Featured User: Victor
“I won’t send a picture of myself since Answers is meant to be confidential but here is a picture of my great-grandfather taken in about 1908 because people say I look more like him every passing year. He was then about the same age I am now.”
Every so often we come across Answers users who are so wonderful we have to share them with you all as a Featured User. So meet Victor: author and expert contributor with a nearly 70% Best Answer percentage who’s been with us since spring ‘06. Why did he join? He saw someone write that recession and inflation were the same thing. And when someone else answered that the French Revolution came before American Independence, well, he had to step in. Answers has been the better for it ever since.
Some great Answers by Victor:
- How did Napoleon’s downfall lead to his death?
- How long is it going to take for the economy to completely fail?
- What does the expression ‘economies of scale’ pertain to?
- Was the enlightenment period a positive or negative influence on Europe?
- In Physics why does equation E = MC2 use the square function?
Get more Best Answers from Victor…
Meet Victor…
Yahoo! Answers Team: What do you enjoy about answering?
Victor: “Two parts to it. First, I like to think that my answers are interesting and may be helpful for someone who needs to know. Secondly, it’s a kind of competition with myself: how much do I know about this subject that I can write down? I’m willingly ignorant about some things and wouldn’t ever answer on those, but some subjects are very close to my head and heart, and I stick to those.”
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Where are you based?
“I spend about half the year in South London and the rest at Igatpuri, Maharashtra, India because my wife is Indian and there is a big family there. Although I’ve worked in education and the Civil Service, I’m self employed now, so I can find work in both places and India is nicer than UK between November and April. At this moment, therefore, I’m at Igatpuri which is 19 deg N of the Equator and about 73 deg E of London.”
You seem to answer in some quite diverse categories, such as history, economics and mathematics – can you explain a little about your interest in these areas?
“I went to university in the early 1960s and studied mathematics and economics, and then did a Masters 15 years later in management sciences [maths in business and engineering]. I’ve written books on these subjects. However, my real intellectual love is history and I’ve studied that formally and informally since childhood – but you can’t make a living from it! I did a minor in my BA in history, especially the development of government and democracy in Europe and N America. As you see, I’ve a big interest in a range of subjects and special knowledge is some of them.”
Does work, education or your own personal experiences inform your choice answering?
“Mostly, I answer from personal knowledge or from academic research interests. If a question is about business, management or government then I can answer from experience, and the same goes for maths and economic theory. History involves judgement as well as knowledge and I try to bring both into my answers. For a time, some weeks ago, I was a Top Contributor in History but then that status was removed. I don’t know why or if the removal indicates something I’ve done wrong.”
Can you tell me more about where you live (some of the year) in India?
“Igatpuri, to be honest, has been a rail station and truck stop until this past 5 years. Now it’s a boom town because of the dual carriageway highway from Mumbai to Nashik, and the opening of the big Mahindra diesel engine plant. The town is a pilgrimage centre because of the Vipissanar meditation centre and ashram, and the old temple of Ghatendevi (goddess of the mountain). Attached are two images with names to indicate which is which. The elephant statues at Ghatendevi are carved out of wood and covered in stucco, which is whitened each year.”
“The town is located at about 1300 metres (4400 ft) above sea level and the mountains behind the town rise to about 1900 metres (6000 ft). Igatpuri is in the Nashik District of Maharashtra, which is the centre of the Indian wine-making industry and produces some very fine vintages, similar in style to California and some Australian types. See, for example www.tigerhillvineyards.com.”
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What wonderful work you do. I was shocked to see a brain on this site whose words produced logic. Outstanding work and now a definite avid fan.
Congratulations Victor!!
The disappearance of your TC badge doesn’t mean that you did anything wrong – badges are dynamic and probably the amount of answers posted by you and other category contributors fluctuate, so that some lose the badge and others earn it.
Psst…hey editors, I think “How long is it going to take for the economy too completely fail?” should be “TO completely fail”
very cool =)
Interesting, keep it up Victor!
What a refreshing change to see well thought out and intelligent answers to complex questions. Great job!
Hello Victor, it is a relief to know people like you are out there on the web. Internet is mostly an annoying and unsettling experience when it comes to striking a social chord around or when looking for anything sensible to do other than gaining information from corporates/govts etc. You have added class, meaning, color, scope and mostly sence to the surfing on the web. It’s great to know you. Cheers !!
