HomeSeer
- Thread starter gregking
- Start date
WayneW
Senior Member
Unless you are a very diligent forum reader (ie multiple times per day), it is very easy to miss things on certain boards that censor heavily, often whole threads disappear. Both HST and SmartLabs want to run a forum to ease their support burden, answer pre-sales questions, increase sales momentum, etc. These are cost saving moves and/or revenue producing moves by the providing company. I don't know any vendor forum done for fun, with no ulterior business motive. The risk is that you may have some negative posts mixed in there. And I would guess that some would argue that the ultimate risk is that you alienate customers to the point that they don't frequent the official forum as much and either they don't read/post at all or instead they go to a neutral site (where the vendor loses all control and privileges).
But since this is the HS thread, I find it weird that Mark claims "best sales year ever" while, IIRC (before deletion), Rick was lamenting on his own forum the downsizing and that there are now only two programmers with a very heavy backlog. I realize this is a private company, so Rich/they can do whatever they want, therefore it is technically none of our business how many full-time programmers and how many contractor programmers they have, but the messaging from HST staffers is inconsistent, which fuels rumors and misunderstandings.
IMHO, it is ironic and sad that the HStouch launch is very similar to the HS2 launch... pay us a discount price now and hope/trust/pray that it will become the product you want/need/expect eventually.
I did not see the post that said that HS was downsizing....but, I do know how much work is involved in development of a HSTouch type of product and the concentration that requires. I am sure that more than anything else is why there hasn't been more status updates. Rich is trying to code instead of spending that time posting on their forum.
I read HS's forum and I think that there has been quite a bit of HS staff forum updates and software updates. And many more customers that want this or that either added or fixed. There never seems to be enough updates to meet the needs of some. At least they have customers that want their new product.
It also doesn't surprise me if HS is tighting up the belt a bit, even with record 2008 sales. It's only prudent.
Automation is a luxury. That comes out of disposable income. It is shrinking with everything else and maybe even more aggressively.
I read HS's forum and I think that there has been quite a bit of HS staff forum updates and software updates. And many more customers that want this or that either added or fixed. There never seems to be enough updates to meet the needs of some. At least they have customers that want their new product.
It also doesn't surprise me if HS is tighting up the belt a bit, even with record 2008 sales. It's only prudent.
Automation is a luxury. That comes out of disposable income. It is shrinking with everything else and maybe even more aggressively.
SkyBolt
Member
I responded to that thread and was very direct and to the point in expressing my disappointment to the status of HST. I aslo pointed out that it is a tremendous effort to tackle a project such as this. I was not banned from the HS forum.
I have also placed many help desk tickets on HSTouch as well, knowing that is still in beta, and I was not ignored, they have answered every one, including this weekend and Rich, not Rick handled the ticket and also add the fix to .22's release.
You can't expect every company to always release perfect software. I think IMHO, that HomeSeer needed its customer base to help test this kind of software to be able to get a good release. They just could ghave have handeled it a little better. I also don think there going anywhere either, but that's just me.
-Skybolt
