[time-nuts] Releasing sources (was Re: Brooks Shera)

[Didier]

I thought that would work too.

Look at this page:

http://ko4bb.com/Manuals/03)_Manual_and_Test_Equipment_Links.php

The tone may reflect some of my frustration. Please note that it is not really fine print and not exactly buried at the bottom of the page. Yet I get emails several times a week from random people asking me we what to do for their whatchamacallit because Q11 has 3.4 V on the collector when they think it should be 3.2. They think that because I have the manual on my site, I am an expert in that instrument, and that I have the time and inclination to help them. They won't even send me a copy of the relevant schematic page, they expect me to look it up.

Someone said you can't help stupid, but I prefer to say I won't help people who won't help themselves first. It is more a matter of respect than intelligence.

On the other hand, I also get several emails a month from people who thank me for hosting the site, so that more than makes up for it :)

Didier


Chris Albertson <albertson.chris at gmail.com> wrote:

>On Thu, Mar 28, 2013 at 12:11 PM, Alan Melia
><alan.melia at btinternet.com> wrote:
>> Hi John Please dont take it down! remember there are more of us who
>quietly
>> appreciate sites like yours. I once suggested to a query the answer
>was in
>> the help file and background by googling or using wikipedia, and was
>told it
>> was a lot easier and quicker to play dumb and ask.!!
>
>The way around that trick is to be firm.  Make a policy of ONLY
>answering questions there the person states what he has already tried
>and where he has looked and then say you will only post links to
>answers.   Really, this works.  You post a "ReadMe" on a four with the
>rules of "how to ask a question" and you refer all poor questions to
>that.
>
>
>>
>> I also suggest you do as some do and say "This is not a beginners
>project.
>> If you do not understand the requirements or have the construction
>skills,
>> please dont expect support for a freebie"
>>
>> It prob wont stop it but it will give your a clearer conscience when
>you
>> decline to reply :-))
>> Alan
>> G3NYK
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "NeonJohn" <jgd at neon-john.com>
>> To: "Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement"
>> <time-nuts at febo.com>
>> Sent: Thursday, March 28, 2013 6:16 PM
>> Subject: [time-nuts] Releasing sources (was Re: Brooks Shera)
>>
>>
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 03/25/2013 09:36 AM, Jim Lux wrote:
>>>
>>>> One reason is that if one DOES release source, one will wind up
>>>> supporting it, because generally, we all nice people and helpful,
>and
>>>> it's hard to tell someone no when they send an email asking how to
>get
>>>> it to compile on Version N+3 when you used version N, etc.  This
>can be
>>>> a real distraction from whatever else you are doing.
>>>
>>>
>>> Boy, you can say that again.  And open source hardware is even
>worse.  A
>>> couple of years ago I put up an open source induction heater on my
>site.
>>> Everything included - schematics, board layouts, CAD files, theory
>of
>>> operation, how to wind the transformer - in short, everything I
>could
>>> think of.  There's even a kit available from Fluxeon.com.
>>>
>>> Yet I probably spend an hour a day responding to emails about that
>>> project.  Approximately 100% of the questions are either answered on
>my
>>> site or by a little googling.  It's getting to be enough of a burden
>>> that I'm considering taking the page down.
>>>
>>> I'm a dedicated supporter of Open Source but this experience has
>>> tempered my enthusiasm a bit.
>>>
>>>> And then there's the folks who argue with you about your
>implementation
>>>> or coding style.
>>>
>>>
>>> Or electrical design style.  I think that the people who want to
>argue
>>> design, especially "what if I did this?" type arguments are more
>>> tiresome than the software know-it-alls.
>>>
>>> People need to really think and do their Google homework before
>hitting
>>> the email button on a project site.
>>>
>>> John
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> John DeArmond
>>> Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
>>> http://www.fluxeon.com      <-- THE source for induction heaters
>>> http://www.neon-john.com    <-- email from here
>>> http://www.johndearmond.com <-- Best damned Blog on the net
>>> PGP key: wwwkeys.pgp.net: BCB68D77
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>>
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>
>-- 
>
>Chris Albertson
>Redondo Beach, California
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-- 
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