History of bulk electronic components suppliers

Bill Sloman thinks it should be.

-- Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to prove it. Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell Central Florida

I don't think the SAT is more than some rough indicator. I went to school with a few true math geniuses, way better than me, and none of them nailed the math part, after several tries. Taking the SAT mainly demonstrates one's skill at taking the SAT.

John

Like I said, mean people suck.

John

Took a while to find this. Research by Americans, not by ME!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Literacy levels among the educated must not continue recent decline

After years of hand-wringing about literacy in the United States, Congress passed the National Literacy Act of 1991. The aim was to make improved literacy a priority. The federal government did a base-line assessment of national literacy in

1992. Now, the government has released the first follow-up. The results are a big disappointment.

Overall, literacy has remained flat. In 1992, 83 percent of the population

16 and older were at basic literacy or above. That remained virtually the same in 2003 (84 percent).

The bigger disappointment is that literacy is slipping at every level of education. Educated Americans remain literate, but their capability in processing complex information is declining.

That presents a quandary. Should we put our efforts into bringing the 17 percent of illiterate or barely literate adults up to basic literacy? Or should we focus on improving the literacy of those who will graduate from high school, college or postgraduate institutions? In an ideal world, we would do both. But the more alarming dip is in the educated population. We can more easily reach those individuals.

Part of the problem is that our culture is more oral and visual. With television, cell phones, video games, etc., people increasingly deal with flashes of information.

Educational institutions must swim upstream to get students to interpret and analyze lengthy, difficult passages of words.

To see the problem in stark form, look at what's happened to college graduates in the past decade.

They remain literate: 98 percent are at basic literacy or above (it was 99 percent in 1992). That looks like there's no problem. "Basic" means a person can perform simple tasks such as interpreting instructions from an appliance warranty or writing a letter explaining an error made on a credit card bill.

But then look at intermediate literacy or above: 84 percent are at that level, compared with 89 percent in 1992. That's a five-point slip in skills such as explaining the difference between two types of employee benefits, using a bus schedule to determine an appropriate route or using a pamphlet to calculate the yearly amount a couple would receive for basic Supplemental Security Income.

But the biggest slip is at the proficient level: Only 31 percent are at this highest level, compared with 40 percent in 1992. That's a nine-point slip in mastery of complex activities such as critically evaluating information in legal documents, comparing viewpoints in two editorials or interpreting a table about blood pressure and physical activity.

We cannot afford to have our most educated population drop in complex literacy levels. The task falls mostly to our schools, but they cannot do it alone. Others, from parents to libraries, must limit the video games and make reading fun again.

I agree. What sort of sick, twisted scum sucking bastards lie to thousands of people so they can steal from them and live a life of luxury while their 'believers' live in misery? Apart from Republicans that is?

Right. But the verbal part is even worse. In effect it's a measure of your socioeconomic status. It's a vocabulary test. I grew up in a roomy middle-class home with lots of books and college- educated parents, but some kid raised in an inner-city apartment that contains few or no books (but has of course a television) would hardly be likely to score as well on that test, no matter how great his native intelligence.

Derek Zoolander: "At the Derek Zoolander Center For Children Who Can't Read Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too, we teach you that there's more to life than being really, really good looking." From the movie Zoolander. :) D from BC

Read this

That author discovered, somewhat to his own dismay, that self-described conservatives, Republicans, and Christians are far more charitable, and generous to the community at large, than self-described liberals and atheists. More likely to help others; more likely to donate time and money to both religious and non-religious causes; more likely to help strangers and foreigners. The least generous people are young liberals.

I heard him on a local PBS interview. He's a sincere and committed statistician who reported what he found.

As usual, your prejudices are at odds with reality.

John

With immigration and college enrollment both at record levels, it's not surprising that we have a declining "literacy" (meaning English literacy) rate among citizens in general and among college students. I walk down the street here and hear dozens of different languages being used. Their kids will be just fine.

You are savoring the decline of America, but it really ain't happening. So sorry.

John

No, they aren't. From Halliburton to Henry Hinn I see no liberals.

Read the book.

John

'Here' is NOT the USA?

Sadly it is. What can you say when the most popular 'game' show isn't answering questions but guessing which bag to open?

When the POTUS is a mumbling idiot?

