Are we aware of our knowledge?

[whirlpolf]

Sorry guys and gals,

been absent for some weeks due to a hospital break away from "normal" life.
Once absent you have a lot of time to think: What came to my mind is this:

All product information, all company ups and downs, all detergent flavours: It is all gathered here, yet in a very random and unstructured way: In a forum that is.

While there is nothing wrong with this at all, are we aware that EACH company only publishes small bits of relevant data here and there?

In other words: From stone age slapping clothes on rocks towards no-wash clothing in the future, automaticwashers is THE unbiased database of knowledge about mechanized laundry of the world (unfortunately not comprising other continents in a sufficient way).
But has there ever been an effort to combine this worldwide knowledge into one? What about all those older members dying away, what about the younger ones finding themselves in an app world?
How can all this be combined into one? Even now Google pops us up first page when asked about older washers or "how-to" instructions, doesn't that tell a story?

So, my friends, I am in to contribute whatever I can, are you?
The companies won't do much about it, that is clear - neither will any consumer magazines, will they?
WE are the ones.

Just a thought, should one of our space satellites be found one day in a deserted corner of spacetime, long after mandkind, there must be SOMEone to tell about the era of washing machines...

As I said: Just a thought.
Joe

 

[cornutt]

Perhaps we should start a wiki. I'd suggest starting one at wikia.com; they host all kinds of wikis, and they let the wiki owner set their own editing and editorial policies.

 

[goatfarmer]

Can you get everyone to agree on any one subject? One might say something they know about a Frigidaire, and someone else swear that was never true, etc.

 

[launderess]

Are We Aware Of Our Knowlede?

Speaking for one's self, yes we are and suspect others feel the same.

Have been aware for sometime that various persons arrive to obtain advice, repair information or whatever from our very knowledgeable members for "free" as it were; such advice on other sites carries a fee or requires payment and may or may to bet totally correct.

By the last statement one refers to that unlike many so called modern repair persons/sites dispensing advice many of us here not only have and continue to use older and or vintage appliances. Thus have intimate and recent knowledge.

Then there are members who in the professional lives would charge good money for the advice/assistance they dispense freely to other members here in the group.

By no means last nor least there is the vast archive of information our Fearless Leader and Website Founder has archived for download and or reference.

Aside from some groups in Europe and perhaps on Yahoo don't think there is another website that contains so much detailed, accurate and useful information on vintage and modern appliances other than what various companies maintain for their products.

When you look at how many views a thread receives versus actual participants in the conversation it is clear something is going on. Case in point my recent thread on the MM has reached >3100 views in about a month.

 

[classiccaprice]

True Launderess, but some of those were just relooking at the thread. I probably looked at that thread at least 15 times myself. I had nothing to add, but I found it interesting to see your progress.

Joe, you have a point, but I'm not entirely sure how it would be accomplished. There would be a lot of arguments and differing opinions.

 

[firedome]

Just the fact that we all are here...

sharing our that knowledge, and as long the Internet exists as a free, accesible, open resource, (not something to be taken for granted, by any means), gives one hope that 100 years from now, some young preson will understand what a Jetcone or Filter Flow or Hydrosweep was, and did, and why it mattered.

 

[kenmore71]

While the idea of wiki page has some appeal (I am a member of a few other boards with wiki resources) I kind of enjoy the fact that most of us share our knowledge and resources pretty freely here whenever anyone asks.