Actually no... it means they do. I've seen cases where that happens in spite of the teacher involved.
Your argument that you should be allowed to write the exams without taking the course has some merit... but it generally falls apart in cases where public safety or large money are involved for the simple reason that the courses try to make sure you know enough to not be dangerous where self-study leaves you in the unfortunate position of having no idea how much you don't know.
For everybody's interest I live in Gozo, an island of Malta, a very small EU state. Unless replying posters know of a reliable online institution that offers distant learning, obviously with fees that I can afford, it is useless for me. I am NOT a youth, both agewise and healthwise. I get issues if I am not vigilant on what I eat, the worst of which is high blood pressure. I cannot allow myself to attend lessons and then rely on ready prepared food, as this is usually high in sodium, saturated fats, hydrogenated oils, artificial taste enhances and preservatives to name a few. The latter cause me continuous low abdominal pain.
I am disappointed and angry at my hard luck, of having been faced with drastic changes in educational certification, that prevented me from sitting for exams in electronics and related technical disciplines.
I am disappointed and angry at my hard luck, of having been faced with drastic changes in educational certification, that prevented me from sitting for exams in electronics and related technical disciplines.
I have a letter from such a student who came to Malta to relax and study before his exams. He was very afraid he was going to fail, but luck wanted him to meet me. I gave him lessons and he passed with flying colours. I still have his letter, but I do not think it is ethical to publish it here.
That should not be an excuse to deny people access to exams. In that case, make additional testing to make sure candidates are up to standard. Request them to take practical assessment sessions.
As you can see, where there is a will, there is always a way, but in this case, there is no will, but only excuses to favour money.
The University of Malta has an accreditation course in electronics and electrical engineering.
For the health issues... Do what I did and "brown bag it" (take your own lunches).
FWIW... I started my career in electronics by driving an egg delivery truck midnight to dawn while taking courses during the day. So it can be done. (Although it left me permanently afraid of potholes
)
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This can actually be a challenge when it comes to big solar panels!
I once went through solar panel installation instructor training to qualify me to teach would-be solar panel installers. Basically, the installers were never, under any circumstances, supposed to connect the wires from individual 12V panels together...that job was to be left to a qualified electrician only. Otherwise the dangers of hooking up multiple 12V solar panels in series - working on a rooftop in bright sunlight - are pretty obvious!
The scariest part of the whole installation is when its all done, the big solar panel is feeding the AC inverter, and its time to throw the switch that connects the inverter to the mains grid. Another job for a qualified electrician only, and he/she usually does it while hiding his/her face from the possibility of a huge arc-flash that can burn your face off in a split-second if something goes wrong.
That bit was demonstrated to us without actual solar panels connected to the inverter, and without the inverter being actually hooked up to the AC grid, either. Neither the instructor nor the qualified electrician wanted to take the risk of doing it "live".
-Gnobuddy
no problem working on live equipment, there are spesial tools , protective gear and procedures for it. another way is solar panels can be kept safe with booth live wires connected to ground closer to panels depending on your power grind type (IT/TN /TT)
Naaaa ... just pointing out that courses are available and there are reasons to take them.
The main argument justifying the denial of access to exams without the requireent of a course, is the assumption certain important topics and skills required from the perspective of safety, might not be properly tested.
My counter argument is to compare two successful canditates from different institutions around the world. The same thing will happen with these, notwithstanding we are talking about formal certification. The key to having safety knowledgeability satisfied, is to follow international guidelines and have those guidelines accessible to anyone who wants to pursue learning alone.
Is this being done?
My counter argument is to compare two successful canditates from different institutions around the world. The same thing will happen with these, notwithstanding we are talking about formal certification. The key to having safety knowledgeability satisfied, is to follow international guidelines and have those guidelines accessible to anyone who wants to pursue learning alone.
Is this being done?
Can't speak for Malta but where I am, I can take any course I want and not write the final exam. In fact, I've done just that a couple of times out of pure personal interest.
But again ... it's the stuff you don't even know about that causes the problems and in a regulated profession, justifies the courses and apprenticeships.
Nobody actually knows how much they don't know, until they are alerted to it.
This is the second time an online internet forum treats my membership like this. I have been a member of another internet technical forum, but the area of interest, was free software writing for a Linux distribution.
