# Hug an Engineer! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 24, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909 "2004-02-24T16:04:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909/1 "2004-02-24T16:04:26Z")
It’s [National Engineers Week!!](http://www.eweek.org/) Share the love! Thank an engineer for all the cool stuff they do. Compliment their pocket protectors. 😃 Admire their cool calculators. 😃 Buy their lunch. :D:D To my fellow engineers, enjoy your week! [sub]Offer not valid for “Domestic Engineers” or “Sanitation Engineers” or any other pseudo-Engineers. If you don’t have a degree from a legitimate engineering school, you can’t celebrate this week. so there… :p[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909/2 "2004-02-24T16:17:56Z")
To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be. Happy National Engineers Week, engineers! ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909/3 "2004-02-24T16:28:28Z")
Hug an employed one, we need the hugs more! ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909/4 "2004-02-24T16:30:31Z")
**DAMMIT**!! I meant **un** employed. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909/5 "2004-02-24T16:35:30Z")
National Nerd Week is it? 😃 Do you get to drive trains? Do you get new tape for the eyepiece on your glasses? Why hasn’t Dilbert celebrated yet? **HAPPY ENGINEERS WEEK!!!** ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909/6 "2004-02-24T16:51:07Z")
We would, but they smell funny. ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909/7 "2004-02-24T17:07:04Z")
Anybody tries hugging me, he gets a poke in the beezer. Grumpy Engineers Week is more like it, at least in my case. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909/8 "2004-02-24T17:13:32Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > [sub]If you don’t have a degree from a legitimate engineering school, you can’t celebrate this week. so there… :p[/sub] I have an HND in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, do I get to join in? I think yes. Been feeling unusually perky this week (hundreds of line of code WooHoo!) are they beaming something though our workstations? Something in the coffee? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909/9 "2004-02-24T17:41:28Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be. [QUOTE] I want this on a T-shirt!! **GMRyujin** , I do _not_!! 😛 **Ex** , a little less attitude there, young man! **Revtim** , I would expect that being unemployed you’d rather have the lunch than the hugs… Good luck getting reemployed! **swampy** , I think Scott Adams should be scolded for not doing an Engineer Week strip. I may just write him and tell him so. **Small Clanger** - Electrical and Electronics Engineering?? C’mon, admit it - it’s all smoke and mirrors! ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909/10 "2004-02-24T19:41:59Z")
Don’t hug me either. I’m too damn busy, and too highly caffienated. You’re more likely to get shaken around like one of them 1920’s Style fat-reducing vibrating belt machines. Tripler Still working on his 1860’s Style Death Ray. ---
**Author:** ![odd-socks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c67d28/32.png) [@odd-socks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/odd-socks)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909/11 "2004-02-24T20:47:32Z")
By **Tripler** : _“You’re more likely to get shaken around like one of them 1920’s Style fat-reducing vibrating belt machines.”_ heh! oh, I don’t know…that could be kinda fun? 😛 I’d hug one, but alas don’t know any. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909/12 "2004-02-24T21:22:49Z")
Excuse me but the appropriate engineering answer for full credit is: The glass is full: 0.5 with water and 0.5 with air. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909/13 "2004-02-24T22:02:13Z")
Have a great week, all you engineers. By the way, there’s some interesting stuff for us laypeople on the site that the OP linked to. Just the sort of content that’s needed to get the message out about what your profession really is all about. ---
**Author:** ![Parallax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Parallax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parallax)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909/14 "2004-02-24T22:06:50Z")
> [@](#): > > The glass is full: 0.5 with water and 0.5 with air. Woo! I’m not the only geek to use that answer. 😉 I’m never really sure if I qualify as an engineer or not. I graduated from college with a computer science degree and I’m currently using it as a software developer - does that count? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909/15 "2004-02-24T22:29:33Z")
Sorry, **Parallax** , since it’s my thread I have to be the one to tell you that you’re not an engineer. I see engineers as folks who design stuff that gets built. You know - bridges, ships, airplanes, radar sets, power plants… I suppose I can include manufacturing, materials, and industrial engineers, too, since they take many of the same core classes and they are involved in manufacturing processes. Them’s the rules in my thread. 😃 Geekiness doth not an engineer make. ---
**Author:** ![Parallax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Parallax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parallax)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909/16 "2004-02-24T22:40:05Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Sorry, **Parallax** , since it’s my thread I have to be the one to tell you that you’re not an engineer. I see engineers as folks who design stuff that gets built. You know - bridges, ships, airplanes, radar sets, power plants… I suppose I can include manufacturing, materials, and industrial engineers, too, since they take many of the same core classes and they are involved in manufacturing processes. Hmm - so it is just about designing something physical? I’m not an engineer if I design and implement that software that runs much of that equipment? Just trying to understand… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Super\_Gnat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909/17 "2004-02-24T22:40:59Z")
I’m in college to be an engineer. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909/18 "2004-02-24T22:57:15Z")
I had no idea we had a whole week - I’m throwing a party for the whole office! A round of drinks on me! Unfortunately, I’m the only one in the office… Where are those drinks? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909/19 "2004-02-24T23:28:01Z")
> [@Parallax](#): > > Hmm - so it is just about designing something physical? I’m not an engineer if I design and implement that software that runs much of that equipment? > > Just trying to understand… 😉 Did you take Thermodynamics? That’s the new rule - if you didn’t take thermo, you can’t be a real engineer! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909/20 "2004-02-24T23:53:10Z")
> [@](#): > > To the optimist, the glass is half full. > > To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. > > **To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.** [Computer geek] That just means the glass was properly designed to handle twice the current load, Bonuses for everybody![/CG] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hug-an-engineer/230909.md?page=2)