Message 19504 of 39188 in General Discussion

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> I too am a Software Engineer and the point of learning all those 
> other disciplines of engineering was not to torture us it was to 
> learn the fundamentals. Will you ever use it... maybe not, but you 
> know by knowing the foundation of your field of study you are a much 
> more rounded individual. You may come up with a new concept in 
> software engineering that pulls from some of the other core 
> disciplines.

Please don't take this as rude...but do you actually believe what you just 
said? There is no 'foundation' of software engineering that involves physics 
(unless of course you want to talk about how electrons move around).  Physics 
is a foundation of science and the engineering title, not software 
development.  The idea of pulling from other disciplines isn't unheard of 
(despite the fact it didn't happen this way, Design Patterns are often 
attributed to contractors using nearly identical floor plans when building a 
series of homes).  While such a thing COULD happen, the frequency isn't enough 
to justify the time/cost.  It would be no different than asking a software 
engineer to also get a degree in psychology just in case it might lead them to 
have a more intuitive interface.  It MIGHT serve a benefit SOMEDAY, but should 
you dedicate 2+ years of your life to it?  To some it would be worth it, but 
for most, they will find something more worthy of their attention.

These days (and check the statistics, they are real), just under 85% of the 
software developers out there are working on IT (usually web sites).  If there 
happens to be any crossover value, it's not likely to be discovered by a guy 
that was squeezed for 12 credits and a $190 used book for his physics classes.

> With that said... I think the parallels you are drawing are not quite 
> there. In the bartending profession any given patron could walk into 
> any type of bar (nightclub, hotel, etc...) and order any of the 
> standard cocktails. You as a software engineer will probably never be 
> asked to design a dam.

Lol, in point of fact, I have been asked to design a dam (long story).  Of 
course, that's also not something you cover in physics (at least not the 
actual design, only how the forces work against a dam).  Should you memorize 
the bizzare list of drinks that are always on the little electronic toys that 
some guy walks into a bar with so he can try to confuse the bartender?  The 
parallel is there.  Both cases describe spending time on things that aren't 
vital to performing as a bartender.

If somebody walks in asking for something you haven't heard of, appologize for 
not knowing it and either look it up or ask the customer how they would like 
it made.  Now lock it into your mind and go on with your night.  If you make 
it through this scenario, you're a winner (you've made a sale and you learned 
something, probably even gained respect for handling the situation 
professionally).

There is so much in the world of bartending to learn, I hardly think that you 
should worry about a 50ho walking into your nightclub asking for a sidecar.  I 
also have a feeling that you aren't going to have too many 21yo dropping by 
the old-timer bar asking for an incredible hulk.

Just for a little clarity on my opinion.  I just simply don't believe that a 
fresh bartender should be expected to know one of those lists.  Conversely, I 
would tend to expect an experienced bartender to know most of it through the 
experience of being asked or reading up on it through curiosity.

We all know that the three most common reasons for uncommon drink orders 
include Experimentation (customer read it somewhere and wants to try it), 
Being an Ass (Customer wanted to play 'stump the bartender' for their own 
giggles), and finally a customer who's got a personal taste inconsistent with 
your normal clientel (the only good reason to know the uncommon drinks).  In 
that last scenario, most people realize that their taste is probably not 
mainstream for the place they are going to (if it's even mainstream anywhere) 
and moreover probably prefer their drink made just slightly different than the 
generic recipe calls for.  I've never been bothered when I had to give a 
recipe to a bartender for a drink unless it's for something that obviously 
should be known in that type of place (yeah, I actually had to explain a white 
russion in a restaurant once)

Geez, I feel like I'm writing a term paper, this thing has gotten long :)  
This is my final thought, I promise.  This is the one reason I think somebody 
should go well out of their way to learn some of the drinks from one of those 
lists.  If you're going to become a serious mixologist and are truly focussed 
on expanding into the more rare breeds of drinks.  To me, this is the step you 
take when you are ready to cross from being a good bartender to being a great 
bartender.

-- 
Cody