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> Only the engineer tries to solve the problem. Wrong! The Ophthalmologist, and Priest were also trying to solve the problem. That joke, which is old because

> Only the engineer tries to solve the problem. Wrong! The Ophthalmologist, and Priest were also trying to solve the problem. That joke, which is old because it is so good, has a deeper message.

nmyk 12y ago
In fact, the three of them don't even agree on what the problem is. Priest: We're frustrated. Ophthalmologist: The firefighters are blind. Engineer: The golf course is running inefficiently.
- exelius 12y ago
  Which is exactly why the first rule of good problem solving is to re-state the problem. :)
mhurron 12y ago
Well, I would say that the Doctor offered to explore a solution to the firefighters issue, the engineer offered a work-around that would make his life easier at the expense of others. "Have you turned it off and on again?"
- Arcsech 12y ago
  The point is that it wouldn't really be at the expense of others - it doesn't matter if it's dark if the players are blind. (Yes, restricting them to only playing at night may cause scheduling conflicts but it's a joke and of course omits such details.)
  - mhurron 12y ago
    Scheduling conflicts? Requiring others to flop their lives by 180 degrees so you can play a round of golf is a scheduling conflict? And the joke here is being used to illustrate a point (that the engineer thought of a solution when no one else did), I'm using it to point out that the engineer offered no solution while keeping to the general disregard for others in their simple work-arounds. Just hold it differently.
  - Retra 12y ago
    He could have also just offered to play at a different golf course. That would be inconvenient. But maybe the golf course isn't open at night? Why should it be? Or maybe the firefighters don't have the time to do it at night? It's an idea, but it's not an example of "solving the problem." It solves his problem, but probably creates problems for others.

> Only the engineer tries to solve the problem. Wrong! The Ophthalmologist, and Priest were also trying to solve the problem. That joke, which is old because it is so good, has a deeper message.

nmyk 12y ago

In fact, the three of them don't even agree on what the problem is. Priest: We're frustrated. Ophthalmologist: The firefighters are blind. Engineer: The golf course is running inefficiently.

exelius 12y ago
Which is exactly why the first rule of good problem solving is to re-state the problem. :)

mhurron 12y ago

Well, I would say that the Doctor offered to explore a solution to the firefighters issue, the engineer offered a work-around that would make his life easier at the expense of others. "Have you turned it off and on again?"

Arcsech 12y ago
The point is that it wouldn't really be at the expense of others - it doesn't matter if it's dark if the players are blind. (Yes, restricting them to only playing at night may cause scheduling conflicts but it's a joke and of course omits such details.)
- mhurron 12y ago
  Scheduling conflicts? Requiring others to flop their lives by 180 degrees so you can play a round of golf is a scheduling conflict? And the joke here is being used to illustrate a point (that the engineer thought of a solution when no one else did), I'm using it to point out that the engineer offered no solution while keeping to the general disregard for others in their simple work-arounds. Just hold it differently.
- Retra 12y ago
  He could have also just offered to play at a different golf course. That would be inconvenient. But maybe the golf course isn't open at night? Why should it be? Or maybe the firefighters don't have the time to do it at night? It's an idea, but it's not an example of "solving the problem." It solves his problem, but probably creates problems for others.