I am getting the feeling, haughty members who can boast they possess formal qualifications, do NOT want the presence of members like me here frequenting these fora. They see such members as undeserving to be doing the same activity of interest they do. They think of their certificates, as a formal permission into the sancta santorum to burn their share of incense to the gods... They conceptualise those who don't have them, as inferior individuals, who necessarily act dangerously and irresponsibly.
In the case of software writing for Linux, it was precisely the same excuse: pitfalls and dangers in software writing for the formally unqualified coder.
Regrettably, I am getting the message not to frequent this forum anymore. Instead of getting a formal permanent ban, I am unreasonably being pushed to obtain degree qualifications at the ripe age of 52 years! My post was originally intended to state that I would want to obtain certification, but a certification that is possible in my situation, and makes sense. What I am being pushed to do, makes more sense for a person still under 30 years, not someone like me, at the edge of their open grave. I intended to share my complaints for the eradication of public examinations in technical subjects, like electronics, not for something, I know is aggressively pushed by the EU, like degree courses. What is accessible to me in my social situation, is more like an O-Level or an A-Level, but those have been removed from being offered to the public in general. Those are now tied with academic courses, which are taken by youths in the best of their lives.
To illustrate that even a discipline like software writing is possible for the not formally certified, I am posting a code snippet from my contributions in another forum. I know, this may read like gibberish for many, but it illustrates my point.
I am getting the feeling, haughty members who can boast they possess formal qualifications, do NOT want the presence of members like me here frequenting these fora. They see such members as undeserving to be doing the same activity of interest they do. They think of their certificates, as a formal permission into the sancta santorum to burn their share of incense to the gods... They conceptualise those who don't have them, as inferior individuals, who necessarily act dangerously and irresponsibly.
In the case of software writing for Linux, it was precisely the same excuse: pitfalls and dangers in software writing for the formally unqualified coder.
Regrettably, I am getting the message not to frequent this forum anymore. Instead of getting a formal permanent ban, I am unreasonably being pushed to obtain degree qualifications at the ripe age of 52 years! My post was originally intended to state that I would want to obtain certification, but a certification that is possible in my situation, and makes sense. What I am being pushed to do, makes more sense for a person still under 30 years, not someone like me, at the edge of their open grave. I intended to share my complaints for the eradication of public examinations in technical subjects, like electronics, not for something, I know is aggressively pushed by the EU, like degree courses. What is accessible to me in my social situation, is more like an O-Level or an A-Level, but those have been removed from being offered to the public in general. Those are now tied with academic courses, which are taken by youths in the best of their lives.
To illustrate that even a discipline like software writing is possible for the not formally certified, I am posting a code snippet from my contributions in another forum. I know, this may read like gibberish for many, but it illustrates my point.
Code:
/*
simple-netaid - A Network Connection Manager
Copyright (C) 2015 Edward Bartolo
"simple-netaid" is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
(at your option) any later version.
"simple-netaid" is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
GNU General Public License for more details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
along with "simple-netaid". If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
*/
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <signal.h>
#include <sys/wait.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <errno.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <sys/stat.h>
#include <dirent.h>
#include <alloca.h>
#include "core_functions.h"
#include "caller.h"
#include "essid_encoder.h"
#include "file_functions.h"
#include "automated_scanner.h"
#include "snb_types.h"
#include "sn_error.h"
#include "connect.h"
/* MODIFIED: moved defined error return codes and messages to backend.h */
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
op_t switch_item = opUndefined;
char *endptr;
long int res;
int i;
int num_params_valid;
op_security security;
if(argc <= 1) {
ERROR(-1, "FN0001: main(): No parameters supplied (try --help).");
return ERR_OP_NOT_DEFINED;
}
if(
0==strcmp(argv[1], "-h") ||
0==strcmp(argv[1], "--help")
) {
printf(
"Usage:\n"
" backend -h|--help # Print this message.\n"
" backend 0 ESSID PWD SECURITY # Save PWD for ESSID.\n"
" backend 1 ESSID PWD SECURITY # Save PWD for ESSID and connect to ESSID.\n"
" backend 2 ESSID # Query saved connection ESSID for wpa-ssid.\n"
" backend 3 ESSID # Delete saved connection ESSID.\n"
" backend 4 ESSID # Connect to ESSID.\n"
" backend 5 # Disconnect active connection.\n"
" backend 6 # Scan to standard output.\n"
" backend 7 # List saved connections to standard output.\n"
" backend 8 # Detailed scan to standard output.\n"
" backend 9 eth0 # Connect to eth0.\n"
" backend 10 # Automatically attempt to connect.\n"
" backend 11 # Brute force call ifdown for all devices.\n"
" backend 12 # List security settings for ESSID files.\n"
"\n"
"SECURITY for WIFI connections is represented by a positive integer where\n"
"0 = OPEN, 2 = WPA2. This is saved as a comment at the top line of ESSID\n"
"files.\n"
"\n"
);
exit(0);
}
if (geteuid() != 0) {
fprintf(
stderr,
"This program needs root privileges.\n"
);
// 13 stands for "permission denied".
