General > General Technical Chat
Man fined for criticizing govt using science, without a license
josecamoessilva:
--- Quote from: EEVblog on May 02, 2017, 11:23:21 pm ---For those who haven't seen it, some of his calcs:
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/man-fined-dollar500-for-crime-of-writing-i-am-an-engineer-in-an-email-to-the-government
--- End quote ---
Therein lies his problem: he had a little to much to think. Governments don't like when the subjects consumers tax sources people do that.
MarkS:
--- Quote from: james_s on May 03, 2017, 12:43:51 am ---The important part there is pretty clear from the graph and in fact doesn't even need a graph. The yellow interval for the intersections in question are substantially shorter than standard.
--- End quote ---
I get it. I was having some fun.
X:
--- Quote from: EEVblog on May 02, 2017, 10:52:06 pm ---Nope, he was fined because he used the title "engineer" without being licensed in that state.
That is a very different thing from whether not his vocations and/or qualifications are in engineering.
--- End quote ---
True, I wrote that quite late and should have been more clear. He is probably an engineer somewhere, but isn't legally an engineer in his state, hence the subject of the fine.
He was (apparently) told not to use "engineer" before (suggesting he had previous run-ins with Oregon officials), and agreed to this condition, but still broke this condition. Based on what I've read, it appears he's done this kind of thing before, and even though it is clear he wasn't licensed, it isn't clear whether or not he is actually qualified at all.
My point still stands, he wasn't "fined for using science without a license" and this kind of title has clickbait quality.
--- Quote from: T3sl4co1l on May 02, 2017, 06:39:29 pm ---Poor troll is poor.
--- End quote ---
I am not sure who you are accusing of being a troll, but as Carl Sagan said, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
I'm not saying the state was in the right, but there is not a lot of evidence that state was in the wrong.
Two possibilities:
1. A man who knows his shit is pointing out an issue with the local traffic lights, and the state is trying to hide their embarrassment, inadvertently resulting in a Streisand effect situation.
2. Some dude just wants to get his wife out of a ticket, and decides to use a clever and dubious method, and the state is fed up with him wasting their time (given his previous run-ins with them).
If his measurements are spot-on, I am inclined to suggest #1 above. I don't have to be a traffic engineer to know that 3 seconds for a yellow light is a load of rubbish.
There is no indication as to how he measured, or got hold of, that information, or whether he is just plonking numbers out from thin air. In this case, the "evil government" statements don't rectify the situation, and potentially give someone an advantage when they do not deserve it.
Richard Crowley:
--- Quote from: X on May 03, 2017, 01:21:50 am ---There is no indication as to how he measured, or got hold of, that information, or whether he is just plonking numbers out from thin air.
--- End quote ---
The only variables here could be measured by child with a tape-measure and a stop-watch. The rest of the parameters are widely published and used even by the same state and city in non-camera intersections. I have lived here since the lights were installed and this issue has been discussed to death scores of times.
To paraphrase Lilly Tomlin as Ernestine the phone operator: "We don't care. We don't have to. We're the Phone Company Government.
X:
--- Quote from: Richard Crowley on May 03, 2017, 02:00:03 am ---The only variables here could be measured by child with a tape-measure and a stop-watch.
--- End quote ---
Could be measured, doesn't necessarily mean it was. Another such example is batteriser.
Having said that, you are right here, and I'm not trying to actively discredit his method, just throwing another (somewhat likely) possibility many here haven't considered.
--- Quote from: Richard Crowley on May 03, 2017, 02:00:03 am ---The rest of the parameters are widely published and used even by the same state and city in non-camera intersections. I have lived here since the lights were installed and this issue has been discussed to death scores of times.
To paraphrase Lilly Tomlin as Ernestine the phone operator: "We don't care. We don't have to. We're the Phone Company Government.
--- End quote ---
This is interesting. In your view, would this accurately describe the situation over there?
(still new here so I'm not sure if I should quote the whole slab of the linked text).
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