Newsgroups: alt.machines.cnc From: Black Dragon Subject: Moore Tool Company Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2007 16:02:02 -0400 Message-ID:
This post is for archival purposes, the information contained within should be permanent public knowledge.
A number of times in the past the issue has been brought up about whether machine tool and software companies monitor this Usenet newsgroup, alt.machines.cnc, and care about any good or bad "press" they may get here.
There is at least one machine tool company which took real life action on a posting made here they didn't like. The post was made by me, and the company was Moore Nanotechnology Systems, LLC.
=========================== begin quote ==========================
> Newsgroups: alt.machines.cnc
> From: Black Dragon
> Date: Mon, 4 Sep 2006 14:45:29 -0400
> Message-ID:
> My current employer has a 1/4 million dollar Moore Nanotech diamond
> turning lathe for doing ultra precision optical work. (we just ordered
> another, too) A few weeks ago in the machines PC based control, a cheap
> assed CPU fan (bushings, no bearings) croaked, which then cooked the
> processor, and mainboard, and nearly took some other hardware with it. Had
> there been proper ventilation, which it would have if Moore hadn't jammed
> the computer components in a tiny little desktop case and bolted the case
> to the inside of the control cabinet in an area where there aren't any
> fans in sight, it may have survived the ailing CPU fan. Apparently
> spending another thousand dollars or so on a decent setup with more
> robust hardware is too much to ask for on a 250 thousand dollar machine.
> I find it truly appalling that a company such as Moore would decide to put
> cheap hardware, and do it cheaply to boot, in such a state of the art piece
> of equipment. It's experiences like these that leave a very sour taste in my
> mouth about PC based controls.
> ============================= end quote ==========================
The repercussions of that seemingly innocuous post were as follows:
1) Although I post using a pseudonym and never mentioned who I worked for Moore figured out who had the machine I was talking about based on the specific problems and circumstances I mentioned. The machines are sold in, apparently, a very niche market and there are so few of them in the field they were able to narrow it down with ease based on my single post.
2) For the better part of nearly two weeks after I made that post Moore stopped responding entirely to support requests without any hints at all as to why they stopped.
3) After the situation was investigated by the people running our shop a copy of my post quoted above shows up in my superiors email boxes as the reason why Moore wasn't answering the support calls. They were upset that "we" would do such a dastardly thing to them, making them look bad in public.
4) Promises were made to Moore it wouldn't happen again, and I was reprimanded. Was told not to post anything else anywhere that might harm the relationship my employer has with Moore even though I may do it pseudonymously.
5) Support and relationship with Moore restored, work forges ahead.
What were they thinking? That they were going to get away with censorship by using politics?
Suggestion to Moore Tool Company: Grow some skin, the thicker the better.
Suggestion to anyone looking at Moore Nanotech diamond turning systems: take a look at Precitech systems as well, they may not be so sensitive about a bit of warranted criticism if needed.