Farnell/Element14 losing even more plot - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2014, 09:17:17 pm
content: WTF? please guys, stop pissing money on this garbage and online survey companies and just improve your website.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 12, 2014, 10:11:24 pm
content: Agreed, it's just stupid.But of course it's out of the modern corporate social media playbook, so that's what these PR people are trained and paid to do these day unfortunately.I wonder how much they spent on this? Obviously they got a third party company to do it. My guess is it's more than yours and my entire yearly video production budget combined.

author: digsys
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 12, 2014, 10:43:09 pm
content: I think I nearly gagged :-)

author: violet
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: May 12, 2014, 10:50:36 pm
content: OMG!!! no way.... They really are stuck for content. Iv'e got no issues with Element14 but really... what are you doing? doh!

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2014, 10:55:09 pm
content: I'll never get it. All the social media sites, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter... They are all blocked by any decent company. With a very good reason, you are there to work.Why are they doing this? I mean if they get 100 hobbiist on board, that still wont cover even a very small production run by a business. I've been talkint to Farnell representative on a trade show, and he was genuenly curious what they need to do? Seriously?1. Keep the website working and functional2. Make sure everything arrives next day3. Make sure that the price are not ridiculous, it doesn't need to be the lowest.Bonus point:4. Send a pizza with every order, I'll order every day.Now they make a community, although there are only payed bloggers there. Why would we need this?And then there is Mr Heck.

author: kizzap
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 12, 2014, 11:39:24 pm
content: Well I got 7. So that is nice

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 12:30:55 am
content: Quote from: NANDBlog on May 12, 2014, 10:55:09 pmAlmost everyone I've ever spoken to or heard hates the Element 14 community website and the way it works. It is beyond awful.There have been countless people telling Element 14 this from day 1, but they never took it seriously, probably because they invested too much in it, and those in charge have already ticked their KPI boxes and taken home their bonus cheque.They just don't get it, never have, never will.

author: dr.diesel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 12:33:53 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on May 13, 2014, 12:30:55 amTypical detached upper management, sad, so many could do so much more.

author: BalticLab
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 03:41:58 am
content: QuoteWhat you said! I participated in a couple of Element 14's RoadTest. For those I had to familiarize myself with the Element 14 community. It's a giant PITA and on many levels counterintuitive.

author: XOIIO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 03:45:29 am
content: Why are they doing catch advertising stuff like this that looks like it is made to attract new people? I'm pretty sure people like us know what we want and where to get it, and people who don't know much about it won't really know what they are looking for, so, what's the point?

author: scientist
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 03:47:03 am
content: Saw them at Maker Faire NY last year, they tried to con me into buying a $35 RPi for $65 ("but it comes with a 50¢ USB cable and a $1 SD card, and a dumb paper box!"). What a joke.

author: BalticLab
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 03:48:18 am
content: QuoteWell, some things that are obviously stupid to anyone with common sense, get you an "employee of the month" certificate in large corporations.

author: XOIIO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 04:13:02 am
content: Quote from: scientist on May 13, 2014, 03:47:03 amAre you kidding?

author: TVman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 04:15:50 am
content: Quote from: XOIIO on May 13, 2014, 04:13:02 amI don't think he's kidding.

author: scientist
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 04:19:13 am
content: TVMan, if you're 11 your parents should seriously be regulating your computer usage. Do they know you're on this forum?

author: TVman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 04:23:19 am
content: Quote from: scientist on May 13, 2014, 04:19:13 amYes,why?Did I post anything wrong?

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 04:28:14 am
content: Quote from: scientist on May 13, 2014, 04:19:13 amWhat's wrong with this forum?BTW, Sagan just turned 3 a couple of days and he's watching youtube video like crazy. Can't imagine you can stop them or even monitor them when they are 11. Any 7yo could bypass any security paranoid parents add on. And if you think you can watch them 100% of the time, you obviously don't have kids!

author: GeoffS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 04:29:48 am
content: Quote from: TVman on May 13, 2014, 04:23:19 amNot wrong, just pointless and necessary.Posts really should add something to the conversation.Try creating a new thread to tell us what you're doing with electronics and what you'd like to achieve.Lots of people here more than willing to help newcomers.

author: TVman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 04:35:20 am
content: Quote from: GeoffS on May 13, 2014, 04:29:48 amHmm, I think I'll try that some time.Thank you GeoffS!

author: TVman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 04:41:30 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on May 13, 2014, 04:28:14 amI did bypass A network lock at school one time to get to YouTube.Nobody noticed it.But I am Homeschooling now because of bullys.(the principle didn't really care about bulling.)

author: lowimpedance
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 04:53:59 am
content: If element 14 's website sucks, RS 's site makes me want to break out the grenades. The only way I go there is if I'm being poked with a cattle stick.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 04:57:09 am
content: Quote from: lowimpedance on May 13, 2014, 04:53:59 amThe only way you'll get me there is if I get to poke them with a cattle stick.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 04:58:05 am
content: Quote from: TVman on May 13, 2014, 04:57:26 amYou go to RS and try and find things.

author: TVman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 05:00:04 am
content: Man that is BAD!

