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YES - I vote for both Helpful and Not Helpful

YES - But I *ONLY* vote for Helpful

YES - But I *ONLY* vote for Not Helpful

NO

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

You can see the problem on many shopping websites that allow you to "rate" a product.

On many of them the person giving the rating can explain the reason they like or dislike the product.

Reading the ra(n)tings on many of these sites while researching potential purchases, the reasons given for the rating can often spell out that this person knows what they are talking about and should be taken seriously, or they are just to lazy to read the manual and blame the product.

I think if you are going to give people the right to vote an opinion, they should have to post a reason for that opinion.  Then other users can read the reason and make up their own minds whether this opinion is a rating or just a ranting.  That said, my own forum on wgjohns.com isn't any better than X10's in this respect.  Some of us just can't afford or don't know about better software.  

I have seen great products and helpful posters rated poorly on many sites by people who either have no clue what they are talking about or just have a bone to pick with someone.

So... X10 guys, I think this new forum software is super compared to the old stuff, but listen to your customers and forward this thread to the people you got / bought this from and maybe they will take the suggestions to heart and we'll all benefit.

[TakeTheActive]

steven r, you are correct, it has been that long..........
According to X10, they have been in business for 30+ years and online since 1996.

THANK YOU!

[dave w]

...(Except the part about using X10 for 30+ years...X10 isn't quite that old.)

Respectfully, I don't think so... 

Oh gee whiz, when X10 claims they have been in business for "30+ years" they must be refering to the old Pico days. I know we are  "old guys" with X10,  but thirty years ago (1976) the following was the roots of "X10". The logic and control in this BSR product became the design platform for X10 as we know it.

http://www.thevintageknob.org/THEVAULT/ACCUTRACK4000/ACCU4000.html

In 1976 Dave Rye and Pico was probably still working on "project X5". "BSR System X10" did not get test marketed until 1978.

And steven r the question is: "Does that TC 262" still work? ;-)

[dave w]

PS to the above sensless, arrogant, self serving, egotistical post.

I forgot to answer "TakeTheActive" original question which is the subjet of this thread....

No.

 

[steven r]

...And steven r the question is: "Does that TC 262" still work? ;-)

Incredibly, Yes! I might of replaced a diode or something in it once and the slide switch is a bit sensitive now but it does still work. I use it more as a clock than anything else right now.

[TakeTheActive]

If the folks at X10 wanted to, they could implement features in the software that may be there already or ask the software maker to include some of the features we've been discussing here.
Doing so, would greatly improve not just the ratings BUT the forum itself.

IMO, won't happen. The software (probably) is what it is - definitely they won't get the software maker to make any mods. They 'could' switch to the FatWallet software that I previously mentioned (they USED TO list the software manufacturer's name at the bottom of their main page, but I just checked and it's no longer there), but, *WHO* would be available to transfer the existing messages to a new format?  Again, probably no one...

The *KEY* here, IMO, is capturing the attention of the *REAL* X10 folks in power - not the ~20-year-old Newbies that have been assigned to monitor this forum.

The *ONLY* X-10 "Old-Timer" (AFAIK, thus far) to speak up and reveal his existence is Dave Rye. I've sent him PMs - have you?

My next step is to search GOOGLE for the X-10 Officers & Board of Directors and inform them of my perceived DOWNFALL of X-10's perception in their customer's eyes.

Don't expect too much out of the ~20-year-old Newbies - they're probably working their A$$es off, without a clue as to what's going on.

As I've stated so many times before, us "Old-Timers" know the value of X-10; but if they're going to keep TURNING OFF the Newbies, it's going to hurt EVERYONE in the long run... 

[TakeTheActive]

Oh gee whiz, when X10 claims they have been in business for "30+ years" they must be refering to the old Pico days. I know we are  "old guys" with X10,  but thirty years ago (1976) the following was the roots of "X10". The logic and control in this BSR product became the design platform for X10 as we know it.

http://www.thevintageknob.org/THEVAULT/ACCUTRACK4000/ACCU4000.html

In 1976 Dave Rye and Pico was probably still working on "project X5". "BSR System X10" did not get test marketed until 1978.

dave w,

Of course you're right! You and JeffVolp appear to have *EXCELLENT* memories when referring back to the late 70s / early 80s, whereas folks like steven r and myself, just like to "round things off".

27½, 28, 29 WTH - just ask my wife; I have NO IDEA anymore of how time flies!
ME: We just went out to dinner a few weeks ago.
WIFE: That was TWO MONTHS AGO you !@#$%!!!

---snip---
The idea of using the existing AC wiring to transmit signals to control lights and appliances was conceived (like so many Pico/X10 ideas) over several drinks in a bar. If we had known then how long it would take us to get to where we are now, we would probably have moved on to project X11.

