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*Ping* Dave - RAM Controls
KonkeyKong:
Anybody take a look at Dave's order section lately? Somebody's been rather busy it appears. Can't speak for the rest of ya's, but that much multi-tasking plus the level of perfection being sought would literally blow my brain clean outta my skull.
FrizzleFried:
--- Quote from: MaximRecoil on November 24, 2009, 04:44:14 pm ---
--- Quote from: FrizzleFried on November 24, 2009, 04:31:31 pm ---Just to be clear - I've never said Dave wasn't a good guy... on the contrary... I've said he seems like one of the nicest guys around.
--- End quote ---
However, saying he is a nice guy is at odds with referring to his actions as "douchebaggery", his statements as "BS", and his products as "crap" in the same post:
--- Quote from: FrizzleFried on November 22, 2009, 06:40:30 pm ---But whatever... as long as the guy keeps handing out free crap, people will come to his defense. I'm the bad guy for pointing out his douchebaggery... but that's OK... I've been the bad guy before... I am used to it.
Now don't get me wrong... Dave seems like the nicest guy in the world... but that and a buck will buy you a double cheeseburger at Micky-D's.
Go back through the guys statements on this project and you'll find more BS than I care to recant.
--- End quote ---
--- End quote ---
Hold on a second... I guess you're not too familiar with the English language because "free crap" is a common saying for "free stuff". I've never ONCE said any of his completed projects were "crap" as in sub-par. Thank you.
I stand by my other statements though. You can be a nice guy and a BS artist.... and yes, it's "douchebaggery" to continuously break stated deadlines, especially when folks have pre-ordered and possibly planned projects around these stated deadlines.
Daviea:
Hey Guys,
This has actually turned into an interesting conversation now. I'm seeing some legitimate criticism I can work from.
First of all, as much as I'd like to, I simply cannot control delays. I have every intention of meeting my drop dead dates, but "issues" never fail to surface which ultimately cause me to push those dates back. Perhaps there's something to the "it'll be ready when it's ready" idea that someone else proposed. I admit that much of this is of my own doing because I do try to commit to release dates. I've been flip flopping on that idea, but I'm leaning towards moving away from using pre-orders if it will reduce the amount of backlash I receive. I really feel that if the pre-orders and drop dead release dates were a thing of the past, people might come up with something else to complain about. I have to wonder if it's even possible to please "most" of the people. I was hoping that my quality parts and stellar personality would be enough. Perhaps not... I'm going to mull this over. Then there's the fact that I am working on SO many project simultaneously - that in itself adds a whole different level of difficulty none of you would ever comprehend do to the sheer magnitude. I think that if any of the naysayers here were to see the RAM Controls "operation" up close, they might change their tune to some degree.... then again, maybe not.
Friz, you did warn me that come October 30th that if I didn't have the yoke ready, you'd blast me. True to your word, you blasted me. :-) Do I deserve it? Well, in my opinion I'd have to say yes and no. I'm trying to be fair and objective on this subject as I do see my faults which play into this.
Yes, because like Cheffo said, I painted a big bullseye on my back by stating a drop dead date and then skipping right past it yet again. Like Chad said, a broken promise does make me look bad and can damage both parties involved. My quest for perfection does cause delays that would otherwise not exist, but it's hard for me to qualify this one as a negative because people really dig my perfect reproduction parts. However, for the sake of argument, I'll list this as a reason why I should take some heat since it did slow things down a bit.
No, because as much as I try to get these projects completed on time, there are things (mostly production processes) which come up that I never accounted for and have little control over. I do take the blame because I did promise a date. I'm not happy about it, but it is what it is. I'm trying to cover for it by keeping in constant contact with everyone (hand-holding) while I finish this up.
Chad made a point about making myself out to look like a scammer. I would agree with that statement IF I hadn't already released so many items into the community over and over again. That alone appears to afford me a certain amount of slack which I very much appreciate. You just have to see the bigger picture here, I guess. I believe that the reason behind this comment is primarily due to the fact that a lot of people have been scammed in this hobby, myself included. If there's something specific that I am doing that might make me LOOK like a scammer...something that I can control, I'll be happy to fix that issue. I don't want to LOOK bad, afterall. I'd like to believe that I'm a good guy with the best intentions for everyone involved.
A point has also been made about the difference between hobby and business. I want to be clear on this point. Yes, technically, RAM Controls is a business entity. however, that said, it's a HOBBY business. At year end, when everything is reconciled, the books show a clear loss. Why is that? Because I treat it exactly like a hobby. I'm not in it to make money, I'm in it to create replacement parts for the community. Having the business aspect helps me obtain excellent pricing on materials and having the website allows an easy means to release parts into the community. Regardless of how it looks or how anyone might *think* I should run RAM Controls, the fact remains that I will always view and treat this as a hobby. If I didn't, the prices would go way up, I wouldn't give anything away, I wouldn't take on any project which is risky in the least, etc. So, having things run the way they are, I expect and plan to lose money in the process. Just like any other hobby, I dump my own cash into it at an alarming rate just for the fun of it. Yes, it's over the top but everyone already knows I am like that. :-)
The bottom line is that I make reproduction parts and I will continue to do so regardless of the obvious hiccups/delays and ensuing forum arguments. I'll reconsider my position on pre-orders. If the majority of you have a real problem with it, I will comply by removing my pre-order policy permanently. As for release dates, I'm leaning toward not using them any longer. I assume this would be a move in the right direction, no?
Thanks guys. As always, I appreciate your support and kind words. It's the occasional pat on the back that helps keep me focused on WHY I do this. :-)
Dave
MaximRecoil:
--- Quote from: ChadTower on November 24, 2009, 04:54:06 pm ---Opportunity Cost is a very legitimate business complaint. In this scenario that has to be modified to more of a Hobby Opportunity Cost rather than monetary but it still does apply. Broken promises do damage to both parties.
--- End quote ---
You only have a dollar. Do you buy a $1 hot dog or a $1 notebook? If you buy the hot dog, the notebook is the "opportunity cost" (and vice versa); and no, you don't have a legitimate complaint against the hot dog vendor for costing you a notebook.
But they haven't gotten their SW yokes yet, right? It is irrelevant, because of the offer of the refund if anyone tires of waiting; so that's part of the deal that they bought into.
BTW; "opportunity cost" is just a concept; it is not a real, tangible cost.
MaximRecoil:
--- Quote from: FrizzleFried on November 24, 2009, 05:28:18 pm ---Hold on a second... I guess you're not too familiar with the English language because "free crap" is a common saying for "free stuff". I've never ONCE said any of his completed projects were "crap" as in sub-par. Thank you.
--- End quote ---
No, "free crap" is not a common saying for "free stuff". "Free stuff" is a common saying for "free stuff" and "free crap" is a common saying for "free crap". The word "crap" in "free crap" indicates worthlessness, while "free stuff" gives no indication of value/worth.
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