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 05:01:53 am
content: Quickest way to find stuff there is to do a google search. I have told the sales reps on a regular basis, and I still keep a paper catalogue to get a part number to get to a section to look.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 05:12:54 am
content: Quote from: NANDBlog on May 12, 2014, 10:55:09 pmYou know what the real irony is? In some countries they refuse to sell to hobbyists at all.So in the corporate HQ they have some cocaine snorting*social media specialists, trying to attract "engineers and hobbyists alike". And around the world they have country managers deciding they don't want no stinking hobbyists, just big serious business.You could come to the conclusion that the CEO has lost the plot and doesn't know and doesn't care what is really going on in the company.* Strictly for medical reasons, of course.

author: Zad
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 05:23:49 am
content: People wonder why I still prefer paper catalogues! It is almost like there are 2 totally separate companies, one (the real one) which sells components to professional engineers, and another (the stock exchange listed company) which consists of management with shiny new MBAs and a huge marketing department, who generate media to be consumed by other managers and marketing departments.Several years down the line, and their main web site still can't remember the settings for "In Stock", "Contains lead so you can't sell it anyway" and "Don't search the inventory of a company half way around the globe with a massive price premium". Or even set a minimum and maximum price for searches, to filter out 90% of irrelevant results.Whenever they hold surveys for the Element14 site, they always get flooded with elderly amateurs who think this Internet thing is awfully new and amazing, and web pages should have as much on them as possible. Meanwhile people like me , who have to use them for unimportant things like work and getting stuff done on time, seem to get ignored.Unfortunately for me, Farnell HQ is just 10 miles down the road and it is REALLY handy having an electronics "shop" that size just around the corner. It isn't that I dislike the company, far from it. It is just that they could be doing so, so much better with a smaller budget.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 06:49:53 am
content: Oh, before I forget:5. Stop sending me e-mail in French. I had this like 5 times now. I write an e-mail in English, I get an answer in french, I reply in english, reply comes in french... Seriously? What do you expect, I've learned the language between the two e-mails or something? Not to mention i live in the dutch speaking region.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 07:06:57 am
content: Quote from: TVman on May 13, 2014, 04:35:20 amWhen I was your age, I had people telling me the same thing.

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 08:20:26 am
content: They're trying to get people talking about their community site, which is fair enough and I can't really blame them for that. But I think they've missed an important point:Professional engineers work on projects which areconfidential. Wecan'ttalk about them in public.If a customer hires me to design a board, as helpful as it might be to post questions about it on an internet forum, doing so is an absolute no-no. Even if it were possible to leave out essential technical details - which, of course, are always needed to get a useful answer to a question - imagine how you'd feel if you'd hired an "expert" to solve a problem and then found that "expert" asking about it on the internet.It's not good business.This, of course, is why we have manufacturer support, field apps engineers, and non-disclosure agreements. The industry is pretty good at solving problems, and when we need help, professional engineers can go straight to the people who really should have access to definitively accurate information.Forums are great for sharing general techniques, and for talking about non-commercial and open projects - but most of Farnell's customers are businesses, and we can't just talk about whatever stuff we're working on.That, IMHO, is why e14's community area won't ever take off.

author: bookaboo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 08:34:49 am
content: If Farnell/Element14 want to encourage trade from the hobbyist community the answer is simple. Forget all your in house efforts and sponsor a few independent blogs. Keeping in mind that by "sponsor" I don't mean trying to influence content, just supporting websites, podcasts and blogs.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 08:42:40 am
content: Quote from: AndyC_772 on May 13, 2014, 08:20:26 amNo, it's because their community site is just crap. It is awful to use, it is a complete mess.Thatis why no one wants to use it regardless of how many millions (yes, it's millions) they throw at it and promote it.Look at this forum for example. Almost 20,000 posts a month, and almost 5 million views/month. All with zero budget. Stats that Element14 would have wet dreams about. As far as I can see, after years of promotion and many millions of dollars invested, they get what, maybe 50 posts a day?Why the difference? Because Element 14 sucks to use, and hardly anyone comes back. This forum on the other hand is a familiar bbs style forum that people want to use, so they keep coming back. This is blindingly obvious to everyone but Element 14 it seems.

