I do not want to make unnecessary noise but I’m dissatisfied with the way WDC is using all these (still) motivated and enthusiastic people, here. Just the issues I see:
For the most it’s not clear what WDC is working on. They offered the idea lab but there is no maintained table or overview what they really want to fix or in case of an enhancement request to implement.
Beta releases appear to be offered very seldom; instead fixing only a few things and let it test and discuss by the community, I get the impression they try to fix and implement all issues with a major final release … I’ve never seen a project/product where this was successful at all.
With a maintained list for the community what will be fixed and implemented at all and with release notes for any beta release what has already be done, the repeating nagging that something XYZ still isn’t fixed till now would be unnecessary.
So, sorry to say but the term community in my eyes is understood in another way and not to be treated and seen as crowd of cheap alpha tester who are not allowed to look behind the wall.
You’re right (and it’s not just limited to this part of the WD community)
Essentially, though, the problem is that there are unrealistic expectations here by people such as us due to the way WD has positioned these forums. Most companies make it pretty clear that forums such as these are strictly user-to-user, with the occasional employee stepping in either to moderate or to offer their strictly unofficial take on things. The Apple forums are a good example of this – Apple employees, while clearly identified as such (as are the WD folk here) also make it VERY clear that anything they say is off the record and does not in any way represent Apple’s official policy.
WD here seems to want to have it both ways – they say it’s a user community (with all that entails) and then change their minds and come in from time to time on a very official basis to make pronouncements and/or offer technical support. While this is very rare it does encourage the view that these forums ARE being used by WD as more than simple user communities. And they also offer beta software and seem to solicit feedback about it which they also seem to ignore for the most part (but not completely).
A real user community is just that – just you and I helping each other in whatever way we can. There may or may not be upper “levels” where people have more access to management and other facilities, but at the very public face of it there is no official presence whatsoever. This makes it very clear what is going on.
Any beta type program is also very separate from the user community – again, this makes it clear just what is going on and it also keeps the amount of time any employees have to spend in monitoring and responding to issues from getting out of hand. This is not the case here.
I’ve tried to explain this to WD but they are either reluctant or unwilling to change things in any way. So the confusion will continue. In the meantime we all do the best we can to communicate to WD and hope they will hear us.
I think this is a great thread. The comments posted so far are very valid and constructive. I’m sure most people that are signed into the “Community” would love to give WD a piece of their mind. I agree that some requests are unrealistic but some seem very valid. Either way, lack of response makes people feel we are talking into deaf ears.
Every time I come to this forum, I’m always looking to answer two questions.
1. What is WD working on for the future of the WDTV line or products?
2. Should I continue to hope for significant firmware imporvements or is my WDTV Live pretty much the best it will ever be?
I feel the WDTV Live Plus was a kick in the face to my question #1.
It’s hard if not impossible for any company to answer questions on what future products will be. Due to the way the market works announcing a product or direction prematurely can be deadly – that’s why even though rumors abound and even when prototypes make their way to the public Apple remains steadfast in their refusal to even speculate on what a new iPhone will do or look like. We may not like it, but it’s just the way things work.
Indeed, companies that DO announce such future products should always be viewed with caution. In many cases they are just floating vaporware – things they have no intention of making (or things they *might* make depending on how they are received). And sometimes unscrupulous companies preannounce things very far away from the drawing board in order to stop other companies from making progress. And finally, there are those companies like Syabase that honestly intend to deliver a product but between the announcement and the release there is a huge disconnect (“many a slip tween the cup and the lip”).
So while it might be frustrating, I think it’s a Good and Noble thing we do not know what direction WD plans to go in the future. And we never will.
I do not think you will see major improvements in the functionality of the Live. WD seems committed to squashing the remaining bugs (which are considerable) and along the way they do offer a tiny bit of improvements (usually due to other product development they can incorporate) but the Live is pretty much what it is and if it doesn’t meet your needs now it’s unlikely it ever will in the future.
Now, that’s just my SWAG, but it’s an informed SWAG.
