Too Amusing to Not Comment On

Some press release headlines are unintentionally amusing.

SIEMENS PLM SOFTWARE ADDS INTERACTIVE TOOL TO ITS “INNOVATION CONNECTION” SECOND LIFE ISLAND: Tool Enables Users to Create Their Own 3-D Razor Scooter for Use Throughout Second Life

SolidWorks: powerful enough for advanced engineering, easy enough for middle schoolers .

I find the second one especially amusing, given Matt Writes's lament on the nearly same day: "Now in 2008, I’ve taken the new CSWA and CSWP. ...I barely passed both tests..."

On the one hand, we have Matt, experienced SolidWorks user who can barely pass certification tests created by SolidWorks Corp. On the other, we have SolidWorks Corp announcing that 11-year-old darlings are now able to replace Matt:

"Even the 11-year-olds are quite capable using SolidWorks to design basic, fully functional products from start to finish," said Brookside technology education instructor Patrick Haley.

On the country's other coast, Buzz might as well pack it in. His dream of massive contracts with the automotive giants is crushed: "Haley is now developing a curriculum in which students will design model cars with fully active solar panels."

In the good news department, however, the USA no longer needs to have child labour outsourced:

"[Sixth-grade] Students clamor for free drawing periods in which some have actually reverse-engineered their iPods -- from memory. We’re growing engineers here."

(CSWA = certified solid works associate; CSWP = professional.)

Comments

[R. Paul Waddington]

Marketeers have always had the ability to make us smile, after all spin is their game and everyone knows if you spin around long enough you become dizzy, trip and fall.
Also CAD vendor's marketeers, and many CAD users, often confuse the use of CAD with design and; being able to design using CAD has nothing to with 'passing' vendors' 'certification' tests; tests that do not meet the educational industries standards. MATT knows which skill is more important I'm sure ;-)

[lucklucky]

Be worried :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAHffOISTNw&feature=related

7 year old and Autodesk Maya Tutorial...