I am Not an Electrical Engineer, as far as I know. I have attempted many courses with varying degrees of success. (42 or 43 +) (over 280 fields and growing) When attempting to do any course you are confronted with various Human Nature situations. Combine this with many various Technical Difficulties you are confronted with when attempting courses on the subject matter in reference in Australia. Subject: Y2k:
Causes:
1) Ignorance (various types), plays a big part of this Y2k problem/situation in Australia.
2) Lack of far-sightedness.
3) Most people (in Australia) don't know what an Electrical Engineer does.
Back to School:
Having an interest in computers and computer advances I waited till the graphics improved on computers and thought it would be good to have some knowledge on this technology that encompassed our whole society and civilisation.
I did a few surveys (Human Nature) before, to see what other people generally thought about going back to School to learn. A big leap for most, who, are glad to finish schooling and get out of school.
(No more teachers, No more books, No more teachers dirty looks ..)
To my surprise, the survey went in the direction of reprisals from Government Departments for trying to Further your Education (Further Education??). Payments were cut off, shortages, so much that it was generally understood that the less you did, the less you were hassled.
Most people surveyed, on going back to school to learn IT said they couldn't afford it. Others believed they would only have the brains for being a "trench technician". (This derives from the Aussie Tradition, Tall Poppy and Aussie Bashing) Australians being the best Aussie Bashers in the World. (Even though this may come as a surprise to International Observers) (God knows who's claiming to be a Yobo these days)
Surprised, a bit puzzled, not sure about the findings, I joined up and started an IT (Information Technology) course at a Tafe. I sign up, but the teacher informs me that the class probably won't happen as there are not enough students to fill the class. Mm, I go home and think, well, see if I can get a buddy to go and, maybe to fill the class. I mention to a few people, who, mention to a few other people, and with my buddy, we make enough people with the existing people already signed up to start the class. Usually the 1st stepping stone into the IT, is to learn Spreadsheets, Databases and Word-processing.
The class is part-time at night, with my usual amounts of technical difficulties doing anything, I get to the end of the course. I seemed to know a bit more about computers at this course, than most in the class. I had an Atari, not a powerful machine by these days standards, (still loads and starts faster though) It was of no use for these Tafe courses though. Had to be a PC (Personnel Computer) or IBM compatible. No one else had a computer, a few used them at work. The Teacher gave me a fair mark, I had enough of a grasp to get a pass. (Still haven't a piece of paper for this one. I go back nearly every year till the lady remembered me but still couldn't find the file, again) Mm, I think well, might have a go at something a bit more intensive (course was a bit slow if you knew something about computers).
Programming
I get a buddy, and we go off to learn Basic (Q Basic). (part-time, nights) This feared word has a few meanings, apart from the obvious. There is Basic and there is basic. Being a word that can be used in a sentence can confuse you, .. mm, er, possibly.
Basic is a programming language, in a group or field with a range of other programming languages:
Cobol, Machine Code, Pascal, C, C++, etc .. etc .. to the newer Visual Basic, Visual C, Vis C++, Html, Java, Perl etc..
When I 1st went into programming languages I ran into something I knew and identified well, being affiliated with the Music Industry for years before.
It was called "EGO". I knew this word well. (how many Ego's can you fit in a small room) Well, the answer, if you want to play good music, is, to leave your Ego at the door when you enter so it wont waste too much time. (you get more work done) (called in the industry as "time wasters")
Here I was in a field with Ego's, (programmers) and, … most could not play. Mm, … curious I thought.
The biggest Ego's at the time (Dos v3.31) were/are C++ programmers who apparently thought they were gods of some sort. Still, most probably couldn't play a note to save themselves. Most programmers you mentioned you were doing Basic made them laugh violently and walk away in arms and legs. I thought this was a strange reaction, seeing that most of the Operating System's we were using used these same Basic Commands to implement and run most if not all the functioning of your computer at that level.
