Are We Stifling Creativity? Options

[McMark]

This forum is a great place to share ideas and get some feedback. Over the years we have built up a broad base of 'common knowledge'. The problem with common knowledge is that it can stifle creativity. For example, we just had a thread about large bore four cylinder motors, and it immediately received the standard response (myself included). It was also suggested that the place to talk about new and experimental ideas for these motors is another site.

I'm just worried that people are afraid to post about their new ideas, for fear of being told why it won't work, why they should have done something else, etc. In fact I know of one person who sent out a really cool email about some 914 work he did, but didn't post it here for exactly the reason above.

What's the 914World like from your perspective?

[jd74914]

I don't think stifling creativity is the right concept. I do that that conepts people have get shot down when they seem to have no idea what is going on. Not to sound arrogant (since I really don't know much about type IVs), but IMHO posts like the 'massive' one get shot down because often the creators seem to come up with a goal that seems unrealistic and everyone wants to top them before a huge expenditure ends in failure.

Many ideas are shot down because we (collectively) don't want other people wasting their time. In that case, Steven didn't mention that he had ever built an engine before, or that he had access to a machine shot, or that he really had any idea what was going on. In that case, it just seems like a recipe for failure as there is no knowledge implied, nor any background information given.

Sorry Steven, I don't mean to jump on your post; it is simply most prevalent in my recent memory.

When ideas are presented in a clear and well though out (or at least seemingly well thought out way) I think that people are more accepting and genuinely interested in the results. I know I am.

I know that people should be able to try anything they want, but sometimes it just seems like the ideas thrown out are missing a large dose of reality. As in engine building, you can have power, long life, or cost effectiveness. At most you can get 2/3, and sometimes only 1/3 of that list. I think that as a group people tend to be steered away from projects when it seems like they don't have a grasp of concepts like that.

Continuing on the engine building trend, Richard (IDK his sn) posted of ridiculous TIV builds using rather cost effective mixes of components. His posts were way out there (as far as creativity goes), but he was received with great anticipation by many people because of this innovation. I think what was most interesting about his posts was the fact that he came in with a game plan, and had thought the project through thoroughly.

People don't get that kind of reception when they waltz in with no apparent knowledge and then ask what to do in order to accomplish some crazy goal.

I personally am guilty of trying to turn people away from projects that (in my mind) they have not thought about and really seem to be looking for a shopping list of parts to complete them. I think that a large part of the problem grows from the fact that alot of us do not know each other, and in that do not know each other's strengths/weaknesses/experiences. When someone asks if they can do something and doesn't give nay background information their ideas tend to get squashed.

That said certain thread's responses do confuse me. Why did so many people jump on the power steering rack guy? That seemed like a very valid question.