Avery, I too have had a similar career to yours. I cannot but agree with all
that you say. A very apt description.

Regarding newsgroups - "Abandon all rank ye who enter here." (Toc-H, on
the Western Front, 1916.)

To summarise -

To find what a resistor does , measure it.

If you are unable to measure it then model it with lumped components and
then calculate.

If lumps are not accurate enough then model it as a distributed transmission
line, which it actually is, and calculate again.

If you get similar answers for both procedures then you are laughing.

If you don't know how to do these things then you are not qualified to call
yourself an engineer which I'll admit is slightly off-topic. But if the cap
fits then wear it!
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Regards, Reg.