Re: Manuals.

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, wanliker@... wrote:

>
>
>
>
> When you sell to users who are not electronics savvy, you have to
> factor in for the inevitable errors in construction and application.
> Unless you take that out of the equation by not selling user-built
> electronics. That's why we don't offer electronic "kits". Or bare
> boards.
>
>
>
> That is exactly correct, but then if you will permit me, we must

also see

> where a lot of the blame resides.
>
> How many of you remember the old Heathkit manuals, well compare them

to some

> of the stuff that our present venders are putting out.
> You guys will not, I am sure be happy with my remarks, but the

manuals you

> put out stink................ I have pity for the person trying to

get your

> stuff to work. And when they can't do it and quit, the entire DIY

CNC hobby

> suffers.....
>
> I dare you to really look at the stuff your are putting out, in

some cases

> a person with decades of electronics experience can't find the

necessary

> information to correctly implement what you sell.
>
> If you want to know what I think of your manuals, just ask me off
> list............ But in most cases, I assure you, you will not be

happy with my

> reply...............
> bill
>
> And I think I feel good about this letter........................
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

This is no way a form of justification for poor documentation. It's
just a reality if the nature of this hobby.

The electronics are designed by talented engineering types that are
comfortable with scopes and solder smoke. For them it's not that they
WANT to provide poor documentation it's just they have no form of
reference to the non-electronics person. It's unusual to find one
individual that has good engineering skills, good people skills,
patience with redundant questions and the ability to document things
at a level that is foreign to them. In larger organizations with a
depth or personnel greater than one or two, usually there are tech
writers around to fulfill those roles. Unfortunately the bottom line
in our "industry" is usually price. So big staffs are out and you get
good products that lack some of the refinement of commercial products.

All that being said, we vendors can all strive to improve our
communication skills and try to understand that most of the customers
have not been working in electronics most of their lives and we need
to learn to bridge the gap.

I owned and ran an electronics mail order company in the 70's and
early 80's and I designed and sold kits (several made the front cover
of Popular Electronics) and I did detailed step by step (ala Heathkit)
type instructions. My customers were supposedly electronic buffs and
Ham Radio guys that knew which end of a solder iron to grab, but I
could bore you for hours about kits that came back for repair that
looked like they were soldered with a hot rock....

Anyway, our manuals aren't written for people with decades of
electronics experience. They are for the poor guys with little or no
experience and then they blame themselves!<G>


That's my story and I'm stikin' to it (:-o

Anyway, no need to place Mom on moderated status.

Tom Caudle
Moderator
Provider of Good Products with Marginal Documentation.