quark2-
I will respond to several things you said, and try to be mekatzer with each response.
Maybe people who text on Shabbos feel this way.
A psak halocha decided by someone with the requisite smicha and subject knowledge is what “counts”, not the “feeling” of someone looking to be moreh heter.
Bob said to ask a rabbi. Bob, i ask a rabbi a question i have in torah or halacha, not a question i have in electricity. Rabbis aren’t electricians.
Therefore, Rabbis can’t pasken on monetary issues (they’re not bankers or economists), kashrus (they’re not butchers), and pretty much any other topic.
Electricity’s workings aren’t rocket science. I assume anyone who paskens on these topics makes sure he has the required knowledge before doing so.
“1. Light switches actually connects a circuit PHYSICALLY. This can create a spark. You cann test this at night, slowly move a light switch on (try to get it right in the middle). You will see sparks at the switch as it connects the circuit.
2. Modern computers and electronics use an ELECTRONIC circuit to connect the the power, so there is not a physical on/off. When you press the power button a microchip connects the power without a significant spark”
The person who wrote this doesn’t know as much about electricity and electronics as you may think he does.
I Googled what you posted and read what he wrote.
First of all, it’s a bad idea to force an arc in a light switch. It can actually damage the switch’s contacts because of the heat that can quickly generate.
Second of all, even modern computers use a mechanical switch to power on. That switch then triggers an electronic circuit that keeps the power running. The mechanical switch is low voltage so the spark will be smaller than a 110-volt switch (like the older computers had) would create.
Third of all, I think I saw on that site that fluorescent lighting works with an electric arc. That’s incorrect. There are different types of fluorescent ignitions, but none of them use arcing.
I notice you are focusing on the “spark” portion of the discussion. There are several other halachic issues with electricity on Shabbos.