A couple of months ago I posted a thread asking for input on the modification of a power distribution panel and it was almost instantly flagged and removed by a moderator. Needless to say, the mod expressed that I had failed to provide adequate information regarding my credentials as a professional with regards to electrical work and/or that of those working with me.
My initial reaction was a sense of astonishment; I was looking for professional/expert input regarding a proposed modification and was denied the ability to do so. However, after giving it more thought (and successfully completing the mod
I came to realize that he was solely focused on safety. I was delving into 800amps @ 277v equipment territory and that is, by no means, something a hobbyist or DIY'er should be doing without professional advice/supervision.
This thought grew on me the more I looked for industrial power distribution information online. Sometimes it's readily accessible and sometimes it can be pretty hard to find. In my case, it was a modification of a military spec interlock PDP, something that usually falls within the boundaries of this forum. That is, it's not going to pop up on google. It's a discussion topic for electrical professionals such as yourselves.
I can't say that I'm qualified to perform such work or, at the very least, know precisely what I'm doing. However, I do work with wonderful experts in the field. My desire was simply to better understand and, potentially, assist said people in performing the modification; possibly provide any new ideas generated in this forum.
Circling back to the original topic, I can now easily envision how an amateur can come across certain equipment and seek ways of modifying it based on crude assumptions. That is to say, I understand that there should be a line as to who is provided certain information. In this sense, the mod did a great job of removing my post until such time as I had provided satisfactory evidence that I either knew and/or was working with personnel that knew what they were doing.
I know that the safety forum is mostly dedicated to more concrete subjects but I just felt the need to 1) thank the mod for removing my post and 2) highlight the fact that this is a huge deal in terms of safety. Had I been an amateur/hobbyist empowered by this forum's collective knowledge, I may have 1)portrayed myself incorrectly as someone who understood what they were dealing with, 2) potentially took on a mashup of ideas and 3) put myself and others in great danger.
Therefore, I would like to once again thanks the awesome moderation that took place as I now have finally come to see it as a safety precaution and hope others in the same situation see it as such as well. Knowledge is power and, as most of you know, power can be very dangerous (pun kinda intended). Thank you mods for employing safety in a fashion that is rarely seen, retaining information for the sake/safety of a few of those seeking it.
Best,
M.
My initial reaction was a sense of astonishment; I was looking for professional/expert input regarding a proposed modification and was denied the ability to do so. However, after giving it more thought (and successfully completing the mod
I came to realize that he was solely focused on safety. I was delving into 800amps @ 277v equipment territory and that is, by no means, something a hobbyist or DIY'er should be doing without professional advice/supervision. This thought grew on me the more I looked for industrial power distribution information online. Sometimes it's readily accessible and sometimes it can be pretty hard to find. In my case, it was a modification of a military spec interlock PDP, something that usually falls within the boundaries of this forum. That is, it's not going to pop up on google. It's a discussion topic for electrical professionals such as yourselves.
I can't say that I'm qualified to perform such work or, at the very least, know precisely what I'm doing. However, I do work with wonderful experts in the field. My desire was simply to better understand and, potentially, assist said people in performing the modification; possibly provide any new ideas generated in this forum.
Circling back to the original topic, I can now easily envision how an amateur can come across certain equipment and seek ways of modifying it based on crude assumptions. That is to say, I understand that there should be a line as to who is provided certain information. In this sense, the mod did a great job of removing my post until such time as I had provided satisfactory evidence that I either knew and/or was working with personnel that knew what they were doing.
I know that the safety forum is mostly dedicated to more concrete subjects but I just felt the need to 1) thank the mod for removing my post and 2) highlight the fact that this is a huge deal in terms of safety. Had I been an amateur/hobbyist empowered by this forum's collective knowledge, I may have 1)portrayed myself incorrectly as someone who understood what they were dealing with, 2) potentially took on a mashup of ideas and 3) put myself and others in great danger.
Therefore, I would like to once again thanks the awesome moderation that took place as I now have finally come to see it as a safety precaution and hope others in the same situation see it as such as well. Knowledge is power and, as most of you know, power can be very dangerous (pun kinda intended). Thank you mods for employing safety in a fashion that is rarely seen, retaining information for the sake/safety of a few of those seeking it.
Best,
M.
