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davehaigh13-Aquamarine
13-Aquamarine
June 17, 2014
Question

The Mail Exploder is at risk, Speak up NOW!

  • June 17, 2014
  • 119 replies
  • 33717 views


The shocking news from day one of PTC Live is that PTC want's to "absorb" the mail exploder into their on-line communities forum.http://communities.ptc.com you'll see the announcement of this at the top of the page.



I went up to Ron and Dan durning the break and said what are you doing to my mail exploder. The answer was there was pressure to only have one source of communication instead of some stuff on the forum and some via the mail exploder. They are having discussions next week on how to transfer the data from ptcuser to the ptc site.



I asked if I was still going to get emails and the answer was no.



I'm sorry but this is killing the goose that laid the golden egg.



Make no mistake, if you don't raise your voice on this issue the mail exploder will disappear.



Dave Haigh


      119 replies

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      A
      AdamDorsch1-Visitor
      1-Visitor
      June 17, 2014
      I am with Steve (and apparently everyone else) on this. I get far more help, far faster on the PTC/User site than I do thru PTC Community or the dreaded call to PTC support.
      I also rely on PTC/User posts for heads up on issues, it has far more info of issues people have encountered in upgrades, it is an all-around better site for user help.
      I hope that they don't mess things up and get rid of this just for the sake of driving site traffic to their slow and less helpful corporate site.


      Thanks
      Adam M Dorsch
      CAD Supervisor
      Alliance Laundry Systems LLC
      Shepard Street P.O. Box 990
      Ripon, WI 54971-0990
      ph 920.748.4554
      adam.dorsch@alliancels.com<">mailto:adam.dorsch@alliancels.com>


      D
      DeanLong1-Visitor
      1-Visitor
      June 17, 2014

      Many are talking like it's a done deal. Okay, for sake of assumption, let's say it does get absorbed. How do we stay a free and independent user base? How do we retain 25 years of know-how and experience? What suggestions do you all have? What medium would be the best case scenario?

      M
      MikeFoster10-Marble
      10-Marble
      June 17, 2014
      Another vote to keep the exploder. From my point of view I'm not very concerned whether or not PTC controls it since I've never seen any sign of censorship by them. It's the e-mail interface I don't want to lose...

      Mike Foster
      ATK
      P
      ptc-1412741-Visitor
      1-Visitor
      June 17, 2014
      Very good point. My preference is to keep the two separate, but if it is merged, keep the email portion, as it is much more convenient.

      ~Doug
      NGC
      P
      ptc-438741-Visitor
      1-Visitor
      June 17, 2014
      I don't chime in as much as I used to as I've been relegated to more management, much less active use, but I've always found the email system to be the cleanest way to get quick answers. I don't want to be following a forum for an actual problem, and the exploder has always been the fastest way to get solutions to normal, and unusual problems.. Absorption will just limit the usefulness in my mind.

      I'd vote to keep it also.

      Dorian Ferrari|Director|Digital Development & Model Services|310-252-4007
      B
      bbusschers10-Marble
      10-Marble
      June 17, 2014
      Also my preference is to keep the two separate, but if it is merged, keep the email portion, as it is much more convenient.


      With kind Regards,


      Bert Busschers



      Sr. Mechanical Designer/CAD Administrator
      ME/ID Department




      Benchmark Electronics Almelo
      Lelyweg 10 - 7602 EA Almelo - The Netherlands
      +31 546 535209 (tel)
      +31 546 535299 (fax)
      Bert.Busschers@bench.com<">mailto:Bert.Busschers@bench.com>
      www.bench.com<">http://www.bench.com>

      M
      mpeterson1-Visitor
      1-Visitor
      June 17, 2014
      Thanks for the heads up. This is very bad news. This exploder has been the BEST source of information for leaning Pro/E since I started using the software in '98. You typically get quick answers from users who understand the situation better than a programmer or applications person who might not be in tune with actual usage in the real world. It is also nice to be able to help others with knowledge gained from experience or from coworkers or where ever. Some of these issues are even hard to research and some smaller organizations don't pony up with funds needed to get training or online services. It is also great in that you can learn things you aren't even having an issue with at the time.

      Please do not touch this exploder as it is an extremely valuable tool for using this software.

      Sincerely,
      Mark A. Peterson
      Design Engineer and Pro/E user for 16 years
      -



      R
      rreifsnyder15-Moonstone
      15-Moonstone
      June 17, 2014
      I absolutely agree. I don't think they are trying to censor anything, but the email is simply a better interface. I do get notifications from the community forum and I have responded, but frankly it is a pain to have to log into ptc to respond. Didn't we go through some of these issues years ago when they switched the email service type? Newer users tended to want a forum, and us old timers tended to want the email. In today's market, there seriously isn't something that can handle both? This is a high tech software company we are talking about right? I don't expect a full up Pro to Creo project, just a little consideration for what is certainly the more popular format.

      Rob Reifsnyder
      Mechanical Design Engineer/ Producibility Engineer / Components Engineer / Pro/E SME / Pro/E Librarian
      [LM_Logo_Tag_RGB_NoR_r06]
      S
      ShandRonnie1-Visitor
      1-Visitor
      June 17, 2014
      I sent the email below on June of last year:

      "I never liked the idea of PTC taking over our independent Pro/E user community. I believe that we (the large community) were never asked if we wanted to give away our independence.
      We as an independent group would have much more to say about who can see the presentations.
      Why don't we separate from PTC's control and regain our freedom?"

      How is it possible that our ptcusers directors make these important decisions without the users vote?
      What a shame!!!

      Respectfully,
      Ronnie Shand



      K
      kbryant1-Visitor
      1-Visitor
      June 17, 2014
      As a long-time exploder user I am shocked, shocked that PTC is trying to
      pull the plug on this critical user lifeline. HAHA! Well, not really
      shocked at much of anything anymore.



      I was one of the initial users when Don Patterson set up the exploder on his
      server at Harris. Does anyone other than David Haigh remember that's how we
      started this thing? I may not respond as much as in the past, but I still
      read the emails daily. However, I never go to the forum. If I have to go
      somewhere to read info, rather than having it come to me, I'm much less
      likely to participate.



      I keep user emails on topics that interest me so that I can go back & review
      later, or maybe even keep forever as reference. I can typically find
      whatever I'm looking for in a couple seconds. If I don't find what I'm
      looking for then I can go to the exploder and search for it. The delete
      button is for all the other topics that I don't need . Does anyone just
      browse the on-line community forum?



      One of the things we spoke of in the early days of the user group (yes, I
      know I'm now an old fart) was that we were supposed to be independent from
      PTC. Yes, there was a PTC liaison but they didn't "run" the organization.
      PTC "supported" the user group by sending a few people to the conference but
      the user group board of directors made sure everything was done. And now?



      Rob Gremly once called me a Pro/E evangelist. These days I can't (or
      won't?) defend my belief of PTC products as the best in the industry.



      Thanks for the memories,

      Kelly


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