BS

Earl,

There are many of us that are very greatful for the FREE service SMTnet.com provides. How do you expect them to pay overhead without advertisers? Do you want to pay? They continue to provide a good service and we should remember that it is for FREE! So, unless you have something vital to say shut up about the advertising.

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I don't entertain the forum like JAXSUN. I never have played games but for some humorous insights. I, when participating, never complained until management provided only more incentive to advertisers than forum members.

That said, the following is a list of questions every engineer participating on the forum should be asking instead of the obvious supposedly found in the "archives."

1) What are the major issues with solderability especially with "modern" solder termination coatings (cause and effect, process management, FMEA, or whatever)as silver, gold, HASL, tin, platings, etc.

2) What are issues presented by current land pattern sizes, layouts, TCE matching, physical chip properties, etc.

3) What effects are ensured by poor process management without DFM/CE besides the redundant rhetoric expounding question concerning tombstoning and solder ball type stuff.

4) What multilayer PCB requirements must be met to ensure acceptable dimensional stability, laminate integrity, and electrical performance.

5) What issues really are involved in BGA type devices and their corner cracking issues - mostly concerning ceramic types.

6) Why are CCGA type device solder joints more readily acceptable initially and on a long term reliability basis.

7) Why does Dr. Lee's SMQ92 product so much better than the competitions paste - I like especially the J paste with such excellent release characteristics.

8) Why are Tg and TCE characteristics not mutually codependent - for the most part.

9) How is it possible to make BGA's into column grid arrays and why should it be done.

10) Why is it left up to independent companies to determine the most effective pad sizes for BGA's (7095 not yet available) and why is smaller better for BGA's and chip device type components.

11) Why doesn't someone place the advertising stuff in a separate envelope so you forum participants can participate more effectively.

12) Why does all the attention go to advertisers instead of participants who, but a hand full, have departed out of disgust.

13) Why would someone like Earl Moon, and many many others, depart this forum but for not receiving input about their site "hits" (it's a secret known only to management?) so they can share in the site's profitability?

14) Why are there wise asses like JAXSUN participating with only their opinions?

15) There are tons of new questions that should be of concern to all forum members, especially engineers and managers, instead of on-line forums whose questions come only from those interested in solder balling.

16) I repeat, it's easy to get advertisers at whatever price, but you can't make them stay without attracting highly qualified forum members who know what's really going on on the ground floor and in the advanced arenas. 90% of the current participants have real needs that could easily be found in the "archives" but there is no direction to that easily found. IPC has a slick system. How slick? It's just there without blatant banners hung up everywhere hanging up everything.

17) What's the point continuing with over a hundred issues, new and old, so important they are beyond the scope of most here unless the forum's management gets on the ball

Earl Moon

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Welcome back Moon Man. Your title is an apt description of the occurrence of your return. I always enjoy your bombastic baccalaureate, and welcome your feedback and observations. It is very helpful to hear from someone who has reached the point of frustration with what we are trying to do here to overcome any sense of decorum and vent. I often feel the same way and, as those here can attest, give rise to those feelings. However in relating to other SMTneters, we do ask, if not insist that personal vitriol and invective be kept in the room where it belongs, the little room outside with the crescent moon on the door. Sorry, but in keeping with a sense of play and fun I am taking what may be inappropriate license, there by perhaps disregarding my own admonition. If my lightness is taken that way, I apologize. And it in no way ignores the seriousness with which wetake your message. If I may, I�d like to take your observations, list them and give my best shot at a response and see if we can't move forward with your enthusiastic prodding. If I forget or misrepresent anything, please provide any appropriate correction. 1. Earl said: "No advertising! Yes sirs!

I have placed my hat, head, body, and soul into what Dave and Jax have finally said, plus the fact this forum is totally turned commercial and we pundants have to obey the no advertising rule while the forum management seeks advertising type crap from those willing to post papers or presentations.

Admitedly, some are very good - they still go against the grain that setup this fourm. The respondents to the commercialism that has become so much a part of the fabric, are giving it away - free.

Dave and Jax have hit the nail on the head of a dull hammer I have proposed for sometime. How long will this continue? I guess 'til the cows come home because that's what will be left if they leave - plus a few more. SMTnet response: As the founding "grain" with the idea for SMTnet and its forum perhaps I can say a little as to why we started this site. As the electronics industry has such a short product life cycle, we thought that a way for problem solvers to connect to information across the new Internet would be well received. I think our instinct has been correct. With over 1 million hits, 250,000 page views and 40,000 unique visits from 16,000 unique visitors 25% of whom are from outside the US, per month, we are reaching a good audience of problem solvers in the electronics manufacturing industry. Such as yourself. Do we have a way to go? You bet, and we are well aware and working everyday to provide better service. To that end we are scheduled to completely redo the backend software that operates the site before yearend. This will not materially change the site itself, but will make it easier to maintain and . expand and will allow us to better personalize the site to fit a variety of preferences and interests.

Advertising pays our bills! Well almost. Actually since we are making our next level of investment, not even close. It's as simple as that. But, to my mind it does something more. It delivers important information regarding new products and services to you who are trying to solve the industry problems. Perhaps as much as any forum answer. In addition, the Sponsors, who have supported us, have been in turn supporting you by helping us deliver this site for your free use. We don't even require registration to use the forum, per your insistance. They are believers in this new medium and are like Public Radio supporters, they give so that others may benefit. In return, we acknowledge their support . If we disagree on that, well we will have to respectfully disagree. But perhaps in our new site we can add an advertising free version for a nominal subscription fee. Brian is already looking at putting that feature into the new software. So thanks for the suggestion. As to the forum being used by contributors to directly promote their products: it has been our impression that doing so is out of line with our users� preferences. Nevertheless, as some participants can attest, they have been contacted as a result of their postings and some of the contacts have lead to significant new business. I believe that you have even mentioned as much yourself 2. Earl said: It doesn't end. It takes five minutes for us out in yaya land without DSL or cable modem just to log on and search forums. The email is impossible and the search archives is ridiculous SMTnet response: The new site will accelerate loading times dramatically. Loading time has been halved in the past months, and we are looking at our loading standards for the future to improve the experience. We have strict file sizes on all images and do our current best to keep things moving. I personally am on a dial up and experience the same loading problems. Bad, but not terrible. There will be a much improved email program as well. What we have is indeed "impossible." Please stand-by. The search has been improved due to prior requests, perhaps 2 months ago, and is dramatically better in its function. The search tips are a good help. Yes, there is a bunch of less-than-edifying threads in the database and the suggestion of FAQ�s that organize some questions is a good one. Any suggestion of how to pay for that service? 3. Earl said: The magazine is owned by advertisers and Dave. I do like Dave's reviews however SMTnet response: We like Dave's reviews also. The magazine is embryonic and is scheduled to undergo drastic restructuring with the new site redo. Personalization will be its key feature. Just what you wish. 4. Earl said: [Comments not to be repeated[ SMTnet response: I will not repeat his comments here as they contained personal invective. But the ON BOARD Forum was to act as a stimulant to more questions from further afield and perhaps more technical. This in response to requests for such content. Again, it is only in its first stages and will become better with time. Well, I have carried on at length and hope to have added more light then darkness. Thanks Earl for your continued encouragement and helping us not lose sight of in whose service we serve.

Peter, SMTnet

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Earl; try ineedtobeneeded.com and leave the politics at the office. Enjoy your day.

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