It seems to me that this forum is becoming a place for the DIY (who is too cheap to hire a true pro) to get free in depth info from those of us who have spent years and untold dollars accumulating. Are we cutting each others' throats here ? It seems these people join just to get their free info and crowd the forum. I for one would be willing to subscribe (ie, the ISF forum) in order to limit this to true pros to exchange hard won knowledge. Just MHO.
tjg

Visit www.integrationpros.com for the type of secure forum you are looking for.

I understand what you're saying, but look at it this way: Sure, there may be some people trying to squeeze free info from us, but what happens when they screw it up because they don't have the experience to actually complete the task? They call us, and we charge even more for having to spend more time taking apart what they shouldn't have attempted in the first place. So what if some people get free info? You could be the person they're coming to when it's time for them to purchase a whole-house system, because THAT'S so far beyond what they could begin to attempt (compared with, for example, the IR system they were having trouble wiring. Look at the long term, not the short.

word

some people enjoy helping others or sharing their knowledge (you have to learn somewhere) ... you are not obligated to post a reply or help someone... but i am sure you have done something yourself that you maybe you could have payed someone for and had to ask a few questions...(i.e. electrical, car stereo, etc.) and i am sure you recieved some help....plus this is what makes this forum so great....i just think all things come around... i work at a ford service center and people call me all the time about their car's .. i share my knowledge and hopefully when i need help they will help me :-)

i do think you have a valid point though and sometimes i feel that way in my line of work ... but remember: for every one person that can DIY there are 100,000 that can't


*this couldn't have been better timing.... i am on the service drive at my dealership and some guy locks his keys in his car.....now, I am not a CERTIFIED locksmith but i do own a DIY slimjim and I unlocked his car for him...thought that was fitting for a repost

This message was edited by Nimrod on 05/04/05 15:21 ET.

Tom..i feel like your post was directed at me..i am not a A/V Professional..accually i own a hardwood flooring company..but i have recieved terrific and much needed info from you guys ..ive been a member since last Nov so i sorta feel like one of the family..maybe im the ugly duckling..so be it..but i never felt i was looking for freebies so to speak..i have a basic knowledge of electronics and just needed some good advice on somethings..i have installed my own modest home theater but would never consider doing a dedicated expensive one for someone..you guys have been terrific and i cant thank you enough..{Barlow,Spikey.Daniel,Ernie.Dadio to name a few } I even have put up with some jabs from people but i can also dish it out too!..i feel that as well as getting info i have added some good input also..i do agree that the threads with people looking for help with the junk they so stupidly bought out of the back of a durango is not needed..i hope RC continues to let people like myself post and ask for advice..Thanks for listening to my rambling ..damn..now if i can just get down off this soapbox!

Hey Nimrod, no offense and please don't take this the wrong way. You using a slim jim to help out a customer that you presumably already had at your dealership certainly ain't taking any money directly out of your pocket.

I think the original post makes a lot of sense and good points. Sure, we all want to help, but where do we draw the line? Bottom line for me is that this is my livelihood and how I feed my family.

I doubt that sharing knowledge here is going to put anyone out of business. DIYers are DIYers and not your customers. Is it worse to share knowledge with a DIYer or your competitors who frequent the site? The more good questions asked and answered...the more we all learn. If they're dumb questions, don't answer!

The way I look at it is, if you don't have too many customers either, you suck, or you overcharge.

You have to deal with competition.

This industry would not exist if wasn't for geek hobbyist over years past cultivating a market for our wares. This comes from one who has gone to battle with DIYer's, nonetheless they can be your best customer, return and loyal.

Any one that is worried that sharing a little knowledge on a message forum is endangering their livelihood must have very little knowledge to share, hence the concern.

Better start banning books and magazines that teach people about this stuff too. And all those PC geeks better stop answering questions too in order to protect themseves from us custom installers who will install our own software instead of hiring an IT consultant like we should.

Give me a break.

And one other thing. How many of us "pros" use the files on this site that were put up there by DIY. How many here also learn from DIY, here, at AVS Forum and elsewhere. I know I have. How about Daniel who created this fantastic resource for us. He's a "DIY" right? Better ban him too.

I become too sarcastic on issue like this because I'm dumbfounded that someone can be so naive about business and so territorial that this is what they are worried about. Julie's post was spot on.

Now I'll leave so I can be flamed. I've got to go Billy Bob's hardware store and pick up some lumber to build my new garage. I was going to pay a pro to do it but then I found out about them thar neat thing called the Internet where I found this carpenters forum. Now I'm going to build me a garage outside my trailer where me and my cousin/wife live. Yahoo!

So Rich,
If any of us shoot you a e-mail for advice on laying down or repairing a wood floor, you are up for it right??

On that note, if I were trying to resurrect the oak flooring that the previous owner carpeted over, should I putty in the holes that they made with the tack strips?? or try to re-fit new planks along the walls??

I think that may be the highest quality solution, but I am afraid I may screw up the beautiful patina of the existing floor sanding and staining in an attempt to get them matched in... is the putty approach universally recognized as a hack move by the pros??

I work VERY hard not to hack my way through what I do, and I don't want my DIY work to be hack either.

This message was edited by 2nd rick on 05/04/05 22:15 ET.

It has been my experience, as an electrician, that the typical DIY'er is more happy to pay for quality work he knows he's incompetent to do than one who knows little, but makes price the top (or worse, the only) priority.