koenig
New member
This is a good example of some over educated "smart" person not really thinking for the real world. Book smarts vs street and no real world experience. I work in mining. We use gps to mark our drilling locations. Similar to oil exploration. Like that industry that technology is not our only aid to find the material we are seeking. I also fly airplanes, my Fathers second hobby, first being boating and fishing. Father was a naval bridge officer. With flying, I've been flying in and taking the controls since I was about 10 years old. I'm 38 and have had private pilots since 16. I fly instrument flight rules. By doing so I can fly a plane with aid of instruments and other tools blind, including GPS. By following IFR, I can loose an aid or two and still fly blind. Air traffic control is also still a mixture of radar, radio communication, etcetera. We lose GPS or a terrorist hacks it--well since in my industry and hobbies I rely on other aids that confirm what the other are saying. Two Uncles are employed as BC Ferry Officers, one is a navigator (over 30 years in this job and recently retired) and the other is a mate (also over 30 years in service). Its fun for me to ride our public ferry transit system because I get invited on the bridge. Both are on the newest in the Ferry fleet, launched in 2008. 160 m length 28.2 m beam, 1,650 passengers and 370 vehicles. This one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Coastal_Renaissance
The Uncle who is a mate on the above has his capt ticket as well. He has turned down being Captain of that very boat. Captains are not crew and cant be in the union, so uncle makes more $$$. His previous ferry was on another vessel launched in 1993. He started in 1969 and worked his way up. Most of the crew are old timers. Despite the Renaissance being modern with the latest technology. Its still operated with a mixture of aids old and proven with complete modern GPS push button computer preset automation of everything. But like all good mariners or aircraft pilots, one aid is not used in navigation, rather a mixture of aids, that together makes operation, smooth, efficient and safe. If the smart theorists saw the big picture and how all the GPS users actually use it. They'd see that in the real world its only a small aid to how these industries operate with it. We can find oil without it, planes don't need it, neither does air traffic control and ships still navigate with all the other aids to operation as well. So the GPS doom and gloom theory is just way wrong!!!!!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Coastal_Renaissance
The Uncle who is a mate on the above has his capt ticket as well. He has turned down being Captain of that very boat. Captains are not crew and cant be in the union, so uncle makes more $$$. His previous ferry was on another vessel launched in 1993. He started in 1969 and worked his way up. Most of the crew are old timers. Despite the Renaissance being modern with the latest technology. Its still operated with a mixture of aids old and proven with complete modern GPS push button computer preset automation of everything. But like all good mariners or aircraft pilots, one aid is not used in navigation, rather a mixture of aids, that together makes operation, smooth, efficient and safe. If the smart theorists saw the big picture and how all the GPS users actually use it. They'd see that in the real world its only a small aid to how these industries operate with it. We can find oil without it, planes don't need it, neither does air traffic control and ships still navigate with all the other aids to operation as well. So the GPS doom and gloom theory is just way wrong!!!!!!!