Hire a 'Product Information Coordinator'

[Joe G.]

This is a critique of this website.

Red has an opportunity here to present a clear, concise, efficient and up to date picture of itself -- rather than this jumbled mess.

And it is a jumbled mess. You could look for months, and months, and still not have a full grasp of the camera. The noise to signal ratio here makes this site unmanageable and inefficient as a tool for learning about the camera.

The official Red website also lacks in detail.

A specialist should be hired and assigned to correct this clarity deficit. Probably a team is required, but at the very least an Information Coordinator (manager) would be responsible for:

1) Creating new, better, official Red FAQs that are easy to navigate and current.

2) Receiving copies of all developments that change the specs and impact users, so as to incorporate the changes into the FAQ library.

3) Monitoring 3rd party developer issues and keeping that information current and clear along with the other data mentioned.

I don't think these issues should be threads where users can clog them up, but webpages where some kind of email would be sent if information is challenged, or found to be inaccurate. That way MIS-information is never associated with official Red product information.

A strategy is needed for people who don't want to wade through endless discussions, and just want the cold hard facts in about 6 seconds.

This applies doubly to post production workflow issues, where I still am not sure how this is supposed to work, and it seems to change hourly (and drastically).

Some users will no-doubt attack this as heresy, as there is a cult mentality I've witnessed here, and smiles must be maintained at all cost.

Time is money.

[Joe G.]

Let me add:

VIDEO TUTORIALS are also lacking. This is an obvious area where much info could be easily passed on, but there seems to be no dedicated team/peraon at Red producing any.

The best video tutorials I've seen were from independent people and rental houses.

This should be corrected. It's not like Red doesn't have access to the technology, nor people willing and able to explain things to the customer base.

[Martin Weiss]

Red is aware of this less-than-perfect situation and they are working on it. Also more video tutorials.

But with Red being a young and small(ish) company, they have to set their priorities, and right now these are - rightfully IMHO - on the production/stability side.

Give them some more time, and red.com will become a source for information.

In the meantime, you can try www.redhax.net, read the manuals on Red http://www.red.com/support/release_history/5

I also find it helpful to use the Google search, and include the phrase "reduser" - gives better results than the reduser search itself...

[J. Bernard Vallon]

I can definitely see how Reduser could look like that at first glance (or second, or fifth glance).

In its defense, it can be a huge wealth of information. I've solved more problems on Reduser with a simple post, and in less time, than I could imagine.

Further defense: the Red is a pro camera, and we all know it. Video tutorials, though sometimes helpful and a wise move, aren't really in the bag. The camera isn't complicated, considering what it does.

Improvements can be made, for example the search tool doesn't really give the best results, and I often don't find the old thread I remember reading and have to re-ask old information.

[Joe G.]

"I often don't find the old thread I remember reading and have to re-ask old information."

Exactly. It would be a strategic decision on their part to assign a person or department (marketing?) to come up with the best possible presentation of this huge amount of data, so people don't have to waste their valuable time looking for it.

A couple of people at Red can organize the info -- or every Red owner and potential customer can independently try and find (perhaps not successfully) out the facts about the camera.

It's just more efficient and "professional" (I see that word came up) if the company steps up and doesn't neglect this important and fundamental part of doing business: explaining the product.

By NOT having a clear and easily found library, everyone keeps asking the same questions over and over, clogging up the boards further. It only adds to the problem, becuase the company's product information is so lacking.

I don't think it's a trivial matter, and there's no reason they can't hire a person/team to do this concurrently with everything else.

[Noah Kadner]

ha- it's just not that kind of party brother. If you want everything all orderly and proper you want Sony, JVC, Canon, etc etc. If you want to be on the bleeding edge doing tequila shots off a stripper's belly button, you've come to the right place. So cowboy up or bail... :construction:

Noah

[Michael Thornton]

ha- it's just not that kind of party brother. If you want everything all orderly and proper you want Sony, JVC, Canon, etc etc. If you want to be on the bleeding edge doing tequila shots off a stripper's belly button, you've come to the right place. So cowboy up or bail...

Noah

I second that.

Oh, and the views are great.

http://www.reduser.net/forum/uploaded/4234_1216450430.jpg

Thank You Red.

Tek

[Ramesh Jai]

ha- it's just not that kind of party brother. If you want everything all orderly and proper you want Sony, JVC, Canon, etc etc. If you want to be on the bleeding edge doing tequila shots off a stripper's belly button, you've come to the right place. So cowboy up or bail... :construction:

Noah
How old are you? You really don't have to be a maverick to be on the bleeding edge.

I totally understand mail4joeg's concern and I think Martin Weiss' answer is spot on.