Getting REALLY TIRED of...

[Mr Spock]

I'm new to the forum. I am also one of the " I need guys" although I didn't quite say it that way. I asked for help. I asked where to find information, I posted offering to contact for service one of you fine 'craftsmen of the cartridge' for your assistance... I also searched the threads.

Here is my story, flame me if you must... I first called around for help, we have had a few "authorized" and "trained" people out to troubleshoot our particular issue over the three years that we have had this intermittent problem and have had the same issue occur over and over - even after paying to have it fixed. While I certainly am not trained like many of you, I have been around too... I am new to working on THIS particular machine, however I have been doing just this thing my entire life, not as often, not as well and definitely not in as little time as someone with training. If something was broke, I somehow got selected, volunteered, guilted, or bribed into wasting my evenings or weekends installing, troubleshooting, or rebuilding various printers and copiers for just about every friend or family member who owns a business. Every time I have advocated to the people that ask me for help that they need to call the professionals.

Quite honestly, after reading this thread, I have serious doubts that all of you fellas are professionals. (hear me out) I am an engineer by trade, one who works in an industry where we have a lot of craft labor, guys that are smart enough to be doctors and guys that have a hard time sweeping the floor. Its also where I started out, sweeping the floor and having a hard time doing it... I am sure, like a lot of the guys working on their tools that I work with, most of you are professionals with the exception of the guy that says, and the one that seconds' his notion, that he would intentionally mislead someone else.

Its called integrity, the folks that provide bad information and intentionally cause damage are a cancer to the honest working man. They create more damage to the any industry than any good they think they are creating. How do I know? Well, I am sure many of you have heard one of the million stories of guys leaving bolts or a wire or something loose in hopes that they will be called back and will be creating more work for them coming back to fix it. Perhaps your industry has their own tales... and perhaps that works in the tech world (as my machine still is not right). However, in the areas I have experience, it causes people to loose contracts, the workers who work on those areas not to be called back for any jobs, anymore. It causes a backlash through the labor halls and creates a black cloud that stays with members of that entire labor organization. What it is exactly is just a story. The guys that work hard for a living, figured out long ago that you make more money by being professional, honest and having integrity than setting error traps and aligning people with failure.

Flame me if you must, but if you've been around anywhere, I am sure you would agree. Guys like the fella above who said he'd provide bad information, and the fella who liked his opinion, joke or not - its a bad practice.

I came here looking for help. Aparently by reading above, if I'm not part of the club I shouldn't be able to get it. You have to remember that people that don't speak your technical language may not know how to ask for what they are looking to get fixed. I agree that you should not turn someone loose with the keys to the castle, I also dont' think you should give away your work. Finding that fine line is often an interesting process.

To those of you (and most don't even realize) that have provided help to me many times through your trials, explainations and suggestions - Thank you.

To those of you that lie, cheat and steal - enjoy the unemployment line you'll find it soon enough.

I will try to help when possible. But firmware and Manuals I am hesitant on providing due to the company I work for and not always knowing the tech abilities of the poster. I will suggest a tech when I feel that a procedure is either complicated or requires special tools. This usually gets me flamed so welcome to the club. I hope that you will continue to post and eventually be a contributing member.

[pacman]

I see both sides of the issue when it comes to this. Honestly, without this forum, I would have been stuck on a LOT of things that would have made my company lose a sale or lose a customer the next re-up. There's a lot of knowledgeable people on here. I don't necessarily consider myself one of them, but I try to help out on Panasonic and Samsung if it's something we've encountered or something that I know. I also try to interact in other aspects of this forum, such as this one. I couldn't tell you what my first post was on here, but I can tell you that if it WAS a help me, help me post that I did give some rep power (after I knew it existed) and a hearty "thank you for help." I mean, dudes like screwtape and teckat have helped me out numerous times with Canon stuff that I had no clue whatsoever about because I wasn't familiar with THAT model of machine and believe me, I appreciate it.

I won't give out firmware, but in the case of Samsung, the firmware is VITAL to the higher end machine performance like a 6555 or an 8380. That's the first thing Samsung ASC support wants to know is the firmware version. I won't give out firmware to anyone, but I will help them out in solving their issue. If it is a firmware issue I'll be more than happy to tell them what version they need. It would then be up to them to get it.

Manuals.....I know it's a sticky subject for a lot of us, but to say that he's come up on these manuals "unscrupulously" is kind of out there. I've purchased a manual or two from him and would continue to do so. I don't see a whole lot wrong with it. Some of us have been in this industry a LONG time and have worked on a LOT of different boxes. Those kind of things tend to accumulate. I don't know how many old medallion series and FP-D series Panasonic manuals we've thrown away over the years.

Anyways, I guess my rambling point is that I've been blessed by the help I've received on here and I try to do the same with others.

[jonezy999]

Anyways, I guess my rambling point is that I've been blessed by the help I've received on here and I try to do the same with others.[/QUOTE]

Well said!!

