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Forklifts require training

zacsweers.dev

31–40 of 45 posts

Re: Forklifts require training

#31

When I think of a forklift, I think of a machine with wheels, that steers from the back. It has a hydraulic lift in the front, and you can attach things to it, like metal bars, for lifting pallets of stuff off the ground. And training is a pretty good idea because they don’t drive like cars, and it’s really damned easy to accidentally kill yourself or someone else with one. Is this what this analogy is referring to?…

> Or am I being dense and there is something else called a ‘forklift’?

Sort of. A drivable machine with rear steering and forks that raise and lower hydraulically with a propane engine or electric motor is a forklift, but there are other machines that can use forks to move pallets and material around.

Fork attachments exist for skid steers and tractors. There’s a piece of equipment with the trade name ‘lull’ (aka telehandler) that is a four wheeled vehicle with forks that is used to lift material.

Re: Forklifts require training

#32

When I think of a forklift, I think of a machine with wheels, that steers from the back. It has a hydraulic lift in the front, and you can attach things to it, like metal bars, for lifting pallets of stuff off the ground. And training is a pretty good idea because they don’t drive like cars, and it’s really damned easy to accidentally kill yourself or someone else with one. Is this what this analogy is referring to?…

> Or am I being dense and there is something else called a ‘forklift’? Sort of. A drivable machine with rear steering and forks that raise and lower hydraulically with a propane engine or electric motor is a forklift, but there are other machines that can use forks to move pallets and material around. Fork attachments exist for skid steers and tractors. There’s a piece of equipment with the trade name ‘lull’ (aka tel…

Yeah, so are we talking about this generalized class of equipment?

Because if I am moving a load of bricks and a load of eggs from one place to another and I put the bricks on top of the eggs, how is the outcome different between hand-carrying vs forklift? And why is it the forklift’s fault and not my own?

Re: Forklifts require training

#33

Am I the only one who, after reading the title, had to think of the funny classic "Forklift driver Klaus" short vid (which, with its very own kind of humour, shows WHY forklifts require training)? * For those who wouldn't know it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJYOkZz6Dck

The English subtitles are in my opinion annoying:

A lot of the joke comes from the fact that the narrator uses "overly technical" terms that are common for work (safety) instructions, but are otherwise barely used in everyday speech - mixed with much more colloquial wording (also, of course, when the workers are talking).

This mixture of two very different language registers (words mainly used in technically precise work safety instructions vs. colloquial talk) is not represented in the English subtitles and thus removes a lot of fun of the original German short film.

Re: Forklifts require training

#34
Reminds me of how I used to take the forklift to move things I was too lazy to move by hand when I worked in a factory, even though I absolutely did not do the required training. It was a bit stressful but fun enough to be worth it.

Re: Forklifts require training

#35

Am I the only one who, after reading the title, had to think of the funny classic "Forklift driver Klaus" short vid (which, with its very own kind of humour, shows WHY forklifts require training)? * For those who wouldn't know it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJYOkZz6Dck

The English subtitles are in my opinion annoying: A lot of the joke comes from the fact that the narrator uses "overly technical" terms that are common for work (safety) instructions, but are otherwise barely used in everyday speech - mixed with much more colloquial wording (also, of course, when the workers are talking). This mixture of two very different language registers (words mainly used in technically precise…

all with you about the fact that it's even more funny just in German (i.e. without subtitles)…

but well, given that people understanding German are likely a minority here, I felt it was probably necessary to link to a version with subtitles so that it would be accessible to everyone here.

Anyways, here's the link to the vid without subtitles for those who understand German: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lSBwF8ojVw

Re: Forklifts require training

#36
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hacker News is social media. It just lacks a pretty UI and is overall less vapid.

It is, but it is way harder to self-promote yourself and derive other than intellectual satisfaction. It was not purposely built as a platform for advertising and branding like social networks. You don't even have the dopamine hit of counting your content upvotes.

I was under the impression that HN is at least as centered on self-promotion as any other social media site.

> You don't even have the dopamine hit of counting your content upvotes.

There’s a score displayed at the top right; I’m 100% that some percentage of visitors get a dopamine hit off that.

Re: Forklifts require training

#37
> ~tech~ companies have largely forgotten that part of their job is to teach.

Honestly, you could stop right there. Everyone (everyone°) tries to kick the can of skills-acquisition onto someone else.

Ultimately, in a hyper-individualistic society, it lands on the "workers" entirely to educate themselves - as amply demonstrated by the comments in this thread. Unfortunately, that's not how humans learn best (some people, sure: a population massively over-represented on this board).

That this has become the general practice or expectation explains the gradual erosion of the "average" citizen's knowledge, intellect, and discernment. (More, perhaps, than social media - which is often blamed, and has played a role, but in my opinion has largely taken advantage of cultural incapacities which preceded it.)

--

°This includes [US] schools, by the way.

Re: Forklifts require training

#38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah. Honestly my advice to a junior dev right now would be: 1) Keep up with the trends by reading hacker news. Be on the lookout for decent blog posts but ignore social media and most of youtube. 2) BUT your best bet for actually leveling up is reading these ten books I'll give you (Designing Data-Intensive Applications, etc. etc.), plus doing side projects to get hands-on practice.

> BUT your best bet for actually leveling up is reading these ten books I'll give you On the whole, junior dev-age people don't read books much. They read short-form stuff on screens.

You’re not wrong. But this also sounds like a “not my problem”.

You can bring a horse to water, can’t make it drink…

Re: Forklifts require training

#39
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah. Honestly my advice to a junior dev right now would be: 1) Keep up with the trends by reading hacker news. Be on the lookout for decent blog posts but ignore social media and most of youtube. 2) BUT your best bet for actually leveling up is reading these ten books I'll give you (Designing Data-Intensive Applications, etc. etc.), plus doing side projects to get hands-on practice.

Hacker News is social media. It just lacks a pretty UI and is overall less vapid.

Not this again.

Social media is where one shares one's social life (it's in the name!).

Granted there is often crossover between technical discussion forums and social media (I'm thinking of a motorbike forum I frequent), but to suggest the likes of HN is social media is rather silly. Isn't it.

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