return 13;
}
// check conversion status (endptr) and converted value (res)
res = strtol(argv[1], &endptr, 10);
if(
*endptr!='\0' ||
res <= opNone ||
res >= opUndefined
) {
ERROR(-1, "FN0002: "ERRMSG_OP_NOT_DEFINED);
return ERR_OP_NOT_DEFINED;
}
switch_item = (int) res;
// check for valid arguments
num_params_valid = 0;
if (argc == 2) {
if (
switch_item == opDisconnectActiveConnection ||
switch_item == opScan ||
switch_item == opLoadExisting ||
switch_item == opScanDetailed ||
switch_item == opAutoConnect ||
switch_item == opResetAll ||
switch_item == opListSecurity
) num_params_valid = 1;
if (!num_params_valid) {
ERROR(-1, "FN0003: "ERRMSG_INVALID_NO_OF_PARAMS);
return 64;
}
}
else if (argc == 3) {
if (
switch_item == opQueryConnect ||
switch_item == opDeleteConnect ||
switch_item == opConnectionConnect ||
switch_item == opConnectWired ||
switch_item == opSave ||
switch_item == opSaveConnect
)
num_params_valid = 1;
if (!num_params_valid) {
ERROR(-1, "FN0004: "ERRMSG_INVALID_NO_OF_PARAMS);
return 64;
}
if (switch_item == opConnectWired) {
if (!valid_wired_device_name(argv[2])) {
ERROR(-1, "FN0005: "ERRMSG_INVALID_ETHX);
return ERR_INVALID_ETHX; // ie 106
}
}
if (essid_safe_strlen((uint8_t *)argv[2]) > 32) {
ERROR(-1, "FN0006: "ERRMSG_ESSID_EXCEEDS_32_CHARS);
return 103;
}
}
else if (argc == 5) {
security = strtol(argv[4], &endptr, 10);
if(
*endptr!='\0' ||
security <= secNone ||
security >= secUndefined
) {
ERROR(-1, "FN0007: "ERRMSG_SECURITY_NOT_DEFINED);
return ERR_SECURITY_NOT_DEFINED;
}
if(
switch_item == opSave ||
switch_item == opSaveConnect
)
num_params_valid = 1;
if (!num_params_valid) {
ERROR(-1, "FN0008: "ERRMSG_INVALID_NO_OF_PARAMS);
return 64;
}
if (essid_safe_strlen((uint8_t *) argv[2]) > 32) {
ERROR(-1, "FN0009: "ERRMSG_ESSID_EXCEEDS_32_CHARS);
return 103;
}
if (strlen(argv[3]) > 200) {
ERROR(-1, "FN0010: "ERRMSG_PASSWORD_EXCEEDS_200_CHARS);
return 104;
}
}
else {
ERROR(-1, "FN0011: "ERRMSG_INVALID_NO_OF_PARAMS);
return 64;
}
//umask(0751);
if( access(RUN_SN_PATH, F_OK ) == -1 ) {
int err = mkdir(RUN_SN_PATH, 0751);
if (err == -1)
return ERROR(errno, "FN0012");
}
if( access(RUN_IFACES_PATH, F_OK ) == -1 ) {
int err = mkdir(RUN_IFACES_PATH, 0751);
if (err == -1)
return ERROR(errno, "FN0013");
}
getDefaultDevices();
switch (switch_item) {
case opSave:
if (argc == 5)
i = saveFile(argv[2], argv[3], security);
else i = saveFile(argv[2], "", secOpen);
return i;
case opSaveConnect:
if (argc == 5)
i = saveFile(argv[2], argv[3], security);
else i = saveFile(argv[2], "", secOpen);
if (i == 0) {
i = connectionConnect_RN(argv[2]);
if (!i) update_connections_status_file(wlanx);
}
return i;
case opQueryConnect:
i = queryConnect(argv[2]);
return i;
case opDeleteConnect:
i = deleteConnect(argv[2]);
return i;
case opConnectionConnect:
i = connectionConnect_RN(argv[2]);
if (!i) update_connections_status_file(wlanx);
return i;
case opDisconnectActiveConnection:
i = disconnectActiveConnection();
if (!i) update_connections_status_file("");
return i;
case opScan:
i = scan();
return i;
case opLoadExisting:
i = loadExisting();
return i;
case opScanDetailed:
i = power_scan(deep);
return i;
case opConnectWired:
i = connectWired_RN(argv[2]);
if (!i) update_connections_status_file(ethx);
return i;
case opAutoConnect:
i = autoWirelessScanPlus_RN();
if (!i) update_connections_status_file(wlanx);
return i;
case opResetAll:
i = resetAll();
if (!i) update_connections_status_file("");
return i;
case opListSecurity:
i = listSecurity();
return i;
case opNone:
case opUndefined:
break;
}
return ERR_OP_NOT_DEFINED;
}
Software is one area where stuff is given away.
