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Posts
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Oh, and Dave wins the super duper “I guessed the Movie” prize.
As soon as I figure out what it is.
Good on ya, mate.
Tom
Andy, perhaps this experience is no different than the universal fabrication rules prodject participation. What is needed is a way to get a little participation out of visitors to the site in return for the priceless value of the information here. Maybe give them a short time to visit, then do a little sharing, do a little work, or pay a few bucks toward the effort of putting our industry back on top of the heap.
Vote, or lose the privilege is how it should be. Faxing is an effort, gotta download, then print it out, fill it out and then re fax. Online would be much better. I”ve been putting it off cause of the rush for the show. I’ll get mine in this week.
Al, I believe the best way to get more participation on here is just let it play out. Fabricators are going to participate because they want to, not because you start charging for information. If a new fabricator comes on here and everyone helps them out, and they realize how invaluable this site is, they will feel obligated to contribute, plain and simple. You can have all the bells and whistles on a website, but what is more valuable than to ask a question when you are in a pinch, and get three or four answers the same day, maybe even in the same hour? I know it helped me when I started out, and there are still materials that I haven’t fabricated that I am sure I will need help with. The real question is, do you want to be exclusive or inclusive.
I want to be inclusive, but not exclusively so.
You have a good point, Norm. Let it ride. The web, sometimes she’s fast, sometimes she’s slow.
We should have some flags raised every now and then to shine a light on the comm. projects page.
But there are some things that should have a bit more pressure to finish than most. As a rule, surveys fit in that category. The info gets stale as it lingers.
Tom
Norm,
Like you said, “In a pinch”. The bowls Andy set up for me, I installed in the home two days after they arrived. (One day before due date). Keep in mind that to date, Andy has not asked me to Pay for them!!!!! I have, by calling the office, but his focus was on helping the Fabricator and then on to the next item on the list.
If you need assistance and don’t take a flyer on posting here, you are missing out.
My take on the response is that, it is, unfortunatly, what I kinda expected. Human Nature. I have some snail mail ideas but we’ll let the e-route percolate for a bit first.
Chris
I’ve been involved with the solid surface industry for some time and for about 3 1/2 years really involved with the internet and other associations. The main thing I learned talking with a president of a motorcycle association is this:
- People help cause they want to, not because they feel pressured to do so.
- Why would we want someone that couldn’t really volunteer to volunteer only in saying they will but never really doing anything.
- This site is paid for by the advertisers. It is FREE to the users. Come and go as you please. Sure I would love for you to log in and post a question or answer on the forum but it is not required.
- Associations are changing and they will never be what they used to be.
- We have to change with the time and this new site for FREE is exactly what the doctor ordered.
- No one will get rich doing this. Me and Mory and the volunteers do it because we want to.
- Even people that participate are very busy.
- Don’t make excuses for what you have to offer. What the FabNet has and offers is what it is. Nothing more, nothing less. If you want to complain, bite ass. If you want to suggest changes and offer ways to make it better, I am all ears. I will try to provide new things that people want and need.
Last, the survey will be successful. Remember this was the first time trying this idea and we are still new to finding ways to get the survey to the people that can fill it out.
Shane:
You convinced me. I filled it out and just faxed it to you and it sounds like it went through.
I question the credibility of surveys, but I’m naturally skeptical and cynical and most aren’t like me. I question their surveys, they’ll question ours (maybe, maybe not) so we’re even.
Joe
Andy to make the form fillable I use Adobe Acrobat Professional Version (not the Reader) You can also create custom code behind it to post the form results somewhere such as a web service. All I did is use adobe and create the form fields and saved the file and then filled the form out and e-mailed it to Shane. Better way to do this would be web based. I’m completing a suggestion box for ISSFA and will create the web based survey for you right after. Also I think there are some DNN survey modules but they were not really great. I will have to examine those further though.
Cheers
Andy, there are also quick survey websites that you (hot link?) to your own page. The survey shows up in a post (you must have to write in the correct code) and you can even limit or structure the vote. You can allow any IP to vote once only, or once a day, for instance.
Tom
Norm, I’m all for letting it play out and your point of the new fabricators is well put. What these guys need to understand that even if they are new, they can contribute by joining in on the prodjects. I’ve seen a few posts that start out apologetic for asking what they refer to as a beginner question, when in reality, these types of questions are the very ones that need answering. In replying to a post, I am forced to rethink my methods no matter how long I have been doing it or how well.
I am not in favor of excluding anyone, but this is no different from a volunteer fire dept I used to run. If you join up, you need to step up to the plate and help out in what way you can. Yes, all of us are busy, but out of self interest we participate in building a core of experience and knowledge on this site.
Jon has the dream of pushing the benefits of solid surface to the design community. Couldn’t a cadre of volunteers sending out press releases, posting on forums, and so on be invaluable? We should have a possee (hey, I didn’t misspell that, get your mind out of the gutter) set up to pounce on any bad press. Human nature being what it is might hold guys back from participating if for no other reason that they see others doing it already and think their help isn’t needed.
Don’t exclude, but give a gentle nudge to help out. Voices and opinions as well as ideas are needed. Not complaining about the process of the survey at all, just would like to see Andy get some more help. No, I am not well versed in what needs doing or I would pitch in.
I don’t have a printer at home and never enough time to think of it during the day, so I’m going to print the survey to the printer que and see if that will work. It should print if anyone turns on the printer tomorrow.
In replying to a post, I am forced to rethink my methods no matter how long I have been doing it or how well.
That’s a very good point, al.
The big trick will be for Andy and Mory to set up files and archives in such a way that the information is accessible through simple, concise indexes. That’s a nightmare. You’d have to be crazy trying.
But they’re just the crazies to do it.
Tom
Tom M wrote
In replying to a post, I am forced to rethink my methods no matter how long I have been doing it or how well.
That’s a very good point, al.
The big trick will be for Andy and Mory to set up files and archives in such a way that the information is accessible through simple, concise indexes. That’s a nightmare. You’d have to be crazy trying.
But they’re just the crazies to do it.
Tom
Got any ideas?
Tom M wrote
In replying to a post, I am forced to rethink my methods no matter how long I have been doing it or how well.
That’s a very good point, al.
The big trick will be for Andy and Mory to set up files and archives in such a way that the information is accessible through simple, concise indexes. That’s a nightmare. You’d have to be crazy trying.
But they’re just the crazies to do it.
Tom
Got any ideas?
Not sure.
I mean I have several ideas on structure, but I don’t know what’s possible in this medium.
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