author: jpb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 09:00:42 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on May 13, 2014, 08:42:40 amThis is very true. I've been on the Element 14 site quite a bit recently since discovering they give away some very expensive kit on their road tests (I'm ever optimistic !).Almost all my postings there have been in response to road tests (basically suggestions for further tests) and though the road testers are very good at responding there is no general interchange as there is on this forum.As you say, the site is confusing - there isn't any central forum that I could see, instead it is a collection of individual postings (blogs, road tests and so on) which I guess people only read if they find them as the result of googling a particular topic.Posting this has probably scuppered my chances in the latest road test - rats!

author: johnboxall
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 09:02:52 am
content: Quote from: bookaboo on May 13, 2014, 08:34:49 amThey have been known to throw free parts to various bloggers, usually not enough to do anything interesting. I think the last offer was UKP25 worth (from memory).

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 10:22:02 am
content: All I want is good service and no.Some of Element 14's prices are outrageous but I am prepared to pay a premium if it is urgent. So why should I pay a premium if most most parts are 5-7 days lead time? How about stocking some parts here in Australia?Also, I don't want salesmen from Element 14 or anyone else dropping around when I am busy - sometimes unannounced. I don't have time to talk crap with sales people. I am too busy. Permanently. Let me call you. DON'T CALL ME.

author: MrsR
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 12:11:26 pm
content: Quote from: jpb on May 13, 2014, 09:00:42 amTheir site is a joke. The KNODE lol. I didn't like Eagle anyway. DESIGNSPARK Ver.5 is good we updated our system with Ver.6 (big mistake) and we are back to Eagle again in drop outs lost components and Gerber Files that have nothing to do with the PCB design.We have an account with ELEMENT14, On placing a large order I requested that they hold the order till all parts were in stock and send in one go.NO they sent 24 separate packages with an average cost of $7.80 each. In a couple the component value was less than $3.Now on small orders under $45.00 Their no transport/Postage NO charge limit I buy from RS COMPONENTS so that's a minimum order of 1 a week and I don't have an account with RS. Also on average RS is cheaper than ELEMENT14 and after an angry email to RS about their Tech. Assistance RS is now way ahead in the help they give. As mentioned in another post Tech help is vital. What or how much information that can be released even to private technical Engineers to find the needed component can be very restricted from a business pushing the customer to a FORUM isn't viable. TI does this.ELEMENT14 would be better off bringing back the no freight charge They must be losing a lot and not just money with the minimum $45 Order. I just bought some 1mm soldering Tips 5 in a packet minimum order 10 Pkts. (That's how you pee off a customer) Spending money on their Web site. Their Parametric search is good but needs improving and their CONNECT magazine needs Component Articles. This would be better than the joke videos.As you might guess I have talked to them a few times and that's what it feels like.

author: Dave
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 07:45:10 pm
content: I absolutely hate Farnell's ridiculous prices for low quantities. If you are buying anything other than jellybean parts in low quantities, expect a high price.Example:ADS7946 (14-bit, 2MSps, dual channel SAR ADC)Texas Instruments' suggested resale price: 4.40 USD @ 1000 unitsPrice onFarnell: 12.02 EUR for 1 pieceBear in mind that the currency of the latter is euro, which at current exchange rates translates to roughly 16.50 USD.And of course, you also need to take tax into account. Add 22% and you are now at more than 20 USD.So, 20 USD from Farnell vs 4.40 USD that the manufacturer recommends. Reasonable pricing?

author: con-f-use
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 08:39:27 pm
content: F/E14 really lost it in the last couple of years- They used to give me a nice student discount: CANCELLED- They used to be the cheapest: MORE EXPENSIVE THAN CONRAD NOW- Their payment system used to work: DIDN'T ACCEPT MY CREDIT CARD (two times in a row now, thing worked the 4 years before and still does any place else)- Their customer service used to be good: Had to send TWO MAILS AND TWO CALLS to find out why my order isn't shipping (again!)The sad thing here is: they might even think, their strategy works, because of this thread their flashy video gets more views.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 09:35:57 pm
content: QuoteNothing wrong with that. As long as the market can bear, more power to them. Fortunately, that's just how capitalism works.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 10:34:20 pm
content: Quote from: Dave on May 13, 2014, 07:45:10 pmThis is sometimes dictated by the manufacturer. I wouldn't say that's too unusual a markup between 1x and 1k

