynn Javoroski FCSI CCS LEEDŽ AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 2318 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Tuesday, March 07, 2023 - 12:04 pm:    Thanks for the encouragement and good wishes, James. My church closing is hard - I've been actively involved in this church since 1981 and a lot of the things we have to do is falling on me. It's been a difficult time so far - there are a lot of hard feelings. Loretta Sheridan Senior Member Username: leshrdn Post Number: 81 Registered: 11-2021 Posted on Friday, March 10, 2023 - 10:20 am:    I check this every day. I have learned so much from this group. When I have a question, and search the content first, even if my specific question hasn't already be answered, I will always find something helpful. Loretta Sheridan Senior Member Username: leshrdn Post Number: 119 Registered: 11-2021 Posted on Wednesday, January 17, 2024 - 07:18 am:    Every time I come across the phrase: "Install in strict compliance with manufacturer's guidelines" or something along those lines, the word "strict" makes me thing of that scene in "A Few Good Men": "'I strenuously object?' Is that how it's done? Hm? 'Objection, your Honor.' 'Overruled' 'No, no. I STRENUOUSLY object.' 'Oh. You strenuously object. Then I'll take some time and reconsider.'" In this case, the Contractor: "Well, I was going to install the thingamabob however the heck I felt like it... But the specs say to do it in STRICT compliance with the manufacturer's guidelines, well, then... I will definitely reconsider and take a look at the manufacturer's guidelines..." (I didn't know where else to post this -- I didn't want to start a new thread, and this seemed as good a place as any.) Dave Metzger Senior Member Username: davemetzger Post Number: 825 Registered: 07-2001 Posted on Wednesday, January 17, 2024 - 07:23 am:    Whenever I see "strict compliance" I think of black leather. ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 1607 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Wednesday, January 17, 2024 - 08:48 am:    So if other products don't say "in strict compliance" then we don't care what they do? Don't most people already state in Division 01 to comply with manufacturer's instructions? Department of Redundancy Department? Pretty much the same effect as saying "all" in some places but not others or underlining or bolding text. Does that mean if it's not underlined or bolded it doesn't matter as much? How about "If you don't do it right, I'll pout!"? Edward R Heinen CSI CDT CCS LEED-AP Senior Member Username: edwardheinen Post Number: 15 Registered: 04-2022 Posted on Wednesday, January 17, 2024 - 11:00 am:    Another one of my favorites is the use of "or equivalent" as if using the full word adds formality to the concept. A local group here is interested in a private forum, so we are experimenting with a simple Zoom chat channel. Each online forum I've looked into has advantages/disadvantages. I do feel though that, especially in technical design circles, we preach to the choir a lot about the persistent practice errors we see. Russ Hinkle, AIA, CDT, LEED BD+C Senior Member Username: rhinkle Post Number: 155 Registered: 02-2006 Posted on Thursday, January 18, 2024 - 05:36 pm:    Our non-spec writer PM's how want to add phases or paragraphs because they ran into an issue on a project. Most of the time I my comment to them is "you can't fix stupid with spec's" Spec's are not the road to a perfect project. Russ Hinkle Loretta Sheridan Senior Member Username: leshrdn Post Number: 120 Registered: 11-2021 Posted on Friday, January 19, 2024 - 06:39 am:    I just started the "phase" conversation with someone. I know I am preaching to the choir here. And I DO explain / champion / push for doing things correctly with the PMs, et al. Sometimes, they wear me down and I give in. T.J. Simons, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: tsimons Post Number: 45 Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Friday, January 19, 2024 - 02:08 pm:    I think we've all had that discussion at one time or another-we're asked to put some magic language in a spec so the Bad Thing will Never Happen Again. I recall a conversation with a very good construction attorney in town who liked to say, "with properly drafted Contract Documents, there is a remedy for just about everything-there is not, and cannot be a preventative for everything. The more "problems" you try and prevent through drawing notes and spec language, the more problems you will ultimately need to remedy."