This is our trade

[SDM Group 0]

I'm alarmed at this forum as to how easily formidable technicians give away trade information to end users. We have worked many years and took many classes to be were we are and deserve our status. Giving this information away is not good for our industry.

 

What does everyone else think?

[rory 0]

Thats what this forum is for, sharing information and technical assistance.

It is beneficial to both the DIYer AND the professional.

[thewireguys 3]

I totally agree and have moved most of my help to the private forums.... I do enjoy talking to people in the field and sharing information but like I said before I don't see Cisco guys giving free info out.

[tweak'e 0]

I'm alarmed at this forum as to how easily formidable technicians give away trade information to end users. We have worked many years and took many classes to be were we are and deserve our status. Giving this information away is not good for our industry.

 

What does everyone else think?

 

you sound like your from the 1950's and still cling to industry protection.

 

i've worked several trades and in every one a better informed customer is much much easier to deal with. especially as good CCTV is so darn expensive. to a lot of people even cheap crap is expensive. the more they know what they are getting the happier they are, you get less warranty call outs for silly things. if they know enough about the industry they also will know why its best to get a professional to do the install instead of the local handyman.

 

the problem with industry protection is it tends to isolate the industry from the customers its trying to sell to. its basically self defeating. you only see the customers that HAVE to have it rather than the much bigger mass market that WANT it.

the industry becomes closed off, so it gets minimal innovation and other industries overtake it.

 

take a look at what its like at the moment. you have a small professional market but a huge, loud and proactive cheap crap market which is just about flooding the industry. if the professionals don't raise their voice and educate customers they will become an insignificant minority.

[ak357 0]

 

you sound like your from the 1950's and still cling to industry protection.

 

i've worked several trades and in every one a better informed customer is much much easier to deal with. especially as good CCTV is so darn expensive. to a lot of people even cheap crap is expensive. the more they know what they are getting the happier they are, you get less warranty call outs for silly things. if they know enough about the industry they also will know why its best to get a professional to do the install instead of the local handyman.

 

the problem with industry protection is it tends to isolate the industry from the customers its trying to sell to. its basically self defeating. you only see the customers that HAVE to have it rather than the much bigger mass market that WANT it.

the industry becomes closed off, so it gets minimal innovation and other industries overtake it.

 

take a look at what its like at the moment. you have a small professional market but a huge, loud and proactive cheap crap market which is just about flooding the industry. if the professionals don't raise their voice and educate customers they will become an insignificant minority.

 

May I ask you ?

Do u operate from your home, office,retail store ?

Do you work for somebody or its your own business ?

just curios

Thanks

[tweak'e 0]

May I ask you ?

Do u operate from your home, office,retail store ?

Do you work for somebody or its your own business ?

just curios

Thanks

 

as far as CCTV goes i'm amateur/hobbyist. however i've worked in other electronic/electrical/retail industry's, working for various firms and also self employed (my own business). i get to see both sides of the fence, from a customer and business point of view.

[rory 0]

Before this forum there were Alarm Forums which people used, this one is geared for CCTV. Most members welcome the technical assistance provided.

 

Also please see this note from the admin of this site posted in November 2003:

 

"cctvForum.com will be a place where professionals and DIY'ers alike can discuss cctv and it's use in security systems.

 

Before installing my first Digital Video System at a retail store, I searched for a site like this to help me in my decision making process. I did not find one place that could offer an unbiased discussion of equipment, platform, camera selection etc.... Hopefully this forum can fill the void."

 

So again, the exact thing you are complaining about is what this forum is all about.

[Soundy 1]

I'm alarmed at this forum as to how easily formidable technicians give away trade information to end users. We have worked many years and took many classes to be were we are and deserve our status. Giving this information away is not good for our industry.

 

What does everyone else think?

 

you sound like your from the 1950's and still cling to industry protection.

 

i've worked several trades and in every one a better informed customer is much much easier to deal with. especially as good CCTV is so darn expensive. to a lot of people even cheap crap is expensive. the more they know what they are getting the happier they are, you get less warranty call outs for silly things. if they know enough about the industry they also will know why its best to get a professional to do the install instead of the local handyman.

 

the problem with industry protection is it tends to isolate the industry from the customers its trying to sell to. its basically self defeating. you only see the customers that HAVE to have it rather than the much bigger mass market that WANT it.

the industry becomes closed off, so it gets minimal innovation and other industries overtake it.

 

take a look at what its like at the moment. you have a small professional market but a huge, loud and proactive cheap crap market which is just about flooding the industry. if the professionals don't raise their voice and educate customers they will become an insignificant minority.

QFT.

[survtech 0]

I'm alarmed at this forum as to how easily formidable technicians give away trade information to end users. We have worked many years and took many classes to be were we are and deserve our status. Giving this information away is not good for our industry.

 

What does everyone else think?

It is up to the individual. Information sharing is a two-way street. You can't expect to get if you don't give. So that begs the question: why are you here?

[DVR MAN 0]

I'm alarmed at this forum as to how easily formidable technicians give away trade information to end users. We have worked many years and took many classes to be were we are and deserve our status. Giving this information away is not good for our industry.

 

What does everyone else think?

 

Aw common. You guys learn from us too. There are millions of people that have and share some great ideas. There are a multitude of trades that have unique solutions to problems that parallel your trade. You have to admit that even you have gleaned incite from "Joe public".

[Baylab 0]

There are tons of cooking books in book store and library, and there are even more free recipes on internet. I've never heard any chef or cook complain their job is threatened by such stuff.

