How Mongoose Traveller's Skill Specializations Work (and what that can or should mean for our game)

So, after the awkwardness over Electronics Skill vs. Engineering (Electronics), I decided to look up how exactly they are supposed to work. It turns out, they work like this: Level 0 skills have no specialization, and are generalized. Level 1+ skills have a specialization; the out-of-specialization versions of the skill can still be used at Level 0, unless those too are raised separately. References: How Mongoose Skills and Specializations Work Mongoose Traveller Skills and Specializations So, what to do? I figure there are 3 practical options; I'm not entirely sure which is most appropriate, because I don't know how Classic Traveller works and if it has any defaulting, and which version of Traveller we should be leaning towards: Skills that can be specialized start entirely specialized; there's no defaulting. We keep the character generation systems separate, judge them separately, and assume that they'll stay balanced We transition to one specific set of skills from either edition

Book Bad, Smash Good!

"How can you read this? There are no pictures." -Gaston (Beauty and the Beast) The player who rolled up Raistlin Majere, the upper echelon of famous wizards, scored an 8 on his Constitution, lower than average. Yet they kept the score, seeing a story potential and challenge in the final draft. I too see story potential with the scores both high and low on my character. The high scores do him credit and the low scores present challenges to come. And I see nothing wrong with his skills as they are. "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance an account, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." - Lazarus Long (Time Enough For Love)

I'm not sure why you posted this; if my character took "Engineering", I should know what it's good for and what it isn't, so I don't try to misuse it, and don't miss using it when I should. If the GM wants to rule that "Engineering: Electronics" is indistinguishable from the older Electronics skill, that's fine by me, but I should get to know one way or the other.