I get to the end of that course, do a few "things" in my program that makes the Teachers eyes pop out and ask me intensively how I achieved different aspects of the program I had handed in. Well, .. I thought, that there was a definite inclination of the IT industry to go to the latest and greatest as the great god for NOW. This is true to a certain degree. There are usually good reasons for this. With most programming languages the newer version has fixed problems or made more user friendly. (this is understandable, if you've ever tried programming) I had used a small program (3-5 lines) to find ASCII characters that were not usually used because no one seamed to go out to there. By using these never used before or seen (by teacher C++ programmer teaching Basic(? mm ..)) techniques to make my program work. I passed. Mmm, what now??
Up a Notch on the Ladder
My buddy and I (the buddy technique is good if you haven't been to school for a long time) go to join up to learn about the great god c++ but find we can learn this and a few others in another course. Actually there is 2 or 3 courses. Hard to find out details about any courses leading up and on joining day its usually chaos and nobody knows anything. (at the time, its probably changed now) This must vary due to lacality and subjects. "What will we do", asks my buddy? "Er, well, … pick a number" I say. We pick a number, look up the book, find the Tafe doing that number. "Mm, .. not much time to get there" I inform my buddy, er, "and, we have just joined a c++ class, now, if we want to do that course we have 1 hour to get to the place before they close". OK, we jump in the car, get to the Tafe, a couple of towns down. (up, if you go down to Vic and up to Qld) We jump in a line armed with some number for some course. A Teacher informs us that the course part-time is for 5 years. My buddy looks at me and I calculate that from 1996 add 5 years and .. WOW…. "Er, … 2001 (a movie) we can get out if we pass everything that comes our way"(43). The Teacher informs us that if we do it full-time it's a 2 year course. We look at each other with a surprised look. "What do you think" buddy says. "Well, I say, that makes it if we pass everything that comes our way we can finish in 1998, that, at least is this century". (you can almost count on 1 or 2 hands how many Australian Electrical Engineers will be finished their courses for Y2k problems ( x Tafe's in country + Uni grads, but, they won't be trained for this Y2k problem, or will they?), definitely not many part-time will be through their courses)
The Little Woman
We sign. We get paperwork with all these numbers but, no-one, could translate what the numbers or more importantly, what course the number referred to. Jump in the car, Ooooooopppss, "er, what about the little woman?" I ask. My buddies wife, er, .. and kids, … mm, .. "Well, … " my buddy says, still not sure of the gravity of either situations or had entertained them both before that second, either. Streuwttth.. ..
"She will kill you. She has the right, .." I inform my buddy. She, .. like us, thought we were going to join a part-time night course. When joining a course you might have to sign contracts that you are going there and .. Sometimes you might be signed up with a few Govt. Offices/Agencies, saying you are doing so and so course. These ARE contracts. I full well understand what a contract is and as usual do the best I can to fulfill that contract, (even with technical difficulties created by the same Agencies you have THE contracts with.) as you have signed that you would (this is your credibility, or the erosion of, at stake). We both knew that. Still, that won't stop my buddies wife from killing him when he tells her where we've been and why we are late when we get back.
On the 1st day (next day)I make it to school by myself, (my buddies in the casualty ward) to find a classroom full of people. (38 started I think full-time and part-time) When I went to school there wasn't computers or calculators. Rude shock here. .. Mathematics… I had survived, (not too well) but survived, but had got through my life so far, without a calculator. Because I did not have my higher school certificate I had to do more subjects of Mathematics. Mmm, … Mathematics has a way of getting to you if your not into it. As far as I could ascertain, it had the same effect, on most people, that were not into Mathematics. Out of 9 subjects, 7 were Mathematics. 1 or 2 were called Mathematics. The others were thinly disguised by a number, but, just the same, it was Mathematics. 9 subjects a week, (7 Maths) at that level boarders on the inhumane.
2nd Semester: 16 left in the full-time class. My buddy gone. Too much on his plate, before he signed.
