OK .. for those who (sometimes with good reason!) accuse me of waffling/rambling posts, this one should be good ammunition 
Nearly a year ago, I joined this forum because I wanted to ask a few specific questions. Subsequently, and coming as no surprise to me, I became increasing involved in many of the discussions here, some informative, some intellectually interesting/stimulating, some silly, and many in-between. Knowing myself as I do, and given that matters electrical are but a tiny part of my life and interests, I told (maybe almost promised) myself that I would limit my regular active participation to a maximum of one year. Some 4,000 posts later, that leaves me just 23 more days, and I’m sure they will go very quickly.
To what extent I stick to my plan/’promise’ remains to be seen, but I certainly do envisage that the extent of my participation will at least diminish considerably before too long. A ‘clean break’, which is perhaps what I really ought to do, would probably not be that easy for me!
Whatever, I’ve certainly enjoyed and benefited from most of my involvement here, and am grateful to those who have helped to make this the case. I came to this forum with a sound knowledge and understanding of the underlying principles and decades of (mainly ‘amateur’) experience of both theoretical and practical electrical and electronic activities - and I am as capable of reading and assimilating the words of a set of regulations as is anyone else. However, what I lacked was a feeling for how practising electricians generally interpreted the Wiring Regulations when (as often was the case) they were less than crystal clear – and that is what I mainly hoped to gain from involvement with the forum. That has largely proved to be the case but (perhaps because I was naive) I was rather surprised by the extent of controversy and differing opinions in some areas – and particularly surprised by how much debate and argument appears to surround the topics of earthing and bonding! I guess I discovered (no big surprise!) that answers in relation to electrical wiring are often no more ‘black and white’ than they are in most other disciplines and aspects of life! I also hope that I have ‘given’ a little to the forum, as well as taking from it, but that is not for me to judge.
It’s been a little difficult at times to be clear about what side of the fence I’m on - since, although definitely a non-electrician (hence a ‘DIYer’), I am not exactly a typical DIYer either! However, as a fairly well-informed ‘outsider’, I may have on occasions been able to bring a viewpoint or perspective to bear which is a little different from that of those whose working lives are ‘saturated’ with matters electrical, and who are constrained to work in certain ways because of their status as professional electricians – so maybe I’ve at least stimulated some useful thought at times!
So I guess I now need to try to make the most of however much further participation in the forum I decide to allow myself!
Kind Regards, John.
Nearly a year ago, I joined this forum because I wanted to ask a few specific questions. Subsequently, and coming as no surprise to me, I became increasing involved in many of the discussions here, some informative, some intellectually interesting/stimulating, some silly, and many in-between. Knowing myself as I do, and given that matters electrical are but a tiny part of my life and interests, I told (maybe almost promised) myself that I would limit my regular active participation to a maximum of one year. Some 4,000 posts later, that leaves me just 23 more days, and I’m sure they will go very quickly.
To what extent I stick to my plan/’promise’ remains to be seen, but I certainly do envisage that the extent of my participation will at least diminish considerably before too long. A ‘clean break’, which is perhaps what I really ought to do, would probably not be that easy for me!
Whatever, I’ve certainly enjoyed and benefited from most of my involvement here, and am grateful to those who have helped to make this the case. I came to this forum with a sound knowledge and understanding of the underlying principles and decades of (mainly ‘amateur’) experience of both theoretical and practical electrical and electronic activities - and I am as capable of reading and assimilating the words of a set of regulations as is anyone else. However, what I lacked was a feeling for how practising electricians generally interpreted the Wiring Regulations when (as often was the case) they were less than crystal clear – and that is what I mainly hoped to gain from involvement with the forum. That has largely proved to be the case but (perhaps because I was naive) I was rather surprised by the extent of controversy and differing opinions in some areas – and particularly surprised by how much debate and argument appears to surround the topics of earthing and bonding! I guess I discovered (no big surprise!) that answers in relation to electrical wiring are often no more ‘black and white’ than they are in most other disciplines and aspects of life! I also hope that I have ‘given’ a little to the forum, as well as taking from it, but that is not for me to judge.
It’s been a little difficult at times to be clear about what side of the fence I’m on - since, although definitely a non-electrician (hence a ‘DIYer’), I am not exactly a typical DIYer either! However, as a fairly well-informed ‘outsider’, I may have on occasions been able to bring a viewpoint or perspective to bear which is a little different from that of those whose working lives are ‘saturated’ with matters electrical, and who are constrained to work in certain ways because of their status as professional electricians – so maybe I’ve at least stimulated some useful thought at times!
So I guess I now need to try to make the most of however much further participation in the forum I decide to allow myself!
Kind Regards, John.
