[FRIAM] sometimes an onion is just an onion...

[Marcus Daniels]

Glen writes:

"And in that, they want to learn just enough about how/why it works so that they can know what they can do and how they can do it."

With regard to my original remark to Nick, I claim that usually people really don't want to know something down to the quantum mechanics -- that is what I'd call a complete exposition.   They want to have practical operational knowledge.   Maybe they want to understand how to build a radio that uses a different frequency or modulation scheme, or they want to use a radio to control a remote device, or they want a remote device to operate autonomously in some hostile environment.   There are assumptions about the primitives of the conversation, and usually it is a function of the individuals' vocation or specialty.   Those that don't come equipped or accept those primitives are just not spoken to.  

Marcus