 

If somebody's business and job can be damaged easily by a post in this or other forum, I believe such business or trade should be too fragile to survive in modern time, you can't just rely on other people refrain to speak out the "secret"

[Mark Farr 0]

Forums are the way of things now and have been for a long time.

 

Before CCTV I worked in the Mobile Phone (Cell phone for you Americans) Business.

 

And forums were the way forward then, sharing within and industry is good and helps everyone.

 

Yes end customers do read these forums and we may loose out on a small amount of business because of that or so you might think but you don't really.

 

I used to repair a lot of mobile phones that customers had tried to unlock or repair themselves.

 

Now I get a lot of call outs to CCTV systems that customers have tried to install themselves.

 

Public awareness is good! It raises the profile of the industry and ultimatly leads to more sales/work!

[bpzle 0]

There are tons of cooking books in book store and library, and there are even more free recipes on internet. I've never heard any chef or cook complain their job is threatened by such stuff.

 

If somebody's business and job can be damaged easily by a post in this or other forum, I believe such business or trade should be too fragile to survive in modern time, you can't just rely on other people refrain to speak out the "secret"

 

Guess you've never heard of "secret recipes?" Colonel Sanders anyone?

 

Chef's can be nice people, even helpful. Doesn't mean their going to share everything with you...

 

Try going into a 5 star restaurant, look at the menu, and say "this is too expensive, I won't be buying anything but this sure looks good.... I'll take the recipe for that and also I'll also take the chef's cell number so I can call him when I get stuck." Great way to get a slap in the face by a passionate cook. lol

 

Funny though, you've probably seen this same restaurant on some lame afternoon TV program preparing something for the cameras, listing the ingredients, showing you how to make it. Why? So people can make it at their homes and NOT come to their restaurant? Sure, maybe a few will try it with mediocre results... Or maybe it's a taste of what a professional can offer... You get a glimpse of what your money will buy you. Not to mention it's free air time for hundreds, even thousands to see without paying a single cent for a commercial spot.

 

Get my point?

 

I've helped hundreds on this site. But my answers are just small pieces of their puzzles. At the end of the day, I have to put food on the table for my family. There's just somethings I won't tell you. If you want a professional CCTV system with first class customer service , get ready to open your wallet. You're not going to get either of those for free.

[SEANHAWG 1]

I would bet that the vast majority of people buying CCTV systems have never heard of or care to take a look at this board, they just want a CCTV system installed correctly, so they call an installer. Besides if there is someone on here who gets a piece of information, it is probably a drop in the bucket compared to the rest of the market out there who still need services performed by an installer.

 

The people that do look at this board are do it yourself people who will find a way do it theirselves regardless of whether they can find the info on this board or not.

 

Just my opinion.

[rocketpig 0]

As an IT guy with a background in web development, I can say that information sharing helps everyone involved. At times, everyone runs into problems and being able to research things on the fringe edge of your field (such as I'm doing with CCTV work right now) is beneficial. I'm sure plenty of you have had problems getting a Windows system to cooperate with a tricky feature you're trying to implement and a Google search has landed you in a tech forum where Windows experts were able to help deduce your problem. It's just the way things work nowadays and it makes all our jobs easier.

[Soundy 1]

Guess you've never heard of "secret recipes?" Colonel Sanders anyone?

How about the famous $250 Neiman-Marcus Cookie Recipe story that's been floating around since before the Internet?

 

I've helped hundreds on this site. But my answers are just small pieces of their puzzles. At the end of the day, I have to put food on the table for my family. There's just somethings I won't tell you. If you want a professional CCTV system with first class customer service , get ready to open your wallet. You're not going to get either of those for free.

Ultimately, the big difference with a forum like this is that you're not likely to be helping your own (potential) customers anyway. Someone from Kalamazoo who comes here asking for help probably isn't going to hire me to come down there and do the job, so I'm not really cutting my own throat. There's a very very small chance it might affect a CCTV installer IN Kalamazoo... then again, it may be enough to convince the DIYer he needs professional help.

 

It may be enough to save someone from unscrupulous or un-knowledgeable local companies as well, or may even help a local company with the upsell - look at the recent case of the guy who came here asking for advice on which of two bids to go with for his apartment building, wanted to steer toward the company that was going to go IP, and ended up with the other company but getting them to go at least with a hybrid setup. Bet those guys would be thanking us if they knew where their customer got his advice (speaking of which, I want my commission!)

[Soundy 1]

I would bet that the vast majority of people buying CCTV systems have never heard of or care to take a look at this board, they just want a CCTV system installed correctly, so they call an installer. Besides if there is someone on here who gets a piece of information, it is probably a drop in the bucket compared to the rest of the market out there who still need services performed by an installer.

 

The people that do look at this board are do it yourself people who will find a way do it theirselves regardless of whether they can find the info on this board or not.

 

Just my opinion.

I think that opinion applies to most of us here to some extent... or we wouldn't be here in the first place.

[cglaeser 0]

Try going into a 5 star restaurant, look at the menu, and say "this is too expensive, ...

 

Analogies in forums often remind me of the scene in "Throw Mama From the Train" where Larry reads the first sentence of Owen's paper and declares, "I have a terrible headache in my eye."

[bpzle 0]

I was only bringing light to faults in Baylab's analogy and argument. Using it against him. That's how rebuttals work.

[bpzle 0]

Guess you've never heard of "secret recipes?" Colonel Sanders anyone?

How about the famous $250 Neiman-Marcus Cookie Recipe story that's been floating around since before the Internet?

 

I'm not sure if I follow your point...