I don't really see how you're getting this from my request.
I cannot afford to return to college to close my electronics skill gap. But to try and close it all the same, I spent hours working through two separate Arduino learning kits, more hours watching how-to videos and reading article after article on soldering. Then to supplement not being able to afford one on my own, had my boss spend company money to buy me the soldering setup.
So when I followed instructions I found multiple times throughout the Internet to a T and my test didn't work, I came looking for a bit of support, since I also couldn't find any existing discussion/support that matched my issue.
I have poured my time and money into learning how to do this. I'm not asking or expecting anyone else to "do the work". I'm looking for support for an issue that you admitted even confuses you.
Refuse to help me anymore if that's how you see the ethics shaking out, but I would ask you to please not cast aspersions on me like that. I just need an experienced hand to guide me a bit, I wasn't asking you to design my whole project.