author: all_repair
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 10:57:01 pm
content: E14 has been working hard here. But the problem is when they run their promo with free vouchers or gifts, these vouchers or gift never arrive, even after repeated chasings. They still owe me some movie tickets and some mall vouchers.For some orders, their latest change here has made them slower 1 day or 2 than ordering from across the Pacific. Their pricing is seldom better than Mouser and Digikey, but for the delivery speed I kept some of my orders for them. It used to be ordered before noon, delivered on the same day. Now, is ordered before 5pm, next working day delivery. Normally, my ordering is after 5pm or at night, which means I got my parts 2 days later. If the ordering is on Thursday or Friday after 5pm, my order from USA Mouser or Digikey shall arrive on Monday morning. But for local E14, Thursday order shall come on Mon afternoon, Friday shall come on Tues.Lately, they got quite a good deliveryman for my area.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 08:06:02 am
content: I remember when "Farnell" were a normal Electronics supply house that you could buy useful stuff from to do your job.We didn't need "no steenkin' videos"----you just looked in the (real) catalogue,wrote out your order,rang the bloke up,& got your parts--usually two days later,sometimes the next day.Same with RS Components---in fact,many jobs required bits from both,plus stock from our own parts store.Techs & EEs usually have real jobs to do,& don't have time for stupid PR twaddle.Why the hell would I want to know all these names of manufacturers off by heart,if I'm going to buy the part from E14,anyway?I would have Googled for that information if I needed it----after all,that is what the Internet is supposed to be for,isnt it?Of course,it may appeal to some people,as they enjoy the continuing party that is Management in many firms these days.Productivity?-----that's for the Serfs on the shop floor!

author: Thilo78
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 08:20:07 am
content: Quote from: bookaboo on May 13, 2014, 08:34:49 amAfter seeing whole lots of advertising for the "great Elements14" shop for the average hobbyist, I gave Farnell/Element14 a go these days, because I wanted some components that Conrad wouldn't supply.What made me cancel everything was the info just at the end of my shopping spree:F/E14 Germany will only sell B2B or to "immatriculated students". No hobbyists wanted there!If you look at their T&Cs, there's no word about that. It's only the little checkbox, that makes you state that you are either a commercial customer with a registered company or an official student able to present your university's documents.As for me, that's it for Farnell.Interestingly, though, I found two or three retailers in Germany, that effectively copy the Farnell product range with a very small markup and sell to each and everyone who wants it.One of them is HBE (https://hbe-shop.de/) in Berlin, who have a quite decent webshop and, once you figured out the product tree, will basically give you everything you need.

author: bookaboo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 09:10:22 am
content: I 100% agree with the dislike of the marketing bs they are at but does anyone else think the search by attribute function on the farnell site isn't that bad at all?The website certainly has a few bugs, has anyone else ever experienced "ghost" items appearing at checkout? For example you add something to your cart, then either remove it or log out. Then on your next session you start with a blank cart, add the items and go through checkout and the items from the previous session magically reappear!!!Twice I've had stuff arrive that I would have sworn blind I didn't order but its right there in the order history.

author: IanJ
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 10:50:34 am
content: I don't much buy from Farnell and it's little to do with cost..............it's the UI.Even RS Components site is better.Ian.

author: David_AVD
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 10:53:46 am
content: Quote from: IanJ on May 14, 2014, 10:50:34 amReally?I find the search and drill down by parameter on the E14 site to be streets ahead of the RS site - not as good as Digikey or Mouser, but very usable.RS gives us free freight for all orders while E14 is free for orders over $45, so I use RS sometimes just for that reason.

author: Fred27
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 10:54:13 am
content: I've never had a problem with Farnell UK. The free shipping on orders over £20 means they often end up cheaper for me.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 11:05:04 am
content: Quote from: IanJ on May 14, 2014, 10:50:34 amHuh? RS has always been terrible, at least for parametric search, certainly worse than Farnell. Maybe there are areas where they are better but can't say I've ever noticed it.

author: David_AVD
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 11:17:54 am
content: At least with E14, you can guess what category you need to drill down into for most items. The RS version has me thinking "WTF?" way too often.

