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--Boundary_(ID_JWre3A10Ngharwu6bv5J6g)
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Hello all,

Since I believe I'm at least partially responsible for everyone =
abandoning this forum, I'd like to point out that I have seen a number =
of people who have been helped tremendously by this email discussion =
group.  I've given some what little knowledge or help I could and have =
been helped in return.

My previous email concerned the lack of independent work on the part of =
some lazy posters.  Some of those questions could be answered by looking =
at the ISI web site or doing a search on Altavista or another web search =
engine.

I have a short story to relate that should explain some part of my =
dislike for lack of independent work.  I spent the first year of my =
thesis trying to bond silicon wafers from a company, but kept finding =
particles trapped between them.  My advisor insisted that the wafers =
were fine and I should clean up my act in our class 10 cleanroom.  So I =
spent a frustrating year trying to clean a cleanroom.  At the end of =
that year and the end of my wits, my advisor finally pulled out a paper =
he had.  It was work done years earlier showing the results of atomic =
force microscopy on these wafers.  The wafer surface looked like the =
Rocky Mountains.  What was amazing was that the things bonded at all.

After a few months of repressing my urge to throttle my advisor, I =
realized what he had really done.  He knew what the problem was, but =
since I was going to be a researcher, I had to figure that out myself.  =
It's not a good idea to trust that the person telling you what the =
problem is really does know what it is.  You must be able to determine =
on your own what is important and what is not.  Otherwise, you could =
spend an enormous amount of time trying to solve the wrong thing.  =
Bottom line: no one is infallible and we can all be totally wrong at =
times.

So I'm staying with this group because it is valuable to me and has been =
to others.  If you leave, then you're basically saying that no one has a =
legitimate question and you're not willing to put up with a few annoying =
messages to help someone who has a real need.  And by the way, with the =
proliferation of free email services out there, why not have this =
group's messages sent to an address you don't use all the time?  Then =
you can be annoyed by inane questions only when you want to be.

That's all I have to say, but thanks to those out there who have been a =
help to me and the others.

Mike

--Boundary_(ID_JWre3A10Ngharwu6bv5J6g)
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Hello all,
 
Since I believe I'm at least partially responsible for everyone =
abandoning=20
this forum, I'd like to point out that I have seen a number of people =
who have=20
been helped tremendously by this email discussion group.  I've =
given some=20
what little knowledge or help I could and have been helped in =
return.
 
My previous email concerned the lack of independent work on the =
part of=20
some lazy posters.  Some of those questions could be answered by =
looking at=20
the ISI web site or doing a search on Altavista or another web search=20
engine.
 
I have a short story to relate that should explain some part of my =
dislike=20
for lack of independent work.  I spent the first year of my thesis =
trying=20
to bond silicon wafers from a company, but kept finding particles =
trapped=20
between them.  My advisor insisted that the wafers were fine and I =
should=20
clean up my act in our class 10 cleanroom.  So I spent a =
frustrating year=20
trying to clean a cleanroom.  At the end of that year and the end =
of my=20
wits, my advisor finally pulled out a paper he had.  It was work =
done years=20
earlier showing the results of atomic force microscopy on these =
wafers. =20
The wafer surface looked like the Rocky Mountains.  What was =
amazing was=20
that the things bonded at all.
 
After a few months of repressing my urge to throttle my advisor, I =
realized=20
what he had really done.  He knew what the problem was, but since I =
was=20
going to be a researcher, I had to figure that out myself.  It's =
not a good=20
idea to trust that the person telling you what the problem is really =
does know=20
what it is.  You must be able to determine on your own what is =
important=20
and what is not.  Otherwise, you could spend an enormous amount of =
time=20
trying to solve the wrong thing.  Bottom line: no one is infallible =
and we=20
can all be totally wrong at times.
 
So I'm staying with this group because it is valuable to me and has =
been to=20
others.  If you leave, then you're basically saying that no one has =
a=20
legitimate question and you're not willing to put up with a few annoying =

messages to help someone who has a real need.  And by the way, with =
the=20
proliferation of free email services out there, why not have this =
group's=20
messages sent to an address you don't use all the time?  Then you =
can be=20
annoyed by inane questions only when you want to be.
 
That's all I have to say, but thanks to those out there who have =
been a=20
help to me and the others.
 
Mike

--Boundary_(ID_JWre3A10Ngharwu6bv5J6g)--