Wow, the Prez speaks

[dale1627]

Just my two cents for what it's worth. I would say that the responses by Mike Granby were out of line if he were to say "Brand XYZ sucks, you need to use one of ours." But instead, he merely enlightened us about their current product line. Not a thing wrong with that. I also wish that more reps from automation corporations would post here. Maybe there would be a way to start a category for "Ask The Manufacturers". But then agian, that would possibly lead into a bit of unwanted advertising or accusations of it......

Dale

 

[darrenj]

I understand Phil's request for no Advertising..It stops 200 threads an hour from some bonehead selling frozen fish sticks...

I read the original post and came back a couple of hours later and saw mikes..It wasn't until i read Kens post..(Sorry Ken!!) that i even considered advertizing...

This brings up a point about other manufactures..And Casey..i think a poll is in order!!

I think the forum would benefit from more manufactures..I often look at the AB tech site..while there are a few regular posters there for the most part its hit and miss..why??Becoue its not a community thing there..Its all work..can you imagine if we had the lead programmer for the rs logix 5000 product here??..do you think he might be helpful?.. For AD we have elevmike the AD guru (And don't we have someone from within somewhere??)..where is a GE rep or a Modicon rep..

I would not see these people as advertising..becouse lets face it what can they advertise? The product? we already know about the product we are just having problems using it..or looking for different ways to use it..who knows perhaps if they see the same thing coming up again and again they might be able to "fix" it or make it easier for us at there end..

As for this thread i must say it is informative..If i ever run across a "babel box" i can now tell the customer that he is dealing with a piece of old gear..and he should start think about replacing it..BTW here is what is out there to replace the unit...

I think people like Mike can only enhance our knowledge..

As for Pierre's post..i to am lost on the last paragraph...perhaps a little explanation??

 

[David_Emmerich]

"And Casey..i think a poll is in order!!"

I Agree...Where is Casey ( THE Poll Master) when we need him?

David

 

[danw]

>And perhaps, like David, says, I'll try and persuade some others to join-up as well. It's just not all the CEOs are geeks like me!!!

Mike,

Good Luck, Mike. It isn't the geek factor that'll get you a "thanks, but no thanks" reply to an offer to check out a web forum like this.

>You can get a lot of insight into customers' needs and wants by listening to their discussions."

That's the real point here. You're interested in what your customers are saying, so you listen, probably more than you talk.

You care about what's being said about your company's products and services. And I'm glad you do. It piques my interest in Red Lion to know that.

It's my opinion that most of the other CEOs don't care. Too many layers between them and the people who buy and use their stuff. And I'm not convinced that the shield layers aren't deliberately in place so they don't have to hear what their customers think.

I suspect you're in the 6th sigma of CEOs in taking an interest in what some of your customer base is saying.

It's apparent to me on a daily basis that very few manufacturers have any one who listens to the people who use their stuff.

Case in point:

2 weeks ago, a post showed up on another forum, with a great deal of information on the particulars of a control valve and an associated problem: model number, process conditions, etc. Clearly written by someone who knew his stuff but didn't have an answer for this problem. I'd never encountered that situation, but was very curious as to what the answer would be.

So I called my local rep, got the name of a factory guy who would know the answer or where to find it, and I emailed the factory guy the link to the forum with a short explanation as to how it might help the installed base folks, like me, to get an answer on a public forum from an authoritative source.

As of today, 2 weeks later, no answer. Not because there isn't an answer, but because no one at ASCO cares.

To me, that's absolutely typical of today's manufacturer response, which is why I was so surprised to see your input, and why I started this thread. You are atypical.

I would hope that you do NOT limit your input to this forum.

It sounds like you've been doing process data acquisition, and bus networking for some time now. We could all use the benefits of your experience.

Please continue your presence.

Dan

 

[Pierre]

As for Pierre's post..i to am lost on the last paragraph...perhaps a little explanation??

OK.

One of the plagues of modern times is that superior intelligent peoples are putting there natural and acquired abilities to the service of selling canned food. This is why marketing is so insiduous, one cannot always detect that the source of his unhappyness originates in what others tell him his basic needs are.

In the case of this thread its not even close. If it looks like a Cat, its rarely a tiger.

So is this marketing?

Now all we need is for Stephen to step in and bless us all.

People like Mike must be smart cookies to get to where they are.

Any Members here have used this device? How? Where? When? Why?

Saved any money using it? Compared to what other options? Whats the economic into this?

Hey! Are there major corporation using this device? Interconnection of devices is a BIG problem, one member has mentionned he didn't even know two different brands PLC could /talk". This must be a great product. So who is using it?

What is the lesser side of using such device compare to other solutions? (Replacing PLCs, mod networks or other I cannot even think of for I'n not the expert in this sort of products)

WOW! One man has most of the answers and can get the one he don't have. He's the boss for christ sake.

What angle does he takes.

-I'm smart
-This seller is a nice guy
-This product is good
-We have a better one

How technical.

He goes next to says something about other CEO not being Technical Geek like him.
schsits.

Show me any technical aspect of his answer.

Some even wonder if this is marketing.

You bet it is, in fact its the only thing this man has done here but most don't see it.

Do I get mad about it. Not at all. He had the elegance of being a little subtile about it and its OK for him to bullshit is way around. But its still marketing. Nothing else.

Freedom of speech and freedom of thoughts is never taken away in a rush, WE give it away Bits by Bits by not being critical of others statements. To the point when we don't even recognize the not so fine art of manipulation.

You have not seen it? Exactly my point.

