83 replies to this topic

[Dr Teeth]

eberthella, on Aug 31 2009, 10:45 PM, said:

Contempt??  No - they are what they are.  Let's not play them up as anything more. The originator of the string (and lab rat) saw his or herself as more than that.  The individual chose to be a technician and whined that he couldn't play at PI.  As with anyone - just do the job.  If folks develop a special place in the lab and program, great.

Wow, that's quite the attitude.  I wonder how you see yourself?  Hate to point it out, but most graduate students and postdocs have less experience than many techs and many that I have met, to be honest, are not very good scientists even at top tier research labs.  People who really make it in this field don't need to be "trained" to think, only trained to perform certain skill sets.  How are techs different in this respect?

[miRNA man]

And just when I thought that this thread had died a peaceful death and intelligent two-way debate had returned to BioForum  

[eberthella]

ahhh - Dr Teeth - the pop psychologist, no doubt a graduate of Oprah Univ.
So what if tech's have more experience than grad students and even some post docs.  They remain a pair of hands.

Edited by eberthella, 01 September 2009 - 05:10 PM.

[casandra]

my gosh, eberthella....you could give me and GeorgeWolff excellent tips on how to give proper ad homs. Let me keep the resident pop psychologist crown here. Why can't we keep this discussion civil? Can we not present our arguments without resorting to name-calling? It's a good way tho to dodge Dr. Teeth's question: so how do you see yourself? much more than all of the tech's pairs of hands combined and oh, plus a super-sized brain?


ok...bracing myself now for an ad hom onslaught... ....will you at least sprinkle a bit of wit and humour in it...

Edited by casandra, 01 September 2009 - 07:33 PM.

[swanny]

casandra, on Sep 2 2009, 01:27 PM, said:

will you at least sprinkle a bit of wit and humour in it...

You might only get half of the wit, and none of the humour you have requested...

[Dr Teeth]

eberthella, on Sep 2 2009, 06:24 AM, said:

Is it possible you might find  discussion where you could offer something of substance or is your knowledge so limited you can only participate by offering personal insults?   In fact, I've taken a look at your historic posts and conclude the latter is a fairly accurate assessment.

Wonder if this one could rise to the modest level of technician.

As someone who's actually been a graduate student and postdoc (not sure about you eberthella), but many students (and yes, postdocs are students too) that I have known are very often treated as a pair of hands, or maybe a pair of hands and "part" of a brain, or at the very least feel like a pair of hands.  I was lucky in that I found myself able to direct my own work at both levels, but many people don't find themselves in that kind of situation.  You dodged my earlier question of what really separates a graduate student and technician.  Sure, in the long run, many things may separate the two, but within the context of a laboratory, what separates them really except, perhaps, individual career goals?  

Secondly, I find it laughable that you would suggest that others should seek to offer something of substance within this discussion but due to their "limited knowledge" find themselves only able to offer personal insults, when within this forum, you have contributed very little (unless you count "So what?" as meaningful discourse) and offered numerous insults, avoiding responses to earlier questions directed at you. Perhaps, I am just being a "pop psychologist" from "Oprah University" again (I'm sure those weren't meant to be insults, right?), but you should probably examine you own posts before pointing fingers.  
Awaiting an insult free intelligent response with meaningful discussion...

Edited by Dr Teeth, 02 September 2009 - 05:53 AM.

[casandra]

eberthella, on Sep 2 2009, 06:24 AM, said:

Is it possible you might find  discussion where you could offer something of substance or is your knowledge so limited you can only participate by offering personal insults?   In fact, I've taken a look at your historic posts and conclude the latter is a fairly accurate assessment.

Wonder if this one could rise to the modest level of technician.

Right on cue....just perfect with my morning coffee. I guess this one's for me and not for swanny. We can continue with this mudslinging ebert but I won't risk a thread closure (which would really piss me off bigtime)or a banning because you're not worth it and besides, it's not fair to the other members who have participated in this "discussion". So let me just ask you instead, altho Dr. Teeth beat me to it... who started first with the personal insults and thinks he's all 'that' esp after being a member of this board for only a few days?

And regarding your assessment of poor me, had it come from anyone else in this forum whom I respect and like and whose opinions I value, it would've made an impact but coming from you, well, assess to your heart's content.

I also read your historic posts and unfortunately, with my limited knowledge, I can't judge if they have a modicum of substance in them but for the most part, what is more apparent (and I guess not only to me) is how you managed to denigrade and harass people with your rude tone and nasty implications. Btw, what the heck do you have against the technicians...a special one whupped your bum really good. Good-natured cattiness aside, if you continue pissing people off, where will that get you and how are you then going to make your outstading contributions to this board?

Hope you can rise above and see beyond your super-inflated ego......


@Dr Teeth: were we classmates in that optional class given Super Oprah herself "how to deal with jerks and bullies?"

[tfitzwater]

This is a fascinating discussion.  I would like to add an observation that was published many years ago in The Journal of Irreproducible Results.

DEFINITIONS
By Lawrence and Gail Bloom
Appeared in J.I.R., December 1974

CHAIRMAN OF DEPARTMENT
Leaps tall buildings at a single bound
Is more powerful than a locomotive
Is faster than a speeding bullet
Walks on water
Gives policy to God

PROFESSOR
Leaps short buildings at a single bound
Is more powerful than a switch engine
Is just as fast as a speeding bullet
Walks on water if the sea is calm
Talks with God

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
Leaps short buildings with a running start
Is almost as powerful as a switch engine
Is faster than a speeding BB
Walks on water in an indoor swimming pool
Talks with God if a special request is approved

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Barely clears a quonset hut
Loses tug of war with locomotive
Can fire a speeding bullet
Swims well
Is occasionally addressed by God

INSTRUCTOR
Makes high marks on wall when trying to leap buildings
Is run over by locomotive
Can sometimes handle gun without inflicting self-injury
Dog paddles
Talks to animals

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Runs into buildings
Recognizes locomotive 2 out of 3 times
Is not issued ammunition
Can stay afloat with life jacket
Talks to walls

GRADUATE STUDENT
Falls over doorsteps when trying to enter building
Says, “Look at the Choo-Choo.”
Wets himself with water pistol
Plays in mud puddles
Mumbles to himself

TECHNICIAN
Lifts buildings and walks under them
Kicks locomotives off the track
Catches bullets in his teeth and eats them
Freezes water with a single glance
Is God …

[Kami23]

Lol at the last post.

Whats to stop a 'mere' technician (and i use this phrase sarcastically for those that dont know) defending his/her knowledge if it come to technical stuff.  I would prefer to learn a technique from someone who has done it over and over than from a PI thats probably dodged the lab for the best part of 20 years.

On the flip side though it should never interfere with other duties a lab tech should take care of.