Forum questions and OffForum answers

[ZASto]

Why don't you guys, ME Team, close this forum and continue to support people only through your Support system.

Been lurking for long time and it is more and more symtomatic that the answers are directed to the e-mail addresses rather than to this Forum.

For example, in this topic: http://www.mikroe.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... 68#p174197
First answer was:

janko.kaljevic
Post subject: Re: Smart MP3 & easy pic v7
PostPosted: 24 Nov 2011, 14:43
Offline

Joined: 16 Jun 2011, 14:48
Posts: 2681
Hello,

I believe that I have answered you via e-mail.

Best regards.

In this topic: http://www.mikroe.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... 44#p195298

First answer was:

dejan.odabasic
Post subject: Re: Problem with EasyPIC V7 mikroICD and programming feature
Unread postPosted: 31 Aug 2012, 10:31
Offline
mikroElektronika team

Joined: 30 Apr 2012, 15:20
Posts: 518
Hello,

I believe that I have already contacted you regarding this same issue, I suggest that we continue our correspondence on our Help Desk.

Best regards.

By closing the forum, your Technical support will have more time to do the job that they are payed for, saving the bahdwidth costs for the Forum trafic, maybe be more productive, ...

[hexreader]

It is not my place to answer for the ME team, but I think I can make a good guess at the answer..

Some fixes are dangerous, and if they were applied carelessly, or in the wrong circumstance could cause unnecessary new problems. I was given one such fix myself, and can easily see why the fix should only be given when absolutely necessary and in the right circumstance.

Some problems are with commercially sensitive code, so it would be inappropriate for ME to post user code on the forum.

I sense that there are good reasons that some problems are dealt with off-line.

The sharing of information on the forum is excellent in my opinion, and users have been great to share projects on Libstock.

[ZASto]

Unfortunatelly, I must disagree with you.

In software world, what are "dangerous fixes"? In hardware world what are "dangerous fixes"?

For commercial support, forum is not a good place. For commercial code, the companies first have to sign the NDA (I would not give my commercially valued code to any compiler producer before I receive the signed NDA).

So "dangerous fixes" should be strictly kept offline.

[hexreader]

what are "dangerous fixes"

Firmware upgrades that will "brick" your development tool if you do them wrong. Dangerous to the equipment, not people.

[ZASto]

Well, it "smells" as poorly written bootloader, blame on development tool manufacturer. Anyhow, you can always start building new house, you know, brick by brick, ...

[p.erasmus]

For many reasons this Forum is a great support page and it would be a fatal error for mikroE if they would close this forum.
many people get help here from other users specially,people looking for answers on specific applications and protocols not just tool related questions(which mE support tends to
keep out from and concentrate on the tools itself)get help here .
If this forum would be closed and all support have to be channelled trough mE support it would put a lot of pressure on mE ,just by looking at the
forum and see how many problems are solved by the users it is clear that this forum is needed.

@ZASto
It does not mean if you do not use the forum that it is not useful for the other 20 000 + members ,you are free to use the mE support desk, mE offer both options which is clearly the standard
in today world most manufacturers have a support desk and Forum support .

It is a great effort from mE to support the forum as they do ,most forums the support desk hardly involve them in the Forum where mE tends to support both

Thumbs up mE keep it going

[ZASto]

Sorru P.Erasmus, you did not get the point of my first post in this topic.

If someone ask a question on forum, and the first reply is somthing like "I replied you by mail" then the whole topic is waist of communication bandwidth and, of course, totally useless, as neither I nor you or anyone else has any benefit on such topics.

I do use some of ME hardware products. Development system, some of "smart" addons, while making Proof of Concept designs, but I do not use ME compilers for my own reasons. Even I do not use their onboard programmers the supporting software lacks some controllers that I use.

[janko.kaljevic]

Hello,

We do believe that the forum is very important for all, because members can share codes, ideas and experience.
Thus all forum members will benefit and it can be used as knowledge base.

Sometimes some issues are solved in private correspondence. It is just simpler, effective and faster way of dealing with specific issues.
Also sometimes we get the same problem on private correspondence and forum.

We always intend to offer prompt and good support on both support desk and forum. And we will continue to support both equally, because we believe that both are very important for our users.

Best regards.

[piort]

Janko :thumb up:

[johnt]

If the most appropriate response to a problem is to use email or PM then that should be used.
Only support staff can make such a judgement. If everyone else feels they would like the answer
too for some reason, presumably they can always ask.
If the support staff take the trouble to take a personal email interest in your problems
I would have thought that to be a reason to thank and congratulate them.
I don't see any issue here.
What I do see is a thread in the development boards fourm that probably
should have been started elsewhere.