Ricky Nelson said it best.

[DICKEYBIRD]

"You see, ya' can't please everyone, so ya' got to please yourself."

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/centroid- ... a6394885d9

[francoCNC]

I feel sorry for that dude. I can't imagine him being able to successfully overcome any kind of technical challenges with an attitude like that.

[mikes]

Thanks for posting this link! As a prospective purchaser of the Acorn, understanding the dynamic of forum based support from the user community and the supplier of the hardware/software is an important consideration. I would be interested in reading the thread in question. Unless it was abusive or used foul language, I would hope its a good example of the company and user community trying to do the right thing. It is really that simple. People know when you are being a jerk, so keeping someone's rant (if that is what it was), and seeing how it was handled, and who took it over the edge, can be a good example of such support.

[cnckeith]

thanks.. i think this forum speaks for itself on the level of support and dedication that both Centroid and its power users provide to other Acorn users.
-Keith

[Black Forest]

You all know that old saying, " You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them think!" I read the thread on CNCZone and I also read the thread here. At the time I read the thread here I thought he was being, well how can you say it, difficult. He didn't want to watch videos so he skipped what is probably the best was to get started with a new product. He has experience with CNC so he didn't want to do the basics. Yes he might have found some discrepancies in the manual or maybe a bug or two, but he would listen and be a good boy and do what he was told. So he got a time-out.
Seems OK to me.

The Centroiders post replies on Holidays, Weekends, late nights and all. I am really impressed with the quick responses to questions.

Big thumbs up from me. Keep up the good work.

[Gary Campbell]

I've been involved with CNC tech support since late 2008, mostly on sub 40K routers. I've worked alongside a dozen with the patience of Job and had a half dozen work for me. Burn out is extremely high in those positions. We don't need to wonder why. That said, it's also very gratifying.

The frustration level is understood, as "macho men" we don't like feeling like we are lost in our failures with obvious examples of others around us succeeding. The "problem children" as one co-worker with over 10 years experience called them are easy to spot. They feel the intense desire to quantify all the issues of the cnc hardware and/or software that they have found, usually with less than a day, surely less than a week of experience with the product. Often those with good experience with other software or hardware combos have the highest frustration.

Yet others are calm, wonder what they have done wrong, blame nothing but their inexperience, and usually are on their way in a short time, happy. They pay attention, do their due diligence while not expecting a 5 second turn around on questions they ask, they learn what "RTFM" means. Those are the ones that come back to forums like this and pay it forward to others that are in the same boat they were "back then". Those with issues that they predetermine to be machine (hardware) issues are the hardest to convince that it could be a simple operator error.

Definition of "Tech Support": Patiently listening to the customer list all the things he believes he did right, so you can ask a few questions to find what he did wrong.

[martyscncgarage]

thanks.. i think this forum speaks for itself on the level of support and dedication that both Centroid and its power users provide to other Acorn users.
-Keith

NO, thank YOU and the team at Centroid, for your dedication, support, willingness to listen to the user.
Keith, you personally go out of your way to help as many people as you can with Acorn. We see it and we know that.

I think I can speak for many here, we are all enjoying the work and dedication put into Acorn by so many individuals. It is commensurate with the Centroid Name and those products to which it is affixed to. You have provided an opportunity for us to use commercial CNC grade hadware and software at more than reasonable cost in our home shops. A a high level of reliability and quality that come with so many years of Centroid experience.

Your Team at Centroid needs to understand, THEIR efforts on the Acorn project are appeciated from design, prototype development, testing, ordering, stocking, shipping, and putting up with us.

And to all of you regular users, thanks for digging in, learning and sharing your experiences with the rest of the users here on the forums and else where. That's what makes the DIY CNC community great!

Marty

[ScotY]

I am completely happy with the 2 Acorn boards I purchased. Keith, Marty, and the whole gang here are the best and support is just a FREE forum post away. Many of my problems are self-inflicted due to my inexperience.

It’s a shame Ray feels as he does but over the many years and many forums I’ve spent time at, there’s all too often someone who’s just burnt on the internet scene and doesn’t realize it. It’s sad and makes a forum unpleasant to visit.

Keep up the good work, guys!

[frijoli]

I was really surprised at how that thread started, but I wasn't surprised when it disappeared.
Fact is, it wasn't the issues that were the problem it was the attitude.
Make no mistake that the Acorn isn't perfect, but when you start throwing rocks right out of the gate the problem is with that individual, not the product.

It's a shame too because he was it seemed an intelligent guy with some valuable experience, but his frustrations really got the better of him.

Clay

[martyscncgarage]

I was really surprised at how that thread started, but I wasn't surprised when it disappeared.
Fact is, it wasn't the issues that were the problem it was the attitude.
Make no mistake that the Acorn isn't perfect, but when you start throwing rocks right out of the gate the problem is with that individual, not the product.

It's a shame too because he was it seemed an intelligent guy with some valuable experience, but his frustrations really got the better of him.

Clay

Maybe he'll reconsider in the future. The fact that MACTEC on the Zone jumped him might have opened his eyes. Not the first time I guess.
BUT, I think folks deserve a second chance....its always tough learning something new. I remember when I got the first Acorn to test. We loaded the software...stared at the monitor and said "Now what?"

We are our own worst enemy sometimes...the older we get, the more stubborn we are so it seems.....

Marty