Very valid and well thought points Ed. Thank you for the clarity (and not resorting to name calling, which I admit I started getting dragged into).
My only real complaint was that I thought this was a forum for, I have a problem described as such, anybody have any suggestions. THAT is what I thought forums such as this were setup and meant to provide. Not tell me how to completely install and run the system, if I needed that much hand holding then I should definitely NOT be sticking my hands into these areas.
However, I KNEW it was something that was casually overlooked. The corrupt db thought didn't completely calculate with me based on the other results I was seeing. But most of the responses amounted to, "battery was dead, you should have known to check that, bad on you, swindled some poor sap". At least that is how I interpreted it.
I came here seeking the knowledge of the collective mass, not the belittlement from the elite few. I know my boundaries, and these are no where near where they are set. Yes I am intelligent, yes I am confident, but I know what I don't know. And in EVERY other forum of a technical nature I've ventured onto, I've been inundated with potential solutions. It was up to me to filter through which made sense as a possible answer (since no one but me truly knows all the factors that present themselves and it is virtually impossible to remember to include them in a post).
THAT is where the true professional shines, gather information, filter out what you realize is not relevant, and then take what's left and associate it with your current situation to try to find an answer.
It was never my intention to bring this (or any other forum) to a level below where it strives to maintain itself. However, if I feel that others are attacking my character, I will stand up for myself and speak my mind. I've never had a problem speaking up for what I feel is right. True, the telecom companies that build this hardware have a right to protect their property, but (and again this is in my VERY humble opinion) not at the expense of the customer.
Having ANY system that has a default status of non-operational is a VERY poor design. That wasn't the case in this instance, but it was pointed out that the Inter-Tel systems, upon a failed onboard battery and subsequent loss of power would then require a business to call in a "certified tech" to resolve the issue. That just seem ludicrous to me. Sure, wipe out the memory, phone system is in a VERY basic state, but NON-OPERATIONAL???? That seems to me to be a HUGE red flag as to a company who is not interested in the end user, but rather in their own bottom line. I mean, seriously, how many businesses can you say you deal with where anyone there ever even looks in the wiring closet, let alone checks for a light to tell them a battery is failed. Maybe they were told when the system was first installed, but personnel move on and things get neglected (especially when they are working at the moment).
Don't get me wrong, every business HAS to keep their own bottom line as their main goal, but any company I want to associate myself with will do that, WITHOUT risk to the end users. Maybe I have my rose colored lenses outlook, but in my business, I will share any knowledge with any client that wants to know. I don't operate via smoke and mirrors (which quite a few companies in my field do). Does this mean I don't get some service calls that would put money in my pocket? Sure. But what I've found is that it builds a better bond with my clients and actually saves me from having to address a lot of service calls that would detract me from other work.
Now, I also know when I should and shouldn't explain something to a particular client because some are their own worst enemies.
I guess the purpose of this diatribe is that while I understand the reasoning behind some of these actions, I also find it rude and insulting that a forum that professes to be a place to help other technicians, treats someone who isn't fully vetted into the psychology of what is the telecom industry, with such disdain. (Again, that is how it came across to me).
I am sure a vast majority of you technicians are more than willing to lend a quick piece of advice from time to time. Just remember, you didn't just wake up one day knowing it all, everyone runs across a situation that is new to them. That is the exact reason for forums such as this.
I appreciate everyone's responses, whether I felt they were well thought out or not, it is appreciated that you felt strongly enough about a topic such as this to voice your opinion. That is how improvement comes, through a collective discussion where all viewpoints are heard and considered.
