Number 100

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Author Message Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI, CDT Senior Member Username: rliebing Post Number: 1218 Registered: 02-2003 Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 10:43 am:    100929 NUMBER 100 by Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI, CDT Cincinnati, OH Hmmm! Who’d thunk it? Number 100? Has it been that long?-- no, just about 2 years. It may frighten you to know that there are over 600 of these pieces in the file [loaded for bear!]. But first things, first!! Our sincere and heartfelt thanks for putting up with us for this time, sharing our work with others and on occasion being moved to comment back, or merely to say “thanks” [those are really nice!] To allow me to make comments, express my opinions and to bring details of the past is a pleasure and fun all the way. I make no claim to being an expert much less an oracle, but I am disturbed by the state of things and the apparent lack of attention and priority placed on them-- the sort of arrogance that we and our work are best ever done. Our profession, by literally being forced to move forward so rapidly has all but lost sight of the past-- and THAT is bad! Just because something of value is old, does not necessarily mean it is obsolete, non functional, useless or valueless. Sure, new things come along that are better or easier, but again some things of the past still prevail AND provide basis and value to use-- and often to those in the future. Our knowledge base-- each of us-- is a collection or accumulation of what we have come to know. It is NOT a matter of discarding and clearing out some data to make room for even more. Much of what we gained in the second and third grade, is still with us, although we do not obviously realize we use it every day. So with all the information we have gone through at all levels of education and expertise. Of course, we have formulated a hard core of information that call upon each day, and augment to stay current. The major problem currently is that the professions are not nurturing the basics of our work, in specs and drawings and ensuring that new, and budding professionals [i.e., students] receive the balance insight of old and new. That they understand how and where the basic standards and techniques of yesteryear still are valid, useful, and apply as the underlying criteria. Absent this the new professionals are changing the complexions of our work BY WHAT THEY LACK! Do you fill a void or solve a problem by “lacking” something? Obviously this is not a good methodology, or any way to resolve things satisfactorily, in the future. Not so long ago, there were senior architecture students who could make magnificent models, but were incapable of making a cogent quick detail sketch to explain a point-- WHAT??? What has 100 got to do with this? Well, let’s just use it as a milestone-- it’s one that is used all the time. One-hundred years ago [1910], how were working drawings and specs produced [you’ve surely heard or read about that-- personal experience not required!]. One-hundred years from today [2110] how will specifications and drawings be produced? Will they even exist? How will construction be accomplished without them and the necessary communication? Will you just drop a little water on a “pill” and your building will expand right from the pill? OR will there be some tow-headed kid [dressed in Lord knows what] sitting at a gizmo trying to figure out what and how he can build the “thing-a-mu-bob” he dreamed up? What material will be available to him/her? How are they fitted together? Where do they come from? Of course, no sweat, as they ALL will “green”! But think a minute!!!!! There might be a need to utilize a skill or technique from 1910 to convey the requisite construction information, via some teeny contraption to the constructors!!! Will that skill or technique be part of the expertise at hand? Will something else be used? Will the gizmo spew out everything required with a mere nervous thought by the person [no clicking required-- think on it, and it happens; hey, maybe that is the way the whole process will work!] Not that I could ever pay off on this, but I bet you a $100 that the fundamental 1910 information and skill will still be necessary-- in some form and in some way. I think we better get about making sure that information remains alive, intact, and distributed to all, for use now, next year and 100 years from now!!!