Documentation

[goprog]

Has anyone actually been in the business of major appliance
repair? If so, can you give us an idea of the amount of
documentation out there? Is it too massive to consider
providing online? Is it too massive and would overwhelm
Robert's website?

I still have that idea. I would certainly like to really do
something with this - maybe not as massive as the Mormon's
genealogical database, but I don't think the manufacturers
are on our side and we have to do something to keep this
information available - for older machines and for the newer
machines because time marches on. Though one might consider
newer machines don't have the staying power of the older
machines because of the planned obsolesence or quality of
manufacturing. (Or maybe that is even a better reason to
preserve the information for the fewer surviving specimans.)

 

[danemodsandy]

It's An Idea....

There are websites out there that specialise in archiving info that manufacturers forgot they every had. One is the Old Car Manual Project at www.tocmp.com . There are repair and service manuals for older automobiles, plus manufacturer's sales brochures. A look at the site will show how great the idea is- but it will also show how big a task it is to compile and organise so much material.

In the case of vintage appliances, there are not only service manuals and vintage sales materials, there are owner's manuals to consider. There's many a vintage appliance owner who would give his right arm for the correct owner's manuals for his favourite appliances. Like me!

A site with that kind of material would be wonderful, but it would take a lot of effort and expense to create and update. That doesn't mean it couldn't be done!

http://www.tocmp.com

 

[Unimatic1140]

Is it too massive and would overwhelm Robert's website?

Yes, unfortunately hard drive space on the server can be expensive and it would send the bandwidth of the site through the roof which can also get expensive. Not to mention all the work and time in setting up something like that which I wont have for years. While the technology is getting better and the prices from storage and bandwidth are certainly coming down, we're not quite there yet.

 

[frigilux]

Sandy---Thanks for the link to TOCMP! I used to have quite a collection of car owner's manuals, ranging from a '58 Cadillac to some early '70s models. I loved reading through them. I'm reading TOCMP's scan of the 1956 Ford right now. Well, not RIGHT now, I'm here at AW right now. But I'll be back at TOCMP momentarily. Reading the '56 Ford Owner's Manual. Ahem.

 

[danemodsandy]

Frigilux:

You're welcome. Isn't that a great site?

But it's easy to see Robert's point- archiving that amount of info would cost a bundle. It would probably cost more than TOCMP, since there are many more manufacturers and models in the appliance field than there are for cars.

But maybe it'll become more feasible in future, as Robert says.