I think it's essential if people are going to ask questions and inevitablty in the process, reveal a shortcoming in their knowlege, that the site should keep a measure of light heartedness.
We all have shortcomings somewhere in our practises or knowledge (all except me, after all I did win the battle of Austerlitz and would have won Waterloo if not for incomtpetent assistants.)
The hardest thing that a "professional" can do is to say 'can I have some advice'.
The mad cow and VCJD horror show was started by a lot of professionals refusing to ask questions and hiding their ignorance.

Marc

WOMD could you define "babbling" for me - I'm not sure from your brief description what you're talking about.

Dear fellow babblers, Louis has just witnessed the miraculous transformation of Mercury Man the dancing spider morth into a psychotic gorilla called “The Duke. Louis thinks Louis needs a seriously long vacation.

Regards

Louis III (fellow babbler )

Sadly a risk assessment was carried out on mercury
man, due to european law. It deemed that poor old
mercury man had to be transferred to a secret
location where Health & Safety is not heard of!
He can only safely return if he agrees to be
"aneroid man", but he's a stubborn old so & so,
and will not compromise.

Once again I must agree with the Illustrious Louis with regard to "banter".
I beleive that this site mirrors most EMBE workshops where the serious business of repairing and maintaining Hospital equipment is carried out in an atmosphere of professionalism, but from time to time some action / problem / phone call etc results in either a whimsicle comment or all out hilarity.
Such an atmosphere I would not want to change, the place for robots is on the car production line.
Since joining this site I have posted many times, some of which have included a tounge in cheek comment, never have I meant to offend or dilute the importance of a particular subject, I believe that a relaxed working environment is conducive to higher efficiency and general staff happiness.
I hope this site continues along the same lines, and if we start to stray or overstep the mark then Huw is keeping his beady eye on things to ease us back in line.
LONG MAY THE SITE LIVE AND PROSPER.

Ostentation my fellow techs, ostentation at its babbling best Huw, John keep up the good work. Duke, sorry to hear about your abduction.

Louis III

P.S. does anyone remember that field engineer who used to hide "toy gremlins" in his machines ?

Havn't heard of that one Louis, but many years ago when I was a Sparks in the Merchant Navy, I did relieve a sparks who went home in a backward jacket. The ship had not had contact with anyone for several weeks, when we opened the Transmitter all the messages for transmission were found inside, he had posted them through the air louvres and expected them to go automatically.


Some years later when working on ground telemetry stations my colleague when stumped with a fault used to throw a handful of small bones on the floor and he reconed they told him where the fault was. The scary thing was that many times it worked.
:p

Louis,
Alan Jones from Ohmeda used to do this, dont know if hw still does, or even if hes still arround.