Throughout the post-World War II economic boom the American government denied it had a literacy problem. In 1970 the Census Bureau, under pressure from the military, reinstated the literacy question in the census for the first time since it was removed in 1940. Due to the way it phrased the question, the Census Bureau reported that 99 percent of all US adults could read.

As late as the early 1980s the US reported to the United Nations that 99.5 percent of American adults could read and write. But much earlier reports already indicated there were severe illiteracy problems in America.

The Adult Performance Level study (APL), conducted in 1975 by the University of Texas, found that 20 percent of all US adults were functionally incompetent, some 23 million people. In addition the report stated that 34 percent, or 39 million people, were marginally competent. The English Language Proficiency Study (ELPS) in 1982 found 13 percent of US adults, or

17 million to 21 million people it considered illiterate.

In 1983 the US Department of Education conducted its own study revealing that an estimated 23 million American adults were totally or functionally illiterate. The same report found that an additional 49 million US adults function on a level that was considered marginal.

List all of the liberals running Halliburton.

Republicans fall into two camps. Those who are rich and want to keep it all.

Those who aren't rich and think being a Republican will help.

Which group is larger? Which is more generous?

Hmmm, I wasn't sure it was a design question, but I suppose the needs of designers were a factor in why those companies selling surplus or cheap/bulk components evaporated, along with some regular electronics parts mail-order places I remember in the UK, while some shot up in size (like Arrow).

I understand now what happened to PolyPaks, but still suspect there must have been a trend to explain why the others (Bi-Pak and Bi-Pre-Pak for example) didn't evolve into bulk suppliers on good components, as they were obviously set up with stock and delivery systems, and a good customer base.

The UK companies I recall from the 1970's that sold quality components were many (of which only Maplin seems to have any decent following now, as I see it from a distance - correct me if I'm wrong. Remember Trampus Electronics, Bi-Pak, Chromasonic Electronics, Z & I Aero Services or Electrovalue? It looks like Watford Electronics lasted until very recently, and some others have some references on the Internet that may or may not still be valid. Some changed their name, what they sell, and where they are... probably some interesting stories in there, but none as interesting as the Clive Sinclair saga, I guess.

There is a great book by Trace Kidder (Soul of a New Machine) which covers an important transition time in computers... there should be a similar book on the electronics industry. Maybe there is (let me know).

Mark A.

Aren't those just dumb multiple choice tests of mundane high school level subject matter. There was a time when high school was partitioned into "tracks" like A, B, C, and only the A track was preparing for college studies. Some high schools went so far as to call themselves "preparatory" schools, meaning the whole school was A track. The SAT was originally intended to quantify the level of preparedness of the candidate so that the college admissions office could assess the likelihood of success for the student in their program. All that has been thrown out the window these days. Now it is much more important to make a determination of gender, socioeconomic status, race,and sexual orientation, these are the preeminent considerations for modern higher education where the Bachelor/Bachelorette degree has been reduced to something less than a certificate. I hope you're happy about how much damned damage you have done!!!

Actually they should start calling those things Batchlore degrees in recognition of the mass production aspect...Masters sounds way too much like a male/slave owner type of thing, maybe should call those EOY degrees for Extra One Year, and PhD, hmmmm....

Of course you did, bozo.

It was only sci.electronics.components until you replied. There were about two replies to the actual question, and then "Salmon Egg" replied with his post about chemistry, and you replied to that off-topic post, and tossed in sci.electronics.design: Subject: Re: History of bulk electronic components suppliers From: Salmon Egg Newsgroups: sci.electronics.components Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2007 10:57:35 -0800

From: "Homer J Simpson" Newsgroups: sci.electronics.components,sci.electronics.design Subject: Re: History of bulk electronic components suppliers Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2007 19:43:37 GMT

Note that the people in .design never even saw the original question because your crossposting reply wasnt about "hey, this is a neat thread, let's see what people can add" it was about making some off-topic reply that will do nothing but mess up the newsgroups.

Michael

Radio Shack still sells their limited range but they are less 'enthusiastic' than they once were about it. Of course I still can't figure out why anyone would buy the high end stuff they really want to sell from them, but maybe if they are the only game in town?

Wrong again putz. I wasn't the one who drifted it onto anti drug and terrorism discussions at which point it belonged more on sci.electronics.design with the rest of the weird crap, however I seem to be the only one who tried to keep it just there. I note you are still cross posting it on sci.electronics.components.