The problem with this is the drive to produce a "perfect" product. With no reward (monetary or otherwise) the product can end up unfinished or buggy.
KICAD is a good example of this, while its not bad software it is often let out too soon and users let loose to find the bugs in it.
I have written software for 40 years and while I agree testing is absolutely vital I tend to take more care to start with in getting the code right.
Free software tends to make trying to make a living from it for others difficult if not impossible unless you are a big company.
I dont agree with free anything but surely if you feel your work has any value surely you would want paying for it ?
Every single sentence you wrote parallels my own experience. And not just my own; behind closed doors, every experienced teacher I know occasionally talks in hushed, worried tones about the long, prolonged, decline in the ability of the average student, and worries about where it's all going to end.
Quantitatively, between the year 2000 and the year 2014, I was forced to take more than half the course material out of my lecture notes. The alternative was to have about three students out of each class of 35 pass the course; an outcome unacceptable to the powers that be, and quite understandably so.
I am told today's pop music is geared to a six-second attention span; if the music doesn't shout, scream, explode, and change sounds every six seconds, the listener will swipe his/her thumb over his/her shiny little fondleslab, and move on to the next song.
It's not just songs that are affected by the dramatically reduced average attention span. Albert Einstein supposedly daydreamed and pondered for hours about such apparently mundane things as electric current flowing through barbed wire fences around fields of happy cows, what the world might look like if you could ride along on a beam of light, and so on. All of this eventually led him to formulate his Special Theory of Relativity.
What would Einstein have accomplished if his attention had flickered away to some new focus every six seconds?
In fact, I cannot think of a single worthwhile mental concept that can be mastered within six seconds. In six seconds, you have maybe enough time to feel the crudest of emotions - fear, anger, amusement - but not even time to feel the deeper emotions (compassion, love). Never mind invent a steam engine, a spinning Jenny, a flying machine, a suspension bridge, or the Schrodinger Equation of quantum mechanics.
There are eight billion people on planet earth now, more or less. Mercifully, not all of them have 24/7 access to the worst idiocies of the Internet; there are countries where poverty and limited technical infrastructure force people to live in the real world, and in those countries, there are still people with functional attention spans, and I suspect those are the people keeping the ship afloat. For now.
Perhaps it is for the good. Perhaps our six-second attention spans keep us from going mad with fear and sorrow when we realize our planet has already been mostly destroyed, two-thirds of all vertebrate life having gone extinct in the last fifty years, and worse destruction to come.
Greta Thunberg's not wrong; it's not just Rome that's on fire this time.
Now, where did I put that darn fiddle?
-Gnobuddy
Hi Ed,
I'm glad you are posting again. But, I don't see any evidence that you read my previous post directed to you. So, here we go.
Just out of curiosity, what subject do you teach?
If you don't take the course, you will be missing a lot of detail type knowledge. Courses are not a waste of time. I guess you are saying that you don't have a reason to exist as a teacher since what you teach is unnecessary and a wast of time. You can't have it both ways, so are you unnecessary? A complete sham and rip-off?
