Capacitor (noun)
Two weeks ago, I had to pass a grueling test. It was an IT (computer networking) certification focused on security procedures. The reason my company made me take the test was that they are a government contractor, and some contracts require the people on these projects to have this certificate. While I am an electrical engineer, the material was well beyond my area of expertise.
It was meant for trained IT technicians with three or more years of experience. The topics focused on IT basics, network security, system attacks, and computer organization. Of course, I have no IT training and limited experience in computer networking.
I found the material to be super difficult, and I struggled for three solid weeks to grasp the basic concepts. A big part of the studying was learning unfamiliar vocabulary, including IT-specific acronyms.
My bonkers mind is always running in the background, and I began noticing there was more to IT terms than basic definitions. Let me explain what I mean by taking a shallow dive into the world of electronics. We use a device called a capacitor, and here is the ten-page Wikipedia article:
It was meant for trained IT technicians with three or more years of experience. The topics focused on IT basics, network security, system attacks, and computer organization. Of course, I have no IT training and limited experience in computer networking.
I found the material to be super difficult, and I struggled for three solid weeks to grasp the basic concepts. A big part of the studying was learning unfamiliar vocabulary, including IT-specific acronyms.
My bonkers mind is always running in the background, and I began noticing there was more to IT terms than basic definitions. Let me explain what I mean by taking a shallow dive into the world of electronics. We use a device called a capacitor, and here is the ten-page Wikipedia article:
It discusses history, technical function, mathematics, and applications. Because I have been working with them for so long, I know far more about the topic than the Wikipedia article. For example, there are many manufacturers, and each has multiple product lines. As a result, I could spend over 20 minutes discussing that single aspect with no preparation. Keep in mind that this aspect is not even a technical topic, but it is critical to understand for my job.
And still, I do not consider myself a capacitor expert. Just last week, I learned something completely new about a basic aspect of capacitors. While explaining this to a coworker, I learned two more things. None of that is on Wikipedia.
I am sure a doctor could also spend hours describing scalpels. To me, they seem like “body knives” and nothing more. Of course, this is not true. They are sophisticated instruments made by many manufacturers to accomplish many tasks, and they have an extensive history spanning thousands of years back to specialized obsidian rocks. Meaning, like me, they could talk forever about their area of interest and know far beyond the Wikipedia page.
All areas of technology, art, music, science, medicine, sports, film, politics, and business have such terms, yet somehow I needed to pass the test without years of experience.
So, I studied like mad and passed by one point. Nice! The bad news is that I gamed the test by focusing only on prior test questions, so I did not gain any IT knowledge. Yet, the good news is I have the certificate, which proves to the world my “superior” knowledge. Yeah, I’m still claiming victory.
I like to have a writing tie-in to my articles, and this test really got me thinking about deep definitions. So now, as I write, I am going to think a lot more about words and their use. And there is another silver lining from three grueling weeks of study: I got an article out of it!
You’re the best -Bill
December 08, 2021 Updated April 25, 2026
And still, I do not consider myself a capacitor expert. Just last week, I learned something completely new about a basic aspect of capacitors. While explaining this to a coworker, I learned two more things. None of that is on Wikipedia.
I am sure a doctor could also spend hours describing scalpels. To me, they seem like “body knives” and nothing more. Of course, this is not true. They are sophisticated instruments made by many manufacturers to accomplish many tasks, and they have an extensive history spanning thousands of years back to specialized obsidian rocks. Meaning, like me, they could talk forever about their area of interest and know far beyond the Wikipedia page.
All areas of technology, art, music, science, medicine, sports, film, politics, and business have such terms, yet somehow I needed to pass the test without years of experience.
So, I studied like mad and passed by one point. Nice! The bad news is that I gamed the test by focusing only on prior test questions, so I did not gain any IT knowledge. Yet, the good news is I have the certificate, which proves to the world my “superior” knowledge. Yeah, I’m still claiming victory.
I like to have a writing tie-in to my articles, and this test really got me thinking about deep definitions. So now, as I write, I am going to think a lot more about words and their use. And there is another silver lining from three grueling weeks of study: I got an article out of it!
You’re the best -Bill
December 08, 2021 Updated April 25, 2026
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