[Tom M]

I’ll keep checking in today, but let me thiknk about what you asked. It might take a bit and will make me look somewhat daft.

[Tom Stoffel]

Uh, not a computer jock or anything, so this idea might be full of holes. First is the new google desktop thing, slows down my desktop too much, so I removed it, but it had this way to search your computer for any info.

Second idea is a data base with the threads stored as a pdf (have to cut off new replies) and searchable, like woodweb.com has. Maybe store the thread in one long record and pull them up by keywords contained in the tread

not much use here, my brain is. Turn to the likes of Mory and Andy we must…..

[Tom M]

Al,

As the threads are “living documents”, archiving them needs to keep them active. Besides, there is no better opportunity to add corrections and proofs of opinion than keeping the threads active.

Also, this needs to be a self-maintaining setup. There is no way that Andy or Mory will have the time it would be necessary for anything other than maintenance and posting. It’s not possible.

So a system has to be set up that keeps threads alive, but has a search function that can give the lurker pointers to help minimize the search. The site does this, to some extent, with the separated subject areas for posting. Smart move, that was.

We have to think in terms of the guy that needs the info, and that’s what I’m having the most trouble with.

Tom

[Andy Graves]

This seems like a pretty good setup on the current forum. I tried to seperate the forum into a minimum number of categories without having too many. I has to be an easy way for people to look through the post after the fact.

I do read every single post and decide if it is in the right location. They usually are.

[Chris Yaughn]

I was just looking for an old post Andy had about an edge visualizer to use. I tried searching the forum and either overlooked it or it wasn’t there. Pulled up google, plugged in “edge visualizer solid surface“. The number 2 hit was a link to the forum thread that I was looking for.

Whatever works.

Chris

Edit : (I didn’t change the date range, this why I couldn’t find it)

[Andy Graves]

The edge visualizer is at http://www.affinitysurfaces.com

Pretty cool feature

[Chris Yaughn]

Andy,

I found it in the archives pretty easily once I set the date range properly. The visuailizer should be a neat tool for some of my designers

Chris

[Andy Graves]

Shane,

Were you able to compile the results of the survey? How did solid surface rate?

[Shane Barker]

I have not had a chance yet, but what I have seen so far solid surface is going to come out on top.

Shane

[Shane Barker]

Results are finally in on our Materials Survey and are as follows;

For design flexibility, most sanitary, most repairable, requires least maintenance, longest lifespan, stain resistant, most available options, and most desired in own home. SOLID SURFACE wins hands down, nothing else even came close.

Best Stain Resistance = Solid Surface

Best Stain Removal = Solid Surface

Best Scratch Resistance = Quartz

Best Scratch Removal = Solid Surface

Best Heat Resistance = Tile

This is just a summery of the results, other products rated highly in some of these areas as well. The products listed had the highest percentage selected by participants.

I could go on and list the percentages on each item but we only had a total of eighteen participants, not exactly what I had expected when I set out to do this. With well over 600 members I was hoping for a better turn out, perhaps this is not the best venue for this survey.

If I had results based on 100 countertop fabricators surveyed…or even 50… I think it would be a little easier to use as a selling tool. If I were to give any information based on this survey I would be embarrassed to say it was based on 18 fabricators. Perhaps a magazine would be a better venue to get more people involved, maybe we could persuade Kevin to run it for us? In any case I feel it could be a good thing if we could get more people involved.

Shane

[Tom M]

I lost a one in eighteen chance?

This is why I don’t buy Lotto tickets.

Thanks for the work anyway, Shane.

I think forums are supposed to be easy on the visitor. Does Andy know if the surveys he posts get better reaction?

Maybe it needs to stay on the site, with an easy link thrown in a thread every now and then.

Tom

[Shane Barker]

Andy forewarned me to not expect a huge turnout, but I was hoping for more. I guess your right…too much work for the average person…sad really.

Shane

[Andy Graves]

Hold on guys. Don’t be dissapointed just yet. I have found an email company that does surveys in a mass email that will then compile the data automatically.

We knew this going that it was going to be limited. This was just a trial run and it only lasted about a month. Not to metion we had to print the survey, fill it out, and FAX it. Not exactly an easy way to do it.

If we could get 50 it would be good.

Let’s keep working on it and make it valuable. You can see the initial response was positive for solid surface. This is exactly what we thought would happen.

[Norm Walters]

Tom, click on the resource tab at the top of the page and then “survey says”. You will see the results of all the survey’s that the FabNet has done.

[Tom M]

Thank you, Norm. I did not know that.

Considering it is way past when you and I should be concious, I’ll try in morning.

Tom

[Author]

Posts