@Calimecita – you have sharp eyes! I corrected the question link for clarity, but the text is taken from the actual question. Thanks, Mitzi
In last line, I meant to say sense, instead of sence
It was a pleasure to learn about Victor’s interest in answering questions. I have answered a few of the questions, but often get provoked when I see some of the sophomoric questions that are asked, i.e. “What do these symptoms mean?” or “What should I write in my term paper?” etc. I imagine Victor finds the challenging questions and answers them intelligently and sincerely. We need people like him! Congratulations, Victor! I hope you get the equivalent of an Oscar!
What an interesting life he has. Thanks for all your work, Victor!
Why is it that almost everyone who is a featured user has to answer questions best answer in categories that have to do with politics or something boring like that. When are we going to get one in fashion or a category that is more fun. Its always boring categories. And I dont want to hear the rants anyway so save it for someone who cares!
Victor:
I am wondering, what do you see are the biggest differences between India, the UK, and the U.S.?
Thank you for your “work” in yahoo answers.
Besides answering these, what do you do for fun?
Has anyone ever said you look a little like Victor Hugo?
really intresting!(:
gosh, that is really cool! and thanks for making YA a better community by spreading your knowledge and giving us responses worth giving points out to!
Woot woot! It’s da sound of da police!
Very impressive and inspiring Victor. Congratulations!
apparently you were so offended by my pointing out that all of us tc’s know the BA system is meaningless, that you deleted my comment. So here it is again.
Kudos for the hard work… but quoting BA %’s sounds cynical to everyone familiar with how the system works. Literally anybody can get at least 50 percent, even up to 80 percent, just by picking the right questions and remembering to vote. If I wanted to I could create a proxy account and rack up an 80 percent BA with nothing but spam.
best-by-asker percentage would be a much better statistic. matters much more. System should be changed.
Wow, reading this gives me hope for humanity.
keep it up victor.
Hi Victor,
its great to see someone with such breadth of knowledge about diverse subjects participating in the process of sharing it, keep it up!
by the way, thanks for your info on your place of stay Igatpuri, maharashtra
i live in maharashtra too, in thane
its great that people who are accessing this page will get some information about our state ,
regards,
Suyash
Keep it up Victor, You are all set to make a Record.
Thank’s Victor for sharing your knowledge.
Wow this guy became a TC without getting suspended.I used to be a Top contributor in Video and Online games a long time ago once UNTIL I WAS SUSPENDED
it so great, keep it up…………..
while i do strive to give best answers, i find that the best answers i give are the ones that come from my heart. It seems you are the same way victor. Cudos.
Victor is the MAN! I read some of his posts and WOW! He is obviously a very intelligent and well spoken man.
Every single one of his answers is so well thoughtout and nicely put together. He says soooo much in so little space.
I’m glad to see that there are smart people on YA that want to give a good and correct answers because its a good answer and not just to get 10 points.
Congrats, Victor and I will be looking for more of your posts on Answers!
how old r u
cause there is a victor in my class
You are an invaluble asset to this forum. The voice of reason in a world that at times seems to have gone mad.
Thank you!
Chaz
Congrats buddy
Message for Indian members who wrote comments.
Hello Suyash, N.S.PADMANABHAN, Preet Singh, and anyone I missed.
Send me a message if you like, via my YA profile and we can “talk” more about India, Maharashtra, UK, education, careers and so on.
Anyone else who’s interested, you message me also, if I can be helpful – and friendly of course.
Folks from every section have a gold standard to live up to, and this is it. In an open forum where opinion often overshadows fact, it’s good to know that research and logic can still thrive. There may be no stupid questions, but there have certainly been some questionable answers…best intentions and all that. We’ve all seen the resolved questions with factually erroneous BA’s and cringed at the thought of more misinformation floating about the ‘net; with people like Victor around, there is always a relaible source of info.
[Brace yourself for bizarre analogy] Like a healthy-option snack, he’s got all the fact, non of the second guessing.
none….
Wow! It’s nice to know of someone so knowledgeable on Yahoo! Answers. Thanks so much for all of your contributions! =)
Ditto to all those who praise you for your intelligent answers! What an interesting life you have and do lead.
India is so beautiful! i wish to be there..