Obviously the content of this post has changed. In thinking about all this Marketing and publicity controversy I have come to some conclusions. A, that it has become no fun as a blogger to talk or post on this. I just get angry and frustrated whenever I think about this topic. Siemens policy is what it is and SE is my CAD program of choice and I am going to leave it at that. B, I am not going to beat this drum any more for a number of reasons including I think that it has become counterproductive to continue in this vein. Rather than sit here and get angry over something I have no financial interest in I am choosing to go back to the technical aspects of the program I use and keep my opinions to myself on corporate policies. I can see why bloggers quit posting for a while or entirely and until you have been here as a blogger you may not understand. You can get wrapped up in a product and forget that it is at the end of the day just a tool of production. So, I am going to put things back into a perspective that makes this enjoyable again.
I am also seriously reconsidering commentaries on other software to. I am losing interest in what Dassault and Autodesk may or may not be doing in the cloud. I choose not to go there and if you do you make a choice as a consenting adult and live with it. If indeed they are even going to force you there which is becoming questionable in my mind anyway. This is another aspect of blogging that tires me and it is just what is really going on? No one ever completely levels with you so you are left with snippets of news and conjecture quite often. At least with the technical side of the software it either works or it does not and these are truths that can be verified.
Paul Waddington used to post a lot and so did that Steve http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCQQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blog.cadnauseam.com%2F&ei=EZAaU-3tJY_IkAeZx4G4Aw&usg=AFQjCNHxi6AdkxqCTHZzL3nQ1ewYFKhH0g&bvm=bv.62578216,d.eW0&cad=rja guy who was a fencer from I think AU. They have both just disappeared from the scene and none seems to know why. I have to wonder if the negative side of the software companies finally outweighed the positive aspects of the software for them and when the fun left so did they. Both of them were pretty unhappy with Autodesk before they went away. In any case I am thinking hard here about it all and just what I wish to derive from this blog.
Machined Audio Horn Lens 
I know what you mean. I’ve decided to give up following SE blogs. Whats the point? There is nothing going on and if there is its probably something to yawn about. Matt hasn’t written a practical ‘learn about SE’ article since Xmas. I guess he was told not to. The recent webinar/debate which might have been interesting to view requires you to sign up to see it – no thanks. All in all I feel my interest in SE has been defeated and I think I have been persistant. I *have* come to appreciate some of SE despite how it confounds my SW mindset so I will be in a better position to transition in the future, but I really dont see SE as something to enthuse over. Why would you? The marketing absolutely sucks to hell and it sets the tone for the whole community thing. Some while ago I wrote jokingly about the SE user group meeting in the basement around a bare 40w lightbulb. I think I was too generous, you need to bring your own bulb. Anyway thanks for tolerating my visits Dave. I’ll see ya round. 🙂
Keep up the straight talk about CAD. I am amazed at how disconnected these executines are.
SEU sounds like a great event and I was hoping to go last year but it clashed with the the family holiday. This year it is earlier so doesn’t clash but i get no sense whatsoever as to what is in the next release so lack confidence that it will be relevant.
I know SE prefer the “big reveal” on release day and I get that, but I find the utter silence totally unnerving.
I hope this event grows and builds upon last year and maybe I’ll make it some year.