[GreenKeys] Radio Shack

[Michael O'Day]

Forgot to ad greenkeys to the header, sorry for the repeat

 I remember the kits RS used to sell, the box they came in had a perf-board
bottom. You flipped over  the bottom half of the box and you assembled the
kit on that. The clear plastic lid for the kit doubled as a cover for the
finished project. They were my grade school era into into electronics.
 To Tony's point, I also recall in the 80's, working for a certain OEM
computer company who decided they could save money by hiring and training
"board changers" instead of having us. They gave them a board kit from the
parts depot and a flow chart to follow, and either it fixed the problem, or
they escalated the call to someone who actually understood the function of
the various systems. In talking to a friend of mine who worked at one of
the training centers I asked him how the "new guys" were supposed to make
sure none of the boards in their kit were bad. The rest of us had learned
the hard lesson of self-induced errors. He just shrugged and said, they
just assume the boards are good, (they were supposed to be tested at the
depot on return) and escalate accordingly.
Three years later we were both working elsewhere

On Tue, Apr 5, 2016 at 4:18 PM, Michael O'Day <mgoday at gmail.com> wrote:

>  I remember the kits RS used to sell, the box they came in had a
> perf-board bottom. You flipped over  the bottom half of the box and you
> assembled the kit on that. The clear plastic lid for the kit doubled as a
> cover for the finished project. They were my grade school era into into
> electronics.
>  To Tony's point, I also recall in the 80's, working for a certain OEM
> computer company who decided they could save money by hiring and training
> "board changers" instead of having us. They gave them a board kit from the
> parts depot and a flow chart to follow, and either it fixed the problem, or
> they escalated the call to someone who actually understood the function of
> the various systems. In talking to a friend of mine who worked at one of
> the training centers I asked him how the "new guys" were supposed to make
> sure none of the boards in their kit were bad. The rest of us had learned
> the hard lesson of self-induced errors. He just shrugged and said, they
> just assume the boards are good, (they were supposed to be tested at the
> depot on return) and escalate accordingly.
> Three years later we were both working elsewhere.
>
> Mike
> N9ODM
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 5, 2016 at 9:32 AM, tony.podrasky <tony.podrasky at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> GM OMs;
>>
>> A point I didn't see mentioned was what also killed Heathkit: the
>> need for INSTANT GRATIFICATION.
>>
>> I got into ham radio in the late '60s. If Heathkit sold a pre-built
>> unit for the same price as a kit, I believe everyone I know would
>> have gone with the kit - because building them was fun!
>>
>> Now, in this world, "if I can't have it NOW, I don't want it or
>> will go somewhere where I CAN get it now!" is the mantra.
>>
>> Try explaining to a teenager: "when I was your age, I had to
>> wait 2 MINUTES for the VCR tape to rewind before I could watch
>> a movie!"
>>
>> The last time I went to an electronic appliance store was back
>> in the '80's. The store billed themselves as "Where service is
>> state-of-the-art". I went up to the counter and told the salesman
>> that I want a table-top CD Player to put on my night table, and I
>> want it to shut off after playing the CD.
>>
>> He could not understand the concept. I explained it a couple more
>> time and he still didn't get it. I wound-up looking in the windows
>> of the display case 'til I found one that said: "shuts off after
>> the CD is finished playing". I showed that to him, and he still
>> didn't seem to grasp the concept.
>>
>> That was the last time I was in an electronic appliance store.
>>
>> Now all my purchases are done online.
>>
>> UE,
>> K2EAA - TONY
>> NNNN
>> ZCZC
>>
>>
>> On 04/05/2016 05:48 AM, Thomas Tillson via GreenKeys wrote:
>>
>>> Just thought some might be interested - TT
>>> <
>>> http://thecxreport.genesys.com/2015/04/02/way-electric-dodo-radioshack-went-wrong/?utm_source=Outbrain
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>
>> --
>> REAL PROGRAMMERS don't draw flowcharts.
>> Flowcharts are, after all, the illiterate's
>> form of documentation. Cavemen drew flowcharts.
>> Look how much good it did them.
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>
>
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