One feller said "that the drop out rate ten (10) years ago was so bad that nobody was passing and not many
could teach the subject matter anyway. " "The Govt. asked anyone, any Nationality to come and teach these mysterious subjects, and this, is the present teaching system we are in". Historically, we are told, the drop out rate is 95-98% in the 1st semester. (class congradulated in 3rd semester for breaking proverbial "bubble" of 3-4 in class in 2nd semester (16 in class) (Tafe's .. er, maybe)
I can believe that. They slaughtered or killed them with Mathematics most, if not all the recent Prospective Australian Electrical Engineers in the 1st two (2) months, probably, for years before. (mathematics, .. it's a horrible way to die) Most prospective Engineers I encountered (that were taken out) had computer skills but the math's scared them. Now I know a lot more about the workings of computers, you don't have to be a Mathematical genius to turn 1 on. Most kids just turn the button on and away it goes. Even 2 year olds. A lot of young prospective engineers are fast learners. (Depending on the fields)
2nd year: 15 or 16 in class. Not sure how many in the class because in some subjects you have part-time students at that level doing that subject. Class sizes vary with this. At this stage students are looking in the papers for jobs in the field. An amount of jobs were for PLC (Programmable Logic Controllers) programmers. We look when this subject is coming up to find that the subject has just been taken OUT of the curriculum. Mm, this is strange. Here we have an amount of jobs in the paper requiring PLC programmers, the WHOLE World is run by them, and, it gets taken OUT of the curriculum. We enquire about the course but get told they are superceded, but, no-one seemed to know by what. (embedded systems)
Stop Making a Lot of Sense
PLC's is re-instated into course. {"teacher" hostilities increase) Added subjects from 38 to 40 to 43 not sure (you get delirious with numbers (massive amounts) after a while), still trying to figure out what this other bunch of numbers represent.
C++ starts in the 2nd year. 2 subjects of that, then, you do embedded systems.
On the noticeboard "appears" a "Grant" for, Electrical Engineers, 2nd Year. Yep. That's us. There is no other class in that faculty at that time in the 2nd Year but our class. One big problem here on looking though, its out of date. The closing dates for this Grant finished a month before. It was just posted that day. I enquire to the Company who posted the Grant, but told we missed the closing date, but, to try again next year.
At the start of the 2nd year I am introduced to a "Case Manager". Seeing that the curriculum is so radical, its crossed between a mathematical-rocket scientist/repairer-iron-man-survivalist that can make anything electrical, or fix anything by whipping out a calculator and/or oxy-torch, except, for what is required right now. Y2k. Mm, er, .. Thursday night after my Maths class (9pm) I think I might have some time (to interview case manager). The subject matter is so deep at times that it requires time to "grasp concepts" to assimilate the functions or logic required for a given subject. Some subjects are heavily superceded, but still being taught. Some subjects didn't have textbooks. If there was, you were lucky to afford them by the day of the exam for most(filled out and handed in for exam). Many electrical subjects you have to know because of the Dangers associated with electricity. There is no other way. You have to know these subjects and the dangers associated or your dead, or worse your buddies dead/and/or other people. You have to know these subjects. 3 in class could afford a basic multimeter, the rest had no finances.
Study in Security
Every exam season (4) for the 2nd year (4 out of 4) my finances were cut off. (That's better than a hatrick) After much hostilities by "Teachers" for various reasons and motives, I made it to the end of the 2nd year, to fulfill the contracts (CES, SS, Tafe, Case Man. Etc.) that I had initially signed. One "Teacher" exclaimed to the class, "They're wrong, they're ALL wrong!". But, When the answers came out on the whiteboard I had correctly answered 8 out of 10 correctly. Mm, er, what?? (Electrical Computations) Whew! Tough year.
Since then, making web sites/pages, learning html, vis bas, java, perl, cgi-bins, cla's, etc .. etc .. etc .. fixing, seting up, building computers etc .. and generally making Internet web sites work and stay working in as many compatibles browsers as possible.
Interview on Y2k Problem/Situation
A lady wants to interview me about the Year 2000 bug, glitch, problem, whatever .. etc ..
