My innovative EE SE contributions

At the beginning of the year, I noticed that I had been participating in the SE EE for 11 years. I decided that this was a good opportunity to take stock of what I had contributed to this platform.

My contributions

I can categorize them into the following groups:

Structured answers

I take my answers much more seriously than is customary on this Q&A site. They are more than just simple answers; they are more like tutorials. To that end, I structure them into hierarchically organized sections like these:

Introduction: Following this idea, I usually start my answers by justifying the need for a "circuit philosophy" to understand circuits, not just specific explanations. This appeal of mine is addressed not only to OPs, who at this stage are more interested in the specific answer, but also to my colleagues, whom I am trying to introduce to this idea.

Basic idea: To understand a circuit, specific explanations alone are not enough; we need to understand the basic idea on which the circuit is built. That is why, as a rule, I first explain the underlying idea (the concept) in my answers.

How to explore the circuit: After that, I consider the way we will explore the circuit: a methodology, building scenario, technical means, simulation tricks, etc. Here, I usually advocate the thesis that the best way to explore a circuit in order to understand it is by building it step by step.

Building and exploring the circuit: So, the actual research follows as a sequence of steps:

First, I explore a conceptual circuit with manually-controlled elements (variable resistors, voltage/current sources, etc.). An example of this is the H&H "transistor man". 

Then I replace them with automatic ones (VCVS, CCCS, etc.)...

Implementation: ... and finally with real devices (transistors, op-amps).

Conclusions: In most cases, I finalize my answers with conclusions in which I summarize the main ideas derived.

Related web resources: During these 11 years of collaboration in EE SE, I have managed to accumulate nearly a thousand questions and answers. I also have thousands of contributions to other web platforms. I find it natural and useful to share them in my related responses.

However, my efforts to provide the best possible answers by adding relevant links have met with negative reactions, as they are often misinterpreted as "self-promotion." This has forced me to limit the number of links I include, which only results in a loss for the OP.

CircuitLab

The main advantage of this web-based simulator is its simple and clear interface. Its library consists of large symbolic representations of elements, resembling "bricks" from a Lego constructor, with which the circuit is assembled in a very intuitive way. The elements can be easily moved and placed, so the circuit can be built with just a few movements. The result is a large, simple, clear, and uncluttered circuit. The same can be said for the clear graphical representation of the simulation results.

However, when traditionally used, CircuitLab has not offered significant advantages over other simulators like Falstad or LTspice. In fact, it often falls short in various aspects and is frequently criticized. Professionals don't take it seriously; they consider it to be something like a child's toy. However, I saw many valuable features in it and started using them.

My primary contribution to CircuitLab has been demonstrating a novel approach to its use. Here are some of my CircuitLab "inventions" that I have collected in My CircuitLab bag of tricks.

"Visualized resistors": An effective way to visualize voltages and currents in CircuitLab is through virtual voltmeters and ammeters. But when there are many of them, the circuit becomes too cluttered. That is why, when it is necessary to measure the voltage drop across a resistor and the current through a resistor, I often combine the resistor and the meter into a "visualized resistor" ("2 in 1"). For this purpose, I set the internal resistance of the meter to be equal to the resistance of the resistor. In this way, the circuit is simplified. I have described this technique in Can we combine meters with resistors?

Step-by-step building scenarios: With its large, simplified diagrams, CircuitLab proved extremely convenient for implementing the building-block approach above through a series of conceptual "live" schematics.

Decomposing simulations into multiple frames: The final schematics can easily be copied and reproduced multiple times to create the intermediate frames.

Simulated devices: To show at the lowest level what semiconductor devices—diodes, transistors, and others—do, I replace them with dynamic resistors. Such "man-controlled experiments" performed by a "diode man", "transistor man" and "op-amp man" are a powerful CircuitLab idea. 

Generic elements: To focus on the basic circuit idea, instead of specific semiconductor devices, I use generalized ones (with labels removed).

Adjusting the value: Instead of precisely calculated values, I adjust the input magnitude or parameter so that an accurate value of the output magnitude is obtained. Although this approach is not novel, I introduced it as a widespread practice in CircuitLab simulations...

... and more.

Gemini AI

Two years ago, I began using Gemini AI with great enthusiasm (see Talking with Gemini). I had a strong desire to incorporate it into my answers on EE SE in a way that was different from the usual approach (see How do we collaborate with AI in answering SE EE questions?). I can say with great confidence that I am a pioneer in using artificial intelligence on the EE SE platform. However, this initiative of mine was met with hostility and was ultimately thwarted. Nevertheless, I believe this is temporary and better times for Gemini are ahead.

More than just "answering machines"

EE SE is a unique place where interesting questions get even more interesting answers. However, for a number of reasons—some of which I still don't quite get—the interactions between participants are often stiff and stuck in a rigid framework (see StackExchange through my eyes). I tried to bring more heart and warmth to the platform, so we could be something more than just "answering machines", but I didn't find much understanding.

Conclusions

My groundbreaking and creative contributions to EE StackExchange have significantly enriched the platform and set a new standard for collaboration.