I have a suggestion. Can we have a sub-forum for those of us who are tech professionals? There are some topics and issues that are of special interest for those of us who fix comps for a living. In particular, I just started my own PC servicing business and wanted to find out who else on here is the same. Having a special sub-forum for us would make it easy for us to share unique info and narrow the search for it.

Doesn't sound like a bad idea at all, anybody else wanting to voice their opinion?

It could be a forum dedicated to tech professionals in general, not just for those building computers or running tech support, but any other kind of professional field related to computers with topics related to the job.

Doesn't sound like a bad idea at all, anybody else wanting to voice their opinion?

It could be a forum dedicated to tech professionals in general, not just for those building computers or running tech support, but any other kind of professional field related to computers with topics related to the job.

Exactly!

It's just a special corner where those of us who fix computers for a living want to discuss issues and topics that are unique to us that others who are computer hobbyists or casual users may not be interested in.

Ok.
As long as you don`t start swapping anecdotes about the things stoopid customers do.:rolleyes:

Ok.
As long as you don`t start swapping anecdotes about the things stoopid customers do.:rolleyes:

Aw come on!! That's half the fun!! Part of talking shop are the anecdotes!!

Just a thought, but it seems to me that most of the people on here either *are* or will be tech pros, and would simply ignore a post if it didn't interest them... Just a side note.:wave:

Just a thought, but it seems to me that most of the people on here either *are* or will be tech pros, and would simply ignore a post if it didn't interest them... Just a side note.:wave:

I certainly don't read EVERY post. Just the ones that interest me, or have few responses so I can get the person started in the right direction.



Personally I think the entire TS forum is what you are looking for. This is where computer problems get asked and solved. I'm not sure exactly what types of topics you will be posting in a Tech Prof subforum.

Just my thoughts.

TS Powers,

I noticed we have another newbie who is starting his own tech business. I really feel there should be a separate sub-forum where those of us who work as techs for a living can exchange ideas, stories or just talk shop about the things OTHER than just fixing tech problems.

thats a really good idea, im tyrin to get a job at computer knights here in KY. hopefully this sub-forum will come to this site.

Bud, I read your post again and it says to me that you're suggesting non-professionals can help solve problems that some professionals can't. That wasn't my point about the sub-forum. It's about other items of interest to those who do it for a living, that those who are just hobbyists aren't interested in.

Your post is way off the mark and then you're trying to save face over it. You didn't read my original post correctly, instead made an assumption that's incorrect. That's annoying!!

CCT, I was just annoyed at another poster because he jumped to an incorrect conclusion about what my suggestion is about and then made a counterpoint that has nothing to do with it.

As for my suggestion, anyone can post in any forum/sub-forum on this site. It's not meant to exclude non-professionals, it more to generate disucssion about items that are important to some on this site, i.e. tech professionals, that is of little or no interest to others, i.e. non-professionals. For instance, I'm interested in discussing with others who run their own self-employed PC servicing business about how to generate more business. Well, to someone who is solely a computer hobbyist, that's of no interest. That's my point. Now if someone who's not a professional wants to join in, OK, just stay on topic and make sense. I have no problem with that. Then again, I can't see a non-professional being entertained by discussions that make no difference to him/her.

Anyhow, there is a subgroup in the membership that could use their own sub-forum to discussion items that are of interest to them.

hum; not yet a week old and we've already fallen to flaming one another.

Maybe Tech Pros might include some people skills too :) :rolleyes:

I won't point fingers or do anything about the moderation of this topic other than removing certain posts that simply go against our forum principles. Many of those removed comments were made by members that have been around long enough for knowing personal flaming is not tolerated here.

That said, I want to make sense on this forum thread that was started as a good suggestion, a welcomed one.

For those who misinterpreted the actual suggestion made by almcneil, he never suggested a division between pros and hobby tech enthusiasts or discredited either group, he simply said he would love to have a place to discuss topics that go beyond our current scope, specifically for talking about technology as a business.

The idea may or may not work but that was his actual suggestion, and it should be kind of obvious that people most interested in discussing that kind of topics or learning from others in that field would be self-employed techs, small to mid sized business owners, or even entrepreneurs looking into a technology startup.

I'm leaving the thread open for further discussion for anyone who has anything worth saying.

this would very nice i dont care to say im a tech pro but i feed and support myself when i need to from this, and it really narrows down subjects from the easy stuff to the more complex stuff that migth stump even the tech-i-est of us.

Just to add to Julio's recent comments, the new sub-forum would also be beneficial for those who are interested in finding out what it's like being a tech pro.

I'll tell you one thing, being a high tech engineer wasn't what I thought it would be when I went through school. When I graduated, I thought everyone who worked in high tech must be so bright and professional! I got a rude surprise! And it wasn't just coworkers who were difficult, it was managers and even VPs of companies that shocked me with their attitude and behaviour! It took me a few jobs before I realized that it's a rough and tumble occupation.

Then my experience when I switched to computer tech has been quite the opposite. My experience at Dell was wonderful and I found management to be very easy to deal with. I was even more surprised by the reaction of customers on the phone. I expected 1 or 2 nasty callers per shift. SHOCK! I got 1 or 2 per MONTH!! Since starting up my home services business, it's been very low stress (when I get the work that is!) Customers not only feed me coffee, pop, snacks but also beer, pizza and wine!! Almost all have been easy to please!

A forum for this type of discussion I think would be valuable.