Mm, not knowing much about the problem/situation, I read Gary North's Book.
My 1st question, even though I am getting interviewed is: When was the Year 1 named, and by Who? (please excuse lack of precise details/dates etc..) (it happens)
Am I expected to believe that Russian and Chinese, Japanese and Dutch etc .. computers and their Operating Systems are all operating at the same time frames as the American Operating Systems (2 digit time/date), even though, many of those countries don't recognise each others time frames, and, never have.
Plus, they all put 2 digit counters in (or minus depending how you see it).
For instance. The Jewish Nation didn't recognize Jesus, back then. Their date is AN (After Noah) (Not sure of exact date/year at this posting) The Buddhist's have their dating as AB (after Buddha) (not sure of date/year), The Arab World, AM (after Mohammed) (not sure date/year), and, if we are in 1998, that means we are about 1998 years after Jesus died, sort of, er, if we are decided that when the year 1, was the year 1. * Those affiliated with these complications are aware of the Float debate. (between BC and AD) (this is another book for someone else)
This is how we are in the year 1998, by, deciding on the year 1. (this is another book for someone else)
323 AD at the Council of Nicea, Jesus recognized as the "Christ", and, forgotten.
727 AD at the 2nd Council of Nicea, Jesus once more gets voted in by a slight majority vote, and, forgotten. 1600's or before and/or, Martin Luther (a German Priest) discovers an identity in the Gospels that was not recognised but, played a major part in the book. He was well looked after for his findings. Stories of the atrocities committed to the knowledge of this story crossed to Britain, and, shortly after the King James Version of the Bible emerged. (1611) This Book (the Bible) seems to be a indirect Translation of the Jewish Family Tree or History. I'm not sure if the Jews were consulted (at this time) (for translation) (permissions/copyright) in the making of the King James Version. Or, when Copyright Laws came into effect.
Anyway, Year 2000 (Y2K).
It seems that when in the initial makings of computers, (American I suppose) the counter section of the computer, (Q) What does a computer do good? A) Count numbers) was skimped on, by instead of putting the whole date/month/year we have .. 02/11/98. The 1st 2, digits, the 19 (this century) were removed. Or, not added. When a 2 digit counter gets to 99 it will turn over to be 00, this is true (with a 2 digit counter)
How could that be?
This is fair to assume as most technologies don't seem to associate far-sightedness as being part of the criteria with Technology Advances. Even if it is 50 years or less away. For instance, when in 1983, Bill Gates said that you would NEVER need any more RAM than 36k, instantly, the RAM industry grew to where you might need 125 meg of RAM to run a lot commercial programs smoothly. (percentage increase please)
The Lady butts in and wants to ask a question. (its her interview I suppose) Q) What is the Government doing about the Y2k problem/situation?
Mmm, .. (tough question, especially as I'm reading the book while I'm getting interviewed) Mm, well, couldn't say for sure right now, but, I can only put forward my own story as a case history. I could not assume that my story could possibly happen to someone else. I have to assume that my story is an isolated case. If the Government is doing something about the Y2k problem/situation, well, I'm probably NOT the one (1) to ask.
If, you wanted to correct this Y2k problem/situation, …. you would.
Why, one (1) of the main parts of the problem being (PLC's) the other (embedded systems) is taken OUT of curriculums leading up to the peak of the problem?
Why would you cut the finances of Prospective Electrical Engineers leading up to a massive world-wide problem?
Why would Govt. Agencies /Offices have a co-ordinated approach to harassing you, but, when you want to find out what course is on when, .. nobody knows??
Why would you teach the subjects NOT required to fix the Y2k problem? To find the places where these subjects are taught would take some research. If you pass the course I attempted, (a few did) (many haven't) you were taught 2 or 3 subjects that you could get a job with. Most, if not all jobs, want experience. Some, 10 years experience on programs and platforms that have only been out for 18 months.
