Poll: How Can I Get You More Active In The RoadTest Program?

Well there is a bit of competition if the number of kits offered are small to the demand based on good quality applications. I think Randall has had times where the whittling down still exceeded the number of kits by a far number. Luckily that happens not too often... Overall, I believe Randall has been extremely fair. I do not think anyone would deny that...

My two cents worth,

Clem

Sure!

Thanks,

Nitin

In what aspect are road tests competitive?

Perhaps if an arrangement could be made with a professor/instructor to formally incorporate a product into the curriculum for a related class, there would be a better chance of assuring student involvement. 

However, the competitive nature of Road Tests is incompatible with the educational equity requirements in many for-credit courses. A class based project may not fit well with other element14 programs.  I see this hypothetical arrangement working as a formal group project with teams composed of 3 or 4 students.  Depending on class size this could require up to 10 or so kits/class section, perhaps subsidized or heavily discounted by element14.  Depending too on the complexity of the product, this approach may require a full semester to complete, but it should generate a lot of useful learning including project management, collaborative team work, experimental design, report writing, troubleshooting, test equipment use, code writing, etc.

A competitive aspect could be worked in by having a judged competition between schools based on final project outcomes, with some desirable prize available as a motivator.

Mark A.

Okay. Perhaps I misunderstood.

If an application meets all the basic requirements (complete application, meets deadline requirements, indicates test procedure, etc.) it is an eligible application and it is sent to the supplier along with my choices or recommendations. The sponsor has the option to use my selections or chose his own from all the eligible applications. So, all eligible applicants have a chance of being selected.

In the past, before I took over managing the roadtest program, all the applications were sent to the sponsor unread, whether they were completed or not. In fact, there were no screening questions. You could put your name and address down and write in anything you want. The problem with that was the roadtest review completion rate was 13%. This is what led me to include more screening as it stand now.

Just sending all the applications to the sponsor unread I personally think it was not all that fair. If I had a roadtest of 100 applications, I would end up sending the supplier a file that was 150 pages long. I'm sure many of those applications never got read. Today, everyone gets considered.

Randall

Hello rscasny,

I believe what station240 is trying to point out is that if an application meets the initial requirements (being complete, questions answered adequately) such applications should have the same chance of being selected instead of having 0% chance if it doesn't make the final cut (the preselection based on the quality of proposal) -this is my understanding of what he is trying to explain, I might be wrong.

Luis

There's lots of good tips from Fred27 and dougw and others, myself included, here:

https://www.element14.com/community/roadTests/2113/l/3-series-mdo-mixed-domain-oscilloscope#comment-229384

Also, if you want anyone to offer an opinion on an application, or your current blog posts, do speak out, I'm sure people will help. I'm just suggesting that there's things you too can do perhaps (just trying to help).

It is just a personal opinion, I've no idea if it will make a difference. When I look at the current content, I can see that it could benefit from some alterations, some of which are easy to do, and it is a surprise that it isn't done. But this is just from my perspective.

Paul,

Am I understanding you correctly regarding the years as a member should be taken into account as far as roadtester selection?

I do. I look at that, but I also look at the participation. I have selected long term members who have no participation and frequent participation. The long time members who frequently participate usually do their reviews. I have some long term member who have not done their reviews and I have been waiting for years. So, the level of participation is as important as membership years. I consider both.

There are a number of members -- long time and new -- whom I have selected as roadtesters. I send them a notification email that I am getting ready to ship. Some never respond. I will contact them again. If I don't get a response, I am compelled to select someone else.

Randall

rscasny I'm not talking about people who make minimal effort in their applications, it's unfair to everyone to select something like that.

It's easy to spend 2 hours just reading the datasheets/specs for an item, then write up a plan for testing/using it. So lets say 4 hours.

I wouldn't be spending 4 hours on something if I didn't think I could do it.

Is there going to be a better written application than mine ? yes absolutely, this sort of thing happens all the time with just about everything.

However, this isn't a valid reason my application should have 0% chance of being selected.

Maybe you are painting yourself into a corner, where the same dozen odd people write most of the reviews, and need to have been a member for 5 years to be selected for some items at all.

Paul.

I want to thank you for taking the time to provide your thoughts on a lot of different things. It seems fairness (or the lack of) in selection of roadtesters is a big one for you:

"1. Selection could be fairer - nothing I can do if I get selected for anything."

Here's what I think:

By its very nature, selecting a roadtester is not a mathematical decision where one answer or roadtester is the  clear choice. When I took over managing the roadtest program, most reviews were not completed. Supplier interest was waning because they were not getting reviews. So, I began changing the application form and the selection process. I have a good idea on the type of applicant who does not write a review. Let me give you two examples: if someone does not answer all the questions in the application form, they are less likely to write the review. Or, if someone does not provide me with a testing procedure in the application form that shows me he understands the product (or he says I'll figure it out when I get the product), there is a low likelihood of writing a review.

But when it comes down to the final decision, someone who writes an informative application is generally chosen over someone who answers each application question with one word. I think that is fair. I spend hours going through and reading the applications. I do not put all the applications in a database and screen application by character count, which I think would be unfair. I think every application deserves at least one read through.

Is the issue fairness or competition? I will say that compared to two years ago the applications today are high quality. Thus, competition comes into play to a certain degree.

But in the end, the supplier has to approve of my choices or provide alternate choices. And the supplier may not have as much time or interest in reading a hundred applications. So, I try to help them and make sure that everyone gets considered. I feel I am fair, however, there's always room for improvement.

Randall Scasny

RoadTest Program Manager