Agreed. It's all about communications and managing your customers' expectations. In this regard, Outlaw's (lack of) response has been an epic fail.

Best,

While aside from the fact that I've come to associate "epic fail" with what third grade boys now shout out to each as they slip off their skate boards doing tricks in the school yard I tend to agree.

I suppose at one time it seemed like a good idea to "keep customers in the loop" as that is the opposite of what the "big guys" have done for decades.
The reality though is that firms like Apple, who are notorious about secrecy and certainly DO NOT allow any speculation about upcoming products / updates to be discussed on their "support forums" are the WINNERS in the world of consumer electronics. The fanboys and detractors that wish to speculate about the success / release of the next iPhone, iPod, iPad, iTV, Mac Book Pro or other computer/entertainment/audio/telephony device have no lack of outlets to post / read, but the "official line" is one of "Seal Team Six" level secrecy.

Sadly Outlaw is deep in a "damned if the do and damned if they don't" dilemma in continuing to keep the servers that host this forum spinning and the posts continuing to damage their financial future...

If this were my company I would deep six the "upcoming products" threads, but maybe that is why I don't have the "ganas" to run a company with my name over the door...

What can I say...I've got a bunch of 20-something programmers sitting nearby.



First they adopt Chinese manufacturing. Why not adopt Chinese "PR" as well? Suppressing valid commentary isn't the same as making it untrue and it doesn't change reality. Customer feedback is valuable, warts and all.

Best,

I think you can go either way with release product info. Sometimes it's good to put feelers out and see what people want, especially in a small company. That being said, if you're going to provide updates, it's good to do so on a fairly regular basis regardless if the information is good or bad. I personally like how the OSS community uses wiki's while alpha/beta testing new releases. It's good to know that problems are being ironed-out and gives some excitement and light at the end of the tunnel. Obviously you don't want your beta testers talking, but giving a periodic update on progress and what's to be finished is nice or don't do it at all.

So I suppose under this model the various digital filters and analog schematics would be published to a wiki site and then we'd just order a pile of resistor, transistors, ICs and associated supporting bits and pieces from Jameco or Mouser, whip out our soldering irons and after of few hours of breathing in that rosin infused air have ourselves the latest and greatest audio systems. Hmmm, doesn't really seem like a step forward so much as a concept that petered out a long while back -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynaco#Early_company_history

http://www.virhistory.com/hi-fi/kits-heath.htm

If that's what you got out of what I wrote, then I must have miss communicated what I was saying.

I was trying to say I like that open approach, but nothing in regards to us busting out soldering irons and going the DIY route at home (even though I do quite a bit of my own DIY projects).

My point was if they are going to announce updates etc, then I wish they'd keep them coming to keep us interested and informed, but if they are not going to keep them coming, then they shouldn't do them at all. Look at this thread, is a sad mess.

I guess I did confuse the "product design" aspect of OSS from the "defect tracking / problem resolution / project documentation" aspect of OSS.

Still, it seems that it would be a awful dangerous river to cross ...

I suppose in OSS-land, where having volunteers donate their effort to a worthwhile bit of code is what the wiki / bugzilla helps to foster, the various problems of having profit-minded competitors seeing every update / milestone as a potential "contra-postive selling point" is removed.

It strikes me as just too much "insider info" to have the actual bug list posted to a public forum for a product that one presumes will be sold at a profit.

Very valid viewpoint. I personally wouldn't be dissuaded from a roadmap/bug fix report, but encouraged. However I can see how some people would be. People want things that just work and don't necessarily want to know the troubles in getting to that point.

I just like to interject in saying that nobody wants to see the demise of Outlaw...certainly not myself. I have been served very professionally by Outlaw when I bought my 7500 and I want to continue to do business with them. We are all fans of the company and as such choose to take fellowship with one another in this company and it's products.

The frustration here lies not so much in the delay of the 978, although that is a bit of an issue, but in the lack of company communication to it's loyal followers. Outlaw is obviously having development issues with complex products such as the 978 as it wants to release the unit problem/bug free. This may very well do them in as they have become lacks in their timeline in getting new products out.

The question here is that is the company progressing or regressing?

BTW I dealt with Scott and he is a good guy and very helpful. I just want Outlaw to do well that's all.

I can't think of another audio company that would regularly update the public the way some want Outlaw to. It isn't commonly done. It would be telling your competitors way to much I suppose.