These skills are required in Australia right now, with over 4,000 jobs waiting, some since 1996: MS Access a/ps, ADABAS/NATURAL, a/ps, (rqvs), C++, Cobol, DM S1100 a/ps, Cobol/DB2/CICS a/ps, Data Analysts/ADW, Gupta SQL Windows a/ps, IEF/DB2 a/ps, Novell Netware administrators, Oracle, CASE, Power builder, Visual Basic, VMS administrators, Unix administrators, Data Base administrators, -COBOL, -ADABAS/NATURAL, -M204/Model 204, -IMS, -CICS, TELON, -SAS, IEF, -SAP Quality -Function Point Metrics, -Year 2000, Y2000, Y2K, Various WAN/LAN Communication positions, -Various PC skills, TPF/ALCS Developers,IEF Developers, Tandem Base24 Developers, Hogan Developers, Synon/2 Developers, IBM MVS Developers, Object Oriented Developers, RDBMS Developers, Oracle, Sybase, Ingres, Informix, SAP Developers (R/2 & R/3), OS/2 Network skills (Lan Server, Token Ring) etc.
Not Qualified for Anything
After 2 years (full-time), 2, maybe 3 subjects in an Associate Diploma in Electrical Engineering (full-time 2 years) cover bits or are in these requirements. For me after 2 years: MS Access (3 blocks), C++ (2 blocks). = 2 subjects. (I was failed on all these blocks, even though I thought I did well on those subjects, prg's worked)) (did 43 subjects) If you were doing a part-time course (start 96) you wont find this out till the year 2001. (3 subjects out of 43 in requirements) Then, you could go looking for a course (part-time, maybe (finish 2007}) to fix the Y2k problem/situation.
One (1) student trying to get work after passing was held up for the job by not being able to obtain his Associate Diploma (didn't get the job)(wife and 5 kids to support, owes over $35,000 for course, couldn't get a character reference either, after passing 43 subjects+). Still not able to obtain work in the field. 1 other student (year before) after trying to get jobs in the field for months ended up going out west to sheer sheep. Because you don't have experience, you cannot generally get the job.
Even if you pass the course (not many do) you would be lucky to get a job as a Technician, even though, technically you are an Engineer (mainly because you were not taught the subjects to fix computers). It's a Joke. Or is it?
If there is a Y2k problem/situation going to happen in Australia, well, the Australian Government and Offices/Agencies and Staff Workers etc .. plus the teachers must already have the problem in hand. So to speak. They (Powers at Be) must have a solution for this problem/situation already worked out that they Don't need or require Australian citizens to fill these positions or train them for what is required to fix the problem. This is the Only explanation I can find to explain my technical difficulties. Either that, or everybody (dealings with) is Stupid. This, although a possibility, must be discounted at this stage, as Govt.'s with major problems looming, with for-warnings, would draft up contingencies to deal with the major problems associated with Y2k.. years before.
Help Line (The Safety Net)
Of course, if your not able to remedy your technical problems (and study/do exams, wire circuitries etc..) you get referred to the Commonwealth Ombudsman's Office (a reputable Office.). One (1) mention of Legal advice will send you railroaded to Welfare Rights, where within long, you are a Disabled Pensioner. This I find hard to believe. If I wanted to be a Disabled Pensioner, I would have gone to Doctors, filled out bits of paper, etc .. instead of going to Tafe's and "Teachers", buying calculators, wires, resistors, microchips etc.. Being a logical, practical type person, I believe I joined an Associate Diploma in Electrical Engineering to do and be an Electrical Engineer. This could possibly mean that if you can't find many Australian Electrical Engineers when the Y2k problem is imminent, you might find a percentage as Disabled Pensioners, still trying to figure how that can happen after doing all that Mathematics.
Y2k. Can it be fixed?
Well, Yes. If you wanted to fix something. You would fix it. Wouldn't you. Right then. You would, instantly, or a bit of a time frame, analyse the problem, diagnosis, prognosis, solutions, etc .. and, fix it. Mmm, many problems though .. and, .. technical difficulties. Still, you would draft out a contingency to deal with the problem/situation.
