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Topic: Techers or Techies??

Michael Rourke
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 159
From: San Luis Obispo, Central Coast of CA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 04-19-2002 11:48 AM

I know that most on this site are technicians or "techs", but in the vein of Star Trek, do you perfer "Techers" or "Techies"?

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Pete Naples
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1565
From: Dunfermline, Scotland
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 04-19-2002 11:55 AM

Personally I prefer the term 'engineer'

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Michael Rourke
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 159
From: San Luis Obispo, Central Coast of CA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 04-19-2002 12:15 PM

That wasn't really an option, but to each his own.

I guess you didn't go to school for x years to be called "techie."

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Dave Williams
Wet nipple scene

Posts: 1836
From: Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 04-19-2002 02:03 PM

I'm with pete. I prefer the term engineer. As for bieng a tech, I can accept TECH or TECHNICIAN, and when anyone calls me a TECHIE, I get really PISSIE!!!

Dave

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Rick Long
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 759
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 04-19-2002 10:55 PM

You're an engineer till you ask for a raise. Then, suddenly, you're a technician.

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Josh Jones
Redhat

Posts: 1207
From: Plano, TX
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 04-20-2002 02:43 AM

I like techie just fine. I'v ehad the title for a little over 4 years

, if I had the option, projectionist would be better though.

Josh

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Don Sneed
Master Film Handler

Posts: 451
From: Texas City, TX, USA
Registered: Aug 2001

posted 04-20-2002 04:29 AM

Hear, Hear Dave....I agree with you !! I feel I am more of a tech now than an engineer, when I was a projectionist in the early 70's, automations, Xenon lamps, consoles, was just not quite here yet, the techs up to the 80's was indeed engineers, they had to make things work & use their brains to do it, keeping tubes amplifiers (mono) working, making home made automations work ect, ect...was indeed an engineer, with today's technology of plug-in cards, computer driven sound processors & automations, plug-in switcher power supplies for the Xenon lamp rectifiers, I feel I am now a tech, since we pull out the bad plug-in cards ect. instead of on the site repairs, we now have just about anything already factory made for the booth....so I think the term "engineer" no longer applies....Cinema or theatre tech is now the term to be use....what we as "tech" do now is to know what buttons to push & what card to be swap out, I think I am a tech, instead of the once highly reguarded "Sound Engineer".....

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Pete Naples
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1565
From: Dunfermline, Scotland
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 04-20-2002 07:44 AM

Things have not developed quite so quickly here in Scotland. Going by the examples that Don gave, I am very definitely an engineer!

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-20-2002 10:36 AM

If you diagnose and solve the problem in the field or modify a device to perform a new function you are an engineer.
If you just plug in a card you are told to or consider it isn't important which way the wire wraps around a screw you are tightening then you are a technician

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Pete Naples
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1565
From: Dunfermline, Scotland
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 04-20-2002 04:28 PM

Here, here Gordon!

Someplace I have a document that details how you know that you are an engineer, in fact I think I sent to Gordon some time back.

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Don Sneed
Master Film Handler

Posts: 451
From: Texas City, TX, USA
Registered: Aug 2001

posted 04-20-2002 07:47 PM

Hummmmmmm, than maybe I am a Sound Engineer again, I never thought of it the way Gordon put it....I do just exactly what "G" said, I always thought of myself as a tech not an engineer, even after being a tech/engineer for 22 years now....I will say I am an engineer instead of a tech !!!

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John Walsh
Film God

Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 04-21-2002 09:19 AM

Here in Connecticut (USA), they passed a law recently to more accurately define the term "engineer." A person must now pass the state's civil engineering exam, or they can not claim themselves
as one.

This is fairly easily avoided, since a person could still say "Joe Blow - Engineering Services."

Personally, I feel that a person should have some kind of collage degree to be able to say they are an engineer. Of course, I realise there are really stupid people with degrees, but my thought has more to do with "due diligence" than ablity. If a person, who has no formal engineering background, does something that either damages expensive equipment or puts people's lives at risk, then the lawsuits will fly. And if the company that hired him goes to court, they can't just say, "Well, he knows a lot of stuff .."

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Michael Brown
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1522
From: Bradford, England
Registered: May 2001

posted 04-23-2002 05:54 PM

I'm a projectionist

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Rachel Gilardi
Madam Moderator

Posts: 2214
From: Peabody, MA, USA
Registered: Dec 2007

posted 04-23-2002 10:31 PM

I'm a Manager who dabbles in booth.

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Gracia L. Babbidge
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 709
From: Bowdoin, Maine
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 04-25-2002 12:09 AM

<- Film Projectionist
<- Head Projectionist
<- Booth Witch
<- Booth Bitch
<- Dungeon Dweller
<- Film Wrangler

et cetera, et cetera, et cetera

------------------
In some cultures, what I do is considered normal.

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