Davids bile giveaway - Customer Area, Download Area, Bugger off Area

There are two basic ways you can give out information on your products:

  • A comprehensive, simple, publicly available website, complete with all of the information the potential customer might need, support software (if applicable) freely available and easily available pricing info, etc.
  • A convoluted site that requires registration to view even the abridged datasheets, providing pretty much no info at all aside from the fact that something fitting the vague description exists, but to know more about this you will have to jump through the Hoops of Sales, Technical support and if you're lucky, you might eventually get an NDA sent your way, complete with a knife which you are supposed to use on your wrist should you disclose the arcane information about the pricing @ 10k pcs. that Sales Drone #048 pulled out of its ass of the tiny little H bridge.

An example of #1 is Analog Devices, LT, Maxim (most of the time, even they have stuff that you must sign and NDA to receive, probably because security through obscurity is the wave of the future). For examples for #2 see any number of small companies that specialize in something, or the other side of the spectrum - Realtek (just try finding their RTL2832U) or Intersil for a lot of their stuff.

What's the deal with that? And better yet, what's the point? At the end of the day you're just pissing off your potential customers. If I need a part and I am choosing between two, one of which has clear pricing, instantly available datasheets, simulation models, the works, (free) samples available, while the other one wants me to register just to be able contact sales drones, well, guess which one I choose.

As to the logic behind NDAs... well, the fuck? Why? I'm looking for a part that is gonna be soldered onto a damn PCB. If your security model is based on everyone keeping his mouth closed, nothing leaking and reverse engineers going on holiday, then know that it's gonna fail. From where I'm standing it looks like you're trying to hide some fuckup.

Also, why can't you show your prices? At least some base value, some ballpark area, something! Does it cost 1.12 USD@1000pcs ? Well, then say it! If I want something different, I'll give you a call. DON'T MAKE ME CONTACT SALES DRONES.

Oh, and sales drones, when I say "no thanks", it does NOT translate into "no, thanks, but please contact me on a monthly basis and stop by when you are in the general area".

Well, that's it for this bile giveaway.

David

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