[tcs04]

The only post many of us want to see at the end of a thread is "MACHINE FIXED... THIS WAS THE PROBLEM... THANKS TO ALL WHO CONTRIBUTED!"

Too often this isn't the case. If you say "thanks" we ALL benefit from the answer, which I suppose is the whole point of a forum such as this, isn't it?

[jamesyboy]

its only a job ! I think we have all been a bit stuck at some time and would have been gratefull for such info

I would help anyone in the industry give firmware manuals to anyone as long as its does not cause me to much hassle
as for giving someone the wrong firmware man theres a name for people like that !

[jonezy999]

I believe theres a name for anyone giving out firmware or manuals. Anyone who needs either should be able to get them. Fair enough to supply a few pages of the manual that may help someone, but to give out the whole thing to someone you dont even know their capabilities or background is not a done thing for me.
Also, if anyone else wants to have a stab about the giving of wrong firmware statement, I have never supplied firmware, correct or otherwise, and never will. It was a statement to be taken with a picnch of salt. You are guaranteed to get the correct firmware, if you download it yourself from your dealer site. Simple as that. If you dont have a dealer, why are you at the machine?

[banginbishop]

If you dont have a dealer, why are you at the machine?

So you have never been sent to a machine that your companys not authorised to look at? You get sent to any m/c as its possible it will lead to a sale in the future. I work for a ricoh,sharp kyocera dealership but i go to all sorts of wonderfull things maybe because we took over a company that sells minolta, panasonic etc - we dont officially have the access to these sites but as the customer has a service contract with the old company your obliged to service the m/cs.

There are times when you need help from other techs but i agree there are ways to go about it.

[mrwho]

I've also sent many times to machines we don't usually assist, and as I asked for firmware and manuals myself, I will also supply them to those who ask.

Also I see no problem in giving firmware and manuals to those pesky end users who ask for them - without training, they're more or less guaranteed to screw up the machine even more.

[RRodgers]

I think the "spirit" that I started this thread in is getting a little lost. What I was pissed about is the people that you can pretty blantently tell that they are just here for a free manual or firmware and that's it. There posts pretty much look the same. Not EVEN ONE SPEC of... hey... I have an error code... I tried this.. I tried that, I could use a little help. THOSE people that post up asking for help I will help if I can (first post or not)

As far as the wrong firmware stuff... it was tongue and check, and I wouldn't even bother sending a firmware out to someone if they had NO IDEA how to even use it.

It's a WELL KNOWN fact that there was a guy that would go around to all the copier forums and ask for manuals. Then he would turn around and sell the very same manual he got for free. He has a lot of sock puppets, and didn't think anyone would catch on. Well... maybe this guy doesn't know that his IP show's up to admin on these forums and they can see that different users (but same IP) was asking for said items.

Anyways,

[banginbishop]

As far as the wrong firmware stuff... it was tongue and check, and I wouldn't even bother sending a firmware out to someone if they had NO IDEA how to even use it.
,

Hey im a trained engineer well i think so - i upgraded a kyocera taskalfa firmware with the wrong firmware the other week You got anything free for me? oh and a service manual and errr a parts manaul if you can.

oh yeah welcome to the forum

[jamesyboy]

Sir I do not wish my comments to be taken with any malice a forethought I found this site , a stumble a brief stopping point maybe, some of us have been doing this shite for many years and still learn everday when we dont find out something new we have lost the plot

there are new and clever young techs out there and we have all struggledin the past you learn more from a bad day than any thing free info for all man !

nothing worse than the tech who can fix it it ten minutes but never fills the log book in come on man lets share our knowledge and admit what we dont know all the manuals are on the net anyway and firmware

people trying to sell whats already out there come on ????

not in my head no secrets or alchamy here Sir

[prntrfxr]

The only post many of us want to see at the end of a thread is "MACHINE FIXED... THIS WAS THE PROBLEM... THANKS TO ALL WHO CONTRIBUTED!"

Too often this isn't the case. If you say "thanks" we ALL benefit from the answer, which I suppose is the whole point of a forum such as this, isn't it?

Well said! My sentiments exactly.

[Herrmann]

in my opinon, it would help to make the technical forums accessible to techs only. These should be password protected, and to gain access, you have to prove, that you are really a technician; per example you have to answer some questions only a real tech can know in prior to get access to the techincal area

just a thought

[RRodgers]

in my opinon, it would help to make the technical forums accessible to techs only. These should be password protected, and to gain access, you have to prove, that you are really a technician; per example you have to answer some questions only a real tech can know in prior to get access to the techincal area

just a thought

There are sites out there that are by techs for techs only. Only probably is they are usually invite only.

[Herrmann]

There are sites out there that are by techs for techs only. Only probably is they are usually invite only.

hmm..the only site i know in this way ist techsconnected, do you know some other?

this here is a real good site and a pool, where you can get help from tech to tech for all brands since years, but i see, that it is flooded since approx 1 year by end users and by *i want* members, and i think, its time to install a barrier against this