The Spectrum has a recent article/book review: https://spectrum.ieee.org/open-circuits "The Inner Beauty of Electronic Components" The article includes statements clearly addressing the electronic clueless. E.g., "Capacitors are fundamental electronic components that store energy in the form of static electricity." So who are the Spectrum's readers? I always thought it was EE's/designers. But if so, this article is way off target. But then, I wouldn't expect the reader that this intended for, to be a reader of Spectrum. This seems like a huge disconnect at Spectrum.
IEEE Spectrum readership
Started by ●January 17, 2023
Reply by ●January 17, 20232023-01-17
On 2023-01-17 18:14, Bob Engelhardt wrote:> The Spectrum has a recent article/book review: > https://spectrum.ieee.org/open-circuits "The Inner Beauty of > Electronic Components" > > The article includes statements clearly addressing the electronic > clueless. E.g., "Capacitors are fundamental electronic components > that store energy in the form of static electricity." > > So who are the Spectrum's readers? I always thought it was > EE's/designers. But if so, this article is way off target. But > then, I wouldn't expect the reader that this intended for, to be a > reader of Spectrum. This seems like a huge disconnect at Spectrum.They've replaced all competent personnel by cheaper simpletons. They've sawn off the branch they were sitting on. They deserved to fall. Jeroen Belleman
Reply by ●January 17, 20232023-01-17
On Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at 12:15:00 PM UTC-5, bobenge...@gmail.com wrote:> The Spectrum has a recent article/book review: > https://spectrum.ieee.org/open-circuits > "The Inner Beauty of Electronic Components" > > The article includes statements clearly addressing the electronic > clueless. E.g., "Capacitors are fundamental electronic components that > store energy in the form of static electricity."That's just a literary lead-in to the subtopic which is really about the construction/ manufacture of the components at a level just touching the highlights. The book probably has a lot of material in those diagrams even long time practicing designers have never actually seen. Looks like it's mainly addressing embedded systems/ makers types who work /with/ a lot of electronics but don't actually design the electronics. They have a sample chapter here: https://nostarch.com/download/OpenCircuits_Chapter1.pdf Book page here: https://nostarch.com/open-circuits> > So who are the Spectrum's readers? I always thought it was > EE's/designers. But if so, this article is way off target. But then, I > wouldn't expect the reader that this intended for, to be a reader of > Spectrum. This seems like a huge disconnect at Spectrum.Any thing to supplant that old format and content is a good thing.
Reply by ●January 17, 20232023-01-17
On Tue, 17 Jan 2023 10:24:22 -0800 (PST), Fred Bloggs <bloggs.fredbloggs.fred@gmail.com> wrote:>On Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at 12:15:00 PM UTC-5, bobenge...@gmail.com wrote: >> The Spectrum has a recent article/book review: >> https://spectrum.ieee.org/open-circuits >> "The Inner Beauty of Electronic Components" >> >> The article includes statements clearly addressing the electronic >> clueless. E.g., "Capacitors are fundamental electronic components that >> store energy in the form of static electricity." > >That's just a literary lead-in to the subtopic which is really about the construction/ manufacture of the components at a level just touching the highlights. The book probably has a lot of material in those diagrams even long time practicing designers have never actually seen. Looks like it's mainly addressing embedded systems/ makers types who work /with/ a lot of electronics but don't actually design the electronics. > >They have a sample chapter here: >https://nostarch.com/download/OpenCircuits_Chapter1.pdf > >Book page here: >https://nostarch.com/open-circuits > >> >> So who are the Spectrum's readers? I always thought it was >> EE's/designers. But if so, this article is way off target. But then, I >> wouldn't expect the reader that this intended for, to be a reader of >> Spectrum. This seems like a huge disconnect at Spectrum. > >Any thing to supplant that old format and content is a good thing.Cool book ! boB
Reply by ●January 17, 20232023-01-17
On 1/17/2023 10:14 AM, Bob Engelhardt wrote:> The Spectrum has a recent article/book review: > https://spectrum.ieee.org/open-circuits > "The Inner Beauty of Electronic Components" > > The article includes statements clearly addressing the electronic clueless. > E.g., "Capacitors are fundamental electronic components that store energy in > the form of static electricity." > > So who are the Spectrum's readers? I always thought it was EE's/designers. > But if so, this article is way off target. But then, I wouldn't expect the > reader that this intended for, to be a reader of Spectrum. This seems like a > huge disconnect at Spectrum.I suspect its just a reflection of a decline in readership of traditional "print" publications. There's such a wide range of on-line choices that it takes work to keep subscribers. And, if you expect the writers to be competent, you have to consider the wages/reward they can get elsewhere.
