Hey Mark - I understand your frustrations, having been there more than once in my previous life. (I'm now a retired geezer and consultant.) The fun part can come when you take the latest issue of EP&P or PCFab or some other trade mag in to the guy who reamed you out and show him that someone else has just published something that makes what he believes to be a trade secret look like a refugee from the dark ages. One of my favorites was the guy who reamed me out for sharing information that was published in the material suppliers instructions for the successful care and feeding of his product!! Have a good week, and take care - Regards - Kelly -----Original Message----- From: Richard Mazzoli <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Date: Wednesday, September 29, 1999 6:24 PM Subject: Re: [TN] PCB Manufacturers >Hi Paul, > >I've been in the PCB manufacturing business for 18 years and have some ideas >as to why more professionals in my field don't get too involved with forums >like this or offer many opinions. > >First, they would be giving away "secrets" from the store. Shops spend more >time and energy keeping things secret than you would imagine. Bosses are >very unfriendly towards people who give away company "secrets". (And most of >us have damn few real secrets.) > >Secondly, processes are different from one place to the next. What works for >me will not necessarily work for someone else. Most of us have offered much >advice over the years only to find that little if any of it is used - or >worked for the recepient. So we tend to just hang back and watch. Or to >contact the individual "off line". > >Lastly, I've been chastised by my bosses on more than one occasion for >sharing even common information to other shops (the "enemy") that one tends >to say "Forget it". I'm talking about stuff that is simple and known to most >all technically competent professionals. Even when it's not a competitor >that querried us, we know other shops will get the info. So, again, because >of this fear of sharing information between shops, you get a lot of "peepers" >on TechNet. > >I LOVE to give away free advice to anyone who wants it. End users, >competitors, curious bystanders, whoever. I love the business of PCB >manufacturing and am willing to share my knowledge with anyone who wants it. >Yet, my employers in the past have been unwilling to allow it. One day I >keep hoping to find the right place to work and the right people to work for >and with. People who are not paranoid. > >Mark Mazzoli >[log in to unmask] >678-421-9986 > >############################################################## >TechNet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8c >############################################################## >To subscribe/unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in >the body: >To subscribe: SUBSCRIBE TECHNET <your full name> >To unsubscribe: SIGNOFF TECHNET >############################################################## >Please visit IPC web site (http://www.ipc.org/html/forum.htm) for additional >information. >If you need assistance - contact Gayatri Sardeshpande at [log in to unmask] or >847-509-9700 ext.5365 >############################################################## ############################################################## TechNet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8c ############################################################## To subscribe/unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the body: To subscribe: SUBSCRIBE TECHNET <your full name> To unsubscribe: SIGNOFF TECHNET ############################################################## Please visit IPC web site (http://www.ipc.org/html/forum.htm) for additional information. If you need assistance - contact Gayatri Sardeshpande at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.5365 ##############################################################