In 1978 X10 was introduced to the American public, RadioShack being the first customer. RadioShack are to this day still one of the biggest retailers of X10 products (private labeled for them as the Plug ‘n Power system). Sears, Roebuck soon became our second customer. We already had a relationship with BSR, they had a good name and good distribution, and so we formed another 50-50 venture with them and founded X10 Ltd. On the evening of the press announcement to introduce the system we still didn’t have a name for it, so engineers being engineers, we settled on the name "The BSR System X10." (In later years it became the X10 Powerhouse system).

Right from the beginning we intended that X10 products would be produced at low cost and in high volume so we set out to manufacture the products in the Far East. At first we used sub-contractors in Malaysia. By 1984 we had moved manufacturing to Hong Kong, had set up an office there, and at one point were managing 17 sub-contractors. This became a managerial nightmare. We found out that some of our sub-contractors were sub-sub-contracting into China. We thought "if they can do that, so can we" so we set up our own factory in China. Our first factory was in an area of Shenzhen that at the time was little more than a village. Now, 20 years later that area looks just like Hong Kong. We have since moved further into China, outside the first Shenzhen border. X10 was one of the pioneer western companies to set up shop in China.
---snip---

Reference: Congratulations Dave 30 years at X10! We sure appreciate you!!

...And steven r the question is: "Does that TC 262" still work? ;-)

Say steven r, I've been GOOGLING for a picture of a TC 262 - do you have a LINK to one?  Is it *BEFORE* the 'X10-020211 Fluorescent Display Timer' that JeffVolp and I have been referring to?

[TakeTheActive]

PS to the above sensless, arrogant, self serving, egotistical post.

ME??? 

[steven r]

...Say steven r, I've been GOOGLING for a picture of a TC 262 - do you have a LINK to one?  Is it *BEFORE* the 'X10-020211 Fluorescent Display Timer' that JeffVolp and I have been referring to?...

I hadn't thought about the display. Perhaps it is fluorescent. It's a green display. I could take a picture of it but I haven't figured how to upload a picture as part of a message. The "Insert Image" option appears to require you create a link to somewhere.

[Duck69]

"TAKE THE IMITATIVE" There has to be at least 1 person @ X10 that could wear that hat.
I'll vote for Marko since he's the web designer.
Possibly, if we selected just 1 person at X10 and we all sent e-mails to that person regarding the forum.
That person armed with our e-mails can then take it up the ladder/stairs/elevator or whatever and hopefully get enough support to implement some of the changes we desire.
Should we create a poll ? Possible have it for 7 to 10 days then we all e-mail the person with the most votes ?

  OR ! Should all of us e-mail everyone at X10 whose e-mail address we can find ?
I'm thinking that first we should settle on just what we want and not everyone sending in differing suggestions.
Once that is settled, we then Storm the Citadel with our e-mails. 

[steven r]

Note Marko's post a few messages down in this discussion where he mentions that he disabled the popups on his pages. I still haven't seen them with a direct link to his 1st page, http://x10minitimer.com/. I've lost track of what other pages they have given him to create. Marko has been with X10 since Jan. His web work has been a refreshing change from what most of X10.com brings us.

This is the previous poll/discussion on popups. This discussion primarily was regarding their "experiment" with popups on this support forum. It got quite lively till they removed the popups from here.

[dave w]

27½, 28, 29 WTH - just ask my wife; I have NO IDEA anymore of how time flies!
ME: We just went out to dinner a few weeks ago.
WIFE: That was TWO MONTHS AGO you !@#$%!!!

Our wives are undobtedly related...mine uses the same phrase constantly.

PS to the above sensless, arrogant, self serving, egotistical post.

ME??? 

You ARE being funny, right?  I was refering to my own post directly above.

[steven r]

...You ARE being funny, right?  I was refering to my own post directly above.

I think TakeTheActive might have just gotten a bit gun shy with all the love he's getting from the other posters. 

[Duck69]

I had been hoping to receive some comments on my suggestion that was posted yesterday.
If anyone is truly interested in trying to get the forums improved, let's get something going.

[dave w]

[

TakeTheActive is merely a PEST (An annoying person, a nuisance).

Don't agree. "TakeTheActive's " posts  and help suggestions have been accurate and on target. He obviously has a couple of decades of X10 follies under his belt. Judging by the liberal sprinkling of smilies and humor, he does not take himself too seriously. I have read his posts and have not walked away with the same impressions of "tone" that you had.
I think the annoying posters are the ones whose querries clearly indicate they have not bothered to read word one of the instructions.
Lighten up - life is fun.