Definitely a big challenge for the synchronising programmer.
But, you would do that way before that date to get counters aligned.
Counters:
Every PC'. Every time/date counter in every machine or microprocessor that counts for its functioning
In the case of a counter. Get a bigger 1. Change the old ones for new. Change the existing 2 digit counters to 4 digit counters.
PLC's:
With PLC's, get PLC programmers to reprogram PLC's. I know half a dozen or more that would love the job.
If you require Australian Electrical Engineers you put Grants in those fields for Australian Citizens to fill them. Contingencies
You would most probably NOT cut off their (students)finances at exam times. (defies logic) The less harassment's at exam times would be conducive for better study, and exam marks.. (Common Knowledge)
You probably would know that prospective Electrical Engineers Don't Need Case Managers because they have too many subjects to learn to have the time to have someone on their case. I had a Case Manager make an appointment 1 hour before an exam I had studied 3 months for. The Case Manager, when time ran over, was Not concerned that it was an exam I was missing. I knew I had signed contracts though, (with the same company and other Co.'s (strange occurance??)).
There would probably be positive provision for positions for engineers to go into. (most might owe $20,000 plus (to Banks), .. to do this course) (at least)
Not all the heavy electrical mathematical subjects are required to fix the Y2k and associated problems.
Certainly PLC and Embedded Systems programmers would be in demand to solve the Y2k problems/situation, if, not already solved.
You would probably KEEP subjects directly related to fixing the problem (PLC's) in the curriculums. (the logic associated with taking OUT this subject, being directly related, before a major problem/situation occurs, defies the imagination, well, .. er, mine of course)
Embedded Systems:
By the time you get to this course (halfway through 2nd year in a 2 year course) you've seen just about every Mathematical equation known to the Modern World. If you get to this subject you've done well. Don't wait for anyone to congratulate you though. In my case the allotted hours for a course dropped from 20 hours to 16 hours so for me to try to continue with the course I had to spend many hours in Agencies trying to connect finances, instead of using critical study time, drop a few subjects to remain within the (freshly) allotted hours. Because you are out of the hours (not when I started) you resemble a studying-outlaw of sorts to Govt. Agents/Offices at this time, .. er, probably ripping off the revenues.. (there goes that far-sightedness)
Fear What You Don't Know
Technical Difficulties
Underwater PLC's and embedded systems, buried etc ..
Outer Space PLC's and embedded (newer) systems.
Defense Systems.
Synchronisation.
Lack of Synchronisation.
Last Minute Technical Difficulties
Many, many others.
Cassini Probe.(one wonders if this guided(?)NEO has a 2 digit counter)
The technical difficulties (TD's) arising from a lack of far-sightedness are the ones (TD's) possibly to be scared of.
The chances of every computer in the World, every PLC with time/date counter, every embedded system in the world and out, synchronising at the same time/day/year at the same time seems like an awesome timing situation/headache for whoever is in charge of the operation at this synchronicity. I wish them the best. What will happen if they don't synchronize? Or, a computer that hasn't been synchronised is joined into the system, what will happen to the system?
Well, most now aren't synchronised, in any way, and it doesn't seem to bother many. The bulk are synchronised to a time/date.
What about my Computer and all the tons of codes that have to be changed?
1) Upgrade your BIOS. Then reset.
2) Buy a later Operating System. Any problems diagnosed with any program, especially Operating Systems (these are called glitches), are USUALLY corrected when FOUND, this (glitch) or problem is "Solved" then. Next Version comes out, ver 3.854734 .. etc .. which, usually solves the problem. This "Learning" technique is consistant with Computer History.
One would imagine that 4 digit counter machines would be on the shelves for years BEFORE a problem like Y2k is immanent. It must be under control.
Otherwise, my buddy could come back from shearing sheep, get a job in Electrical Engineering fields, instead of Sheep Engineering fields. (Many can fill this position) (well, er, .. he's got experience)
Others, that finished the course, possibly could get jobs in those fields, or fast-train into the relevant fields.