In 2005 I was struck by a vehicle traveling at 100 km/hr where the driver didn't even brake. I was stopped at the time and received many serious injuries, one was a brain stem injury. I was told I was lucky to be alive and had the head rest been down, I would have died. That was the last day I was able to work normally. I have tried to return to work three times against medical advice, and failed three times. The last time I lasted 2 1/2 years. I had to relearn a great deal of what I knew and basically bought enough equipment for a lab to teach myself what I used to know. I had prototypes and notes I had created, but it seemed like someone else did this. To this day I have very little in the way of short term memory. Today I am 60 with no means of support other than what I can earn on my own. I can't lift much, am dizzy and have a headache all of the time and tire quickly. I am on Oxycontin (Oxyneo now) for pain control. Still, there are a lot of people worse off than I am. You sir, could learn something from these folks. Many members here are injured and some can't work anymore, but you would never know it. You need to take stock of your situation and work to improve it by whatever means you have. But crying about it is not only pointless, but many see it as a trait that spoiled children have. It isn't pretty.
Everyone here is working on increasing their knowledge, and / or helping others to the best of their ability. Sometimes life just sucks, but get use to it and make the best that you can from what you have.
My earlier remarks about tests and courses stand. You need all the knowledge, not just the stuff that interests you. You cannot judge whether you know enough or not either. As far as courses and tests are concerned, people spend their time making the material available and presenting it. Tests have to be graded and held in a space people pay for. So why should you be given any of this at no charge? You have to at least make some effort without complaining, and so far it doesn't seem that you are capable of doing this.
-Chris
I'm glad you are posting again. But, I don't see any evidence that you read my previous post directed to you. So, here we go.
Just out of curiosity, what subject do you teach?
If you don't take the course, you will be missing a lot of detail type knowledge. Courses are not a waste of time. I guess you are saying that you don't have a reason to exist as a teacher since what you teach is unnecessary and a wast of time. You can't have it both ways, so are you unnecessary? A complete sham and rip-off?
Gee whiz ...
In 2005 I was struck by a vehicle traveling at 100 km/hr where the driver didn't even brake. I was stopped at the time and received many serious injuries, one was a brain stem injury. I was told I was lucky to be alive and had the head rest been down, I would have died. That was the last day I was able to work normally. I have tried to return to work three times against medical advice, and failed three times. The last time I lasted 2 1/2 years. I had to relearn a great deal of what I knew and basically bought enough equipment for a lab to teach myself what I used to know. I had prototypes and notes I had created, but it seemed like someone else did this. To this day I have very little in the way of short term memory. Today I am 60 with no means of support other than what I can earn on my own. I can't lift much, am dizzy and have a headache all of the time and tire quickly. I am on Oxycontin (Oxyneo now) for pain control. Still, there are a lot of people worse off than I am. You sir, could learn something from these folks. Many members here are injured and some can't work anymore, but you would never know it. You need to take stock of your situation and work to improve it by whatever means you have. But crying about it is not only pointless, but many see it as a trait that spoiled children have. It isn't pretty.
Everyone here is working on increasing their knowledge, and / or helping others to the best of their ability. Sometimes life just sucks, but get use to it and make the best that you can from what you have.
My earlier remarks about tests and courses stand. You need all the knowledge, not just the stuff that interests you. You cannot judge whether you know enough or not either. As far as courses and tests are concerned, people spend their time making the material available and presenting it. Tests have to be graded and held in a space people pay for. So why should you be given any of this at no charge? You have to at least make some effort without complaining, and so far it doesn't seem that you are capable of doing this.
-Chris
Some of us would rather spread the knowledge for the greater good. Think of the world if Banting and Best had patented Insulin or Volvo the seatbelt.
I definitely do not qualify as any type of girl, not even in these extremely gender-confused times.
That said: using the term "girl" as an insult implicitly implies that it is a worse thing to be a girl than to be a boy. It's sexist, in other words, and there's no sugar-coating that.
My most recent repair - still in progress - is a dead ventilation fan from our bathroom. I've taken the assembly apart and removed the dead motor, along with the attached blower impeller and mounting plate.
I did this on Christmas eve, and the local hardware stores didn't carry a drop-in replacement, and I didn't want to have to cut a hole in the ceiling and re-do the ducting above it in order to fit a differently sized fan. So this repair is on hold until I can either source a drop-in replacement, bodge a new motor onto the old mount plate, or repair the existing dead motor.
-Gnobuddy