I hold CEOs to a higher standard. Don't ever try and bullshit your way around me. You have to much knowledge you could easaly share and make us understand better your side of the fence that only giving this little is almost disrepectfull.

As for Stephen, I've had a few discussion with him and he seems a genuine nice guy. If he could only stop marketing his God.

 

[MikeGranby]

Pierre,

The only thing I'll say to you is that if people want reference sites or more technical info, I'll happily provide it -- I'll talk techincally all day if that's what you want. But what I WILL NOT do is post stuff like that without being specifically asked for it, as that really would be crossing the line into promotion.

Now, what do you want to know?

Cheers, Mike.

 

[kamenges]

I response to Pierre and in defense of Mike, the complexity of his answer to the post generating this thread is pretty typical of this forum. The answer was more or less an overview. But the original post didn't really request anything more. The original poster came back and said the information he received was adequate. Had he asked more detailed questions more detailed answers would be provided.

The inference from Pierre is that if I ask how to apply a signal isolator the initial response should provide detailed information on how to H-bias a transistor. I don't think that should be the case. The thread may ultimately take that turn but the initial response is not typically where that turn is taken.

Keep shootin', Mike. I'd say you handled it about as correctly as you could.

Keith

 

[Peter Nachtwey]

Stop this nonsense. I found the data station info interesting.

It looks like one of our motion controllers without the motion controller part. This data station could be very handy in some applications and it appears to compete with the Woodhead/SST x-link box. Now I just need the price and what protocols it may support that our product doesn't. I wouldn't have cared if you posted that information too as long as you didn't do it more than once. I keep links to important info.

I don't call what Mike did advertising. Some time you may have the only solution or the only upgrade path. Advertising is seeing the same thing over and over again without asking for it.

There was someone on the sci.engr.control group that posted the same questions over and over again every two weeks about PID control trying to get people to buy his book. That was advertising.

Would Iamthelad be happy if he bought a replacement Babel Box and later found out that a newer and more flexible product was available? No.

Mike, I think the forum has given you a bad time for nothing. I know I have got away with just as much, but I hide the information in a bunch of tech speak where only those that want the information will bother to read anyway. From a business stand point the only thing you have done wrong is to not advertise the data station, in magazines or other places, so there would be 5 to 10 other people on the forum that would mention the data station plus for you.

I know we will seek more info.

 

[MikeGranby]

> Now I just need the price

$499.

> what protocols it may support

Download the Crimson 2.0 software for a full list.

> From a business stand point the only thing you have
> done wrong is to not advertise the data station, in
> magazines or other places, so there would be 5 to 10
> other people on the forum that would mention the
> data station plus for you.

The ads will be running in coming issues of the major mags. It just takes longer to get things into print than it takes to get them on the web.

 

[elevmike]

All this is too funny. Ken, how's that bruse on your forehead?

Anyway if it weren’t for Madison Ave types, we'd be all out in the field foraging for tonight’s dinner. What's the point of making a product if you can’t tell anybody anything about it? If I place a post asking for a product recommendation and somebody like Steven, Mike, or Peter recommends their product, I would not necessarily discount it as inappropriate advertising...after all I asked.

Furthermore I am totally NOT offended by Stevens signature. Even though I'm not the religious type, I welcome any most any blessing anybody cares enough to bestow upon me. Thank you Steven.

So here's my blessing: Happy Saint Patricks day.

 

[TimothyMoulder]

Mr Granby, you are more than welcome here. Don't allow the occasional cranky post to chase you out, or make you think unduly about how to say things.

People are too darned touchy these days. Look at Stephen Luft. He is, as Bierce put it, "guilty of education and suspected of bank accounts." Here is a great guy with lots of valuable experience who takes WAY too much static for his great misfortune of running a successful business enterprise.

After all, why are people picking on his farewell line? There are people who have problems with the Christian religion, others who have a problem with any religion at all. Both need to get over themselves. It's their own variety of zealotry that insists that "Good-bye" is socially acceptable, but "God Bless" is not.

Allah Akbar, baby...


TM

 

[Pierre]

> Now I just need the price

$499.

Last year, trying to figure where to communication was stopped between 2 systems, I openned a pannel only to see a running laptop with two cables attached. One was from a Mitsu A1 PLC and the other to a SLC in the control room.

The plant supervisor told me they had to get there in-house IT eng. to programme a small VB app to get these two to communicate.

Often nowadays a PC is the x-fer link between older devices.

499$ ... Back to RIO.

 

[MikeGranby]

> Often nowadays a PC is the x-fer
> link between older devices.

That's fine if you've got VB programmers sitting around, if you don't mind hiding a PC somewhere as opposed to rack-mounting something, and if you can actually find a laptop with a serial port anymore...




> 499$ ... Back to RIO

Sorry. Not following you again...

 

[Pierre]

...That's fine if you've got VB programmers sitting around...

Now guess why I was called in!

The guy had married and moved to China.

 

[geniusintraining]

I just wanted to point out a couple of facts...

frozen fish sticks...

What is wrong with fish? Darren now you have resorted to bashing fish vendors?

All this is too funny. Ken, how's that bruse on your forehead?

Ken do you see what you have started, this is how world war xx will start

Mr Granby, you are more than welcome here. Don't allow the occasional cranky post to chase you out, or make you think unduly about how to say things

Pierre is just having a bad day, look at his avatar, his computer has never worked, its that blue screen of death, all the time. Maybe he needs a couple more blessings or go to church.



Im still mad that Phil stopped that fish guy, have a good weekend to all, even Pierre