I reckon that instead of a professional sub-forum, just have a new sub-forum called "business" or something in those lines. If you wanted to talk about large scale networking, there's already a forum just for that. If you wanted to talk about ordering mass numbers of workstations to start a business, there's already a forum for that. Programming? After-sales service?

I don't see why there is a real need to have a forum just for professionals who are asking larger-scale questions of the same thing non-professionals ask about. Just post there, and if its totally out of our scope, I'm sure someone else will pick it up.

Sounds fine with me. But I think the term Pro or Professionals is a bad idea, its initial implication is that a Pro/Professional is something elite and that that forum would be for a class of people better than everyone else here. I realize that the implied meaning wasn't that, and was more of a buisness professional meaning, but that isn't what people are going to think of when they see it in a forum dedicated mainly to solving computer problems.

Right, what I'm thinking is of a new forum called "Technology as a Business"

In the context of this thread, professionals = people working on PCs and technology as a business/for profit.

I guess it's worth a shot, but I still think everything is basically covered in the current forums. Granted it is spread out over many forums, but the information is still there.

Never hurts to try new things!

I've thought about what went on here for a couple days and have this to say;

If people can't say what they feel is appropriate in a 'suggestion box' thread, whether with some acidic humour or seriuously, without having someone DELETE their comments, then the purpose of the suggestion box has been lost.

I thoughtb I made one of each - in fact, my second post was as serious as my support posts and made good sense (now others are spouting the same words but mine are GONE).

So, at my 1460'th final post, I bid you goodbye. I have, I feel, helped a number of people (at least from the thank you's posted) so it wasn't a waste of time at all.

Be well and keep up the work.

CCT

It was all well until personal flaming started for no good reason, I tried to put things back on track. If you feel angry about the deletion of your posts I'm sorry but if it wouldn't be for proper moderation these boards would not survive as a good place for tech enthusiasts to exchange information.

I guess it's worth a shot, but I still think everything is basically covered in the current forums. Granted it is spread out over many forums, but the information is still there.
Would that mean someone would have to move threads again?

I don't really know what could be discussed in such place. Legal things about tech work? Quite country specific.

I guess I could be counted in "people working on PCs and technology as a business/for profit" - I just create websites and administer web servers for living.

The exact wording for the sub-forum doesn't really matter to me. It's what's to be discussed that does. I'll let the TS Powers decide what it should be called and described. I'm just interested in the discussion.

Ya know, I am still new here, but this is sounding more and more like it would be a place for people to feel elite and to make them feel as if they have something more. I will say, I do this kind of stuff for profit, but I don't see what I would discuss in a forum like that... and as for the idea of things like how to market, I think a simple post in the meeting spot asking how to advertise would be sufficient. I do stand behind the thought that this forum would exclude members and shove a wedge in. If people have questions about how to join the tech pro world, they will ask... in fact i think I saw a post like that last week. JMHO (again, and I'm sorry if this comes across poorly, i do not intend to attack anyone)

I can easily see all kinds of good topics and issues to be discussed in a forum like this!

As for appearing "elitist", that is a matter of perspecitive and opinion. As I see it, what is true is true. There is a sub group of members who are professionals who would like to discuss topics and issues that of interest to them but not to non-professionals. So what makes that "elitist"? I compare this argument to a university student body with special interest clubs.

As for appearing "elitist", that is a matter of perspecitive and opinion. As I see it, what is true is true.

First of all sir, that is exactly what I was referring to. You sound as if you are above others. This is not the same as the club thing in schools, clubs try to be non exclusive, you are trying to create something that would be somewhat. Yes people would be free to contribute, but there is a strong chance that they would feel excluded. They don't have a job in the field, or couldn't get one, and they are on the sidelines. If you do in fact feel like this is a nonexclusive idea, then why need a sub-forum for it? Couldn't you use the current forums to discuss your advertising and jokes about those users who think their CD drive is a cup holder? Or in that case, you could use the current threads.

What I meant by "what is true is true" is that if we are professionals, we are professionals. I didn't mean tech professionals are "elitist". I went to explain that we are simply a subgroup within the membership. Read the whole paragragh!! I was arguing that we DON'T consider ourselves "elitist"!!

Cripes!

I did read the whole paragraph. I just thought that sounded a little strong there. Take a deep breath. How about rather than simply saying there are a number of topics people would discuss in this forum, why don't you list them out, or give some examples.

I think the people has spoken and there seems to be no room for the new board... perhaps some other time in the future. In the meantime for specific topics you could post in the Meeting Room and see who else got the same interest in discussing any such topics and we can go from there.

TechSpot Management,

I just have to renew my call for this! There are more than a few of us on this site who are tech professionals and there's so much I've learnt in the past 6 months starting up my own PC servicing business that I would love to share. Not only that, but there are many questions I have and points I would like to discuss with others! Yet, there is no specific subforum for me to post them under! I can only use "The Meeting Spot" and it's just doesn't seem appropriate.

Can we please have a subforum for us to discuss topics specific to professional tech support (other than solving tech issues that is) What I mean is, we talk about things customers like, what works for a tech support business, ...

TIA,
-- Andy

Hi Andy, I think you brought up the idea to soon since it was dropped.
I have seen a few of your messages on the Meeting Spot and in fact I have seen the need for some of them to be merged (as with this one). I don't want to discourage you from posting but for the time being things will remain as is.

For more business related topics you can keep using the meeting spot, for technical/general you can use Other hardware.