Reply by ●January 17, 20232023-01-17
On Tuesday, 17 January 2023 at 18:15:00 UTC+1, bobenge...@gmail.com wrote:> The Spectrum has a recent article/book review: > https://spectrum.ieee.org/open-circuits > "The Inner Beauty of Electronic Components" > > The article includes statements clearly addressing the electronic > clueless. E.g., "Capacitors are fundamental electronic components that > store energy in the form of static electricity." > > So who are the Spectrum's readers? I always thought it was > EE's/designers. But if so, this article is way off target. But then, I > wouldn't expect the reader that this intended for, to be a reader of > Spectrum. This seems like a huge disconnect at Spectrum.who is IEEE if represented by #SydneyZOO daily
Reply by ●January 17, 20232023-01-17
On Tue, 17 Jan 2023 16:07:58 -0700, Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> wrote:>On 1/17/2023 10:14 AM, Bob Engelhardt wrote: >> The Spectrum has a recent article/book review: >> https://spectrum.ieee.org/open-circuits >> "The Inner Beauty of Electronic Components" >> >> The article includes statements clearly addressing the electronic clueless. >> E.g., "Capacitors are fundamental electronic components that store energy in >> the form of static electricity." >> >> So who are the Spectrum's readers?� I always thought it was EE's/designers. >> But if so, this article is way off target.� But then, I wouldn't expect the >> reader that this intended for, to be a reader of Spectrum.� This seems like a >> huge disconnect at Spectrum. > >I suspect its just a reflection of a decline in readership of >traditional "print" publications. There's such a wide range >of on-line choices that it takes work to keep subscribers. >And, if you expect the writers to be competent, you have to >consider the wages/reward they can get elsewhere.I usually read the IEEE Spectrum magazine or at least scan it. Sometimes it has some good stuff. I thought this open circuits thing was pretty interesting. But then again, I like all this kind of stuff. But articles are in general, being dumbed down a lot these days. It's also hard to find experienced help. Maybe because they are already working but I am sure there are WAY less of them in the US today. boB
Reply by ●January 17, 20232023-01-17
On Wednesday, January 18, 2023 at 10:33:57 AM UTC+11, a a wrote:> On Tuesday, 17 January 2023 at 18:15:00 UTC+1, bobenge...@gmail.com wrote: > > The Spectrum has a recent article/book review: > > https://spectrum.ieee.org/open-circuits > > "The Inner Beauty of Electronic Components" > > > > The article includes statements clearly addressing the electronic > > clueless. E.g., "Capacitors are fundamental electronic components that > > store energy in the form of static electricity." > > > > So who are the Spectrum's readers? I always thought it was > > EE's/designers. But if so, this article is way off target. But then, I > > wouldn't expect the reader that this intended for, to be a reader of > > Spectrum. This seems like a huge disconnect at Spectrum > > who is IEEE if represented by #SydneyZOO daily.A a is much too stupid to look it up. "By 2020, IEEE comprised over 395,000 members in 160 countries. Through its global network of geographical units, publications, web services, and conferences, IEEE remains the world's largest technical professional organization." It publishes some 130 peer-reviewed technical journals, which is what prompted me to join back in 1980. Peer-reviewed means that clowns like a a find it hard to get published in them. It has been going since 1884. -- Bill Sloman, Sydney
Reply by ●January 18, 20232023-01-18
On Wednesday, January 18, 2023 at 11:21:47 AM UTC+11, boB wrote:> On Tue, 17 Jan 2023 16:07:58 -0700, Don Y > <blocked...@foo.invalid> wrote: > > >On 1/17/2023 10:14 AM, Bob Engelhardt wrote: > >> The Spectrum has a recent article/book review: > >> https://spectrum.ieee.org/open-circuits > >> "The Inner Beauty of Electronic Components" > >> > >> The article includes statements clearly addressing the electronic clueless. > >> E.g., "Capacitors are fundamental electronic components that store energy in > >> the form of static electricity." > >> > >> So who are the Spectrum's readers? I always thought it was EE's/designers. > >> But if so, this article is way off target. But then, I wouldn't expect the > >> reader that this intended for, to be a reader of Spectrum. This seems like a > >> huge disconnect at Spectrum. > > > >I suspect its just a reflection of a decline in readership of > >traditional "print" publications. There's such a wide range > >of on-line choices that it takes work to keep subscribers. > >And, if you expect the writers to be competent, you have to > >consider the wages/reward they can get elsewhere. > I usually read the IEEE Spectrum magazine or at least scan it. > Sometimes it has some good stuff. > > I thought this open circuits thing was pretty interesting. But then > again, I like all this kind of stuff. > > But articles are in general, being dumbed down a lot these days. > It's also hard to find experienced help. Maybe because they are > already working but I am sure there are WAY less of them in the US > today.I doubt if there are actually fewer of them, but the rise of digital media means that they are spread thinner than they used to be, over a much wider range of publications. Spectrum was never in the same league as Physics Today - different market. -- Bill Sloman, Sydney
Reply by ●January 18, 20232023-01-18
