My PI wont follow the evidence - (Jul/29/2009 )

I don't disagree with your reasoning for why technicians are hired, what I don't understand is your contempt and lack of respect for them.

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.

Hey eberthella...you're also making a lot of assumptions here..how could you say that the OP is playing at PI? He criticised his boss yes, but don't we all do that? And this is the venting subforum and an anonymous board, so no reputations were destroyed and he got some opinions and counsel so who knows, he probably managed to resolve some of his issues. And besides, he's not here to defend himself so let's just leave him and his competence in peace.

Furthermore, I don't see lab rat seeing herself as you put it "more than that" but rather how she values herself for all her experience and contribution to her lab, so what's wrong with that? She also emphasised how she'd win arguments pertaining to technical aspects and nothing else. Was she claiming more? For some it could be just a job but it could mean more to others, so are the technicians exceptionally exempted from this?

ejim - he's a whiner and so what. He ran away after the post so his defense or lack thereof is his doing.

lab rat is a techncian - she (and you) should get over it.

But you're the one who feels so strongly about all this- so perhaps you should be the one to get over whatever "it" is. Besides, I didn't know that being a technician is something to get over from....So is this already time to throw in some ad homs? I'd be very careful if I were you....esp with the tone you're using...there could be people who are invaluable veterans in this forum who're not PIs nor students nor postdocs...

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

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?

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

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.

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...

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

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