author: digsys
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 11:58:12 am
content: Agreed. The RS search engine drives me NUTS ! As well as the extra effort you have to go through for pricing.If anyone thinks either of these 2 is difficult, you've NEVER tried the X-ON search engine. It used to be reasonably cr@ppy,but in the last 1-2 yrs it's a shlt-mess !! Unfortunately, they often have some damn good prices on stuff (stock lots) so it'sworth the pain. Otherwise, I just use Mousers search and give them their part #

author: Dave
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 01:53:17 pm
content: As far as search goes, Digikey is my favorite. I hate Farnell's incapability to properly sort the values.I'll allow the image below to speak for itself.What is the point of having the ability to pick a minimum and maximum value, if you don't actually get that?

author: pipe
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 01:55:44 pm
content: Quote from: Bored@Work on May 13, 2014, 05:12:54 amI feel with you here. In Sweden they refuse to sell to individual customers. They will only let you create an account if you have a registered business. That's just bullshit, when they have a completely automated order system.

author: mamalala
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 02:07:38 pm
content: Quote from: David_AVD on May 14, 2014, 11:17:54 amPlus, not all parts are properly categorized either. Like, you go into some main category, and if you add up the numbers of a category it ends up less than what the main category shows. Sometimes a characteristic appears in the text on the products page, but not in the column of the overview page of the category.Greetings,Chris

author: mamalala
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 02:17:48 pm
content: Oh, and for RS, you better double-check everything that is sent from their UK warehouses. I often had parts missing, or wrong parts (but correctly bagged), correctly labeled bags with wrong parts inside, or completely empty bags in cases where you order 10 IC and you get 10 antistatic bags, one for each chip.See images, one shows a "good" bag on the left (opened, since i used a few parts of that already), and a "bad" bag (unopened) on the right, which came with the second order i made. The other image shows an "empty" bag, unopened. While the tape snippet for the part is there, there is no actual part in it.Strangely, so far that only happened with stuff that came from UK warehouses. Luckily they always re-sent the proper or missing stuff once i informed them about it and attached the images.Greetings,Chris

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 02:25:37 pm
content: What I loathe about the search engines for both distributors is that they do not categorize/list their component by series. Say for instance I want to buy some values of 1% 500mW resistors. Why can't I just be able to click: fixed resistors>metal film>through hole>1%>500mW>manufacturer>series> and then get a list of all values in the selected series, and that series ONLY, instead of having to parametrically select the desired resistor values in ohms and then having to sort through fifty thousand individual matches from about 5 thousand different resistor series? Same goes for capacitors.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 02:58:24 pm
content: Quote from: TVman on May 13, 2014, 04:41:30 amThe bullies are losers and hopefully the homeschooling gives you more time to learn and build electronic stuff. ;-)

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 03:04:06 pm
content: QuoteFor resistors you can, sort-of, on the Farnell search, at least on the UK site.Select Passive Components->Resistors - Fixed Value->Through Hole ResistorsThen select 1% in tolerance and 500mW in power and click applyThen go to Product Range - you can now see which manufacturer/series actually has 1% 500mW values. Those which don't are greyed out.Select the series that you want and click apply againNow in the Resistance column you can see which values are in the series - again the ones which aren't are greyed out.Not exactly what you were after, I suspect, but close.Can't quite do it with caps though.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 03:24:43 pm
content: Quote from: grumpydoc on May 14, 2014, 03:04:06 pmStill a pain to order a lot of different values - sometimes you can do it by 'injecting' the value into the manufacturer partno field once you've found one value, but still way harder than it should be to order jellybean parts

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 03:37:42 pm
content: QuoteYeah, thankfully I don't need to order lots of stuff as I'm generally doing one-off repairs or simple projects.Resistors is perhaps a bad example as it almost comes close to being useful - some of the other searches aren't great though. For one thing you're relying on what parameters Farnell thought would be useful in the search which is not always what you actually want to search on and sometimes there's too much division into sub-categories before you get to the parameterised search.Mouser's is a bit better but starts to suffer with the sheer variety of stuff they stock.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 05:57:53 pm
content: Quote from: pipe on May 14, 2014, 01:55:44 pmYes, it looks as it is up to the local country manager to decide if they want individual customers or not. And apparently they hire a lot of dickheads as local mangers and don't properly supervise them.But I do get my revenge. I make it a point to discourage my employer from buying from Farnell whenever I can. I mean, if they don't want to deal with me as a hobbyist, I don't want to deal with them as an engineer.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 06:56:54 pm
content: Quote from: Bored@Work on May 14, 2014, 05:57:53 pmThat's a conflict of interest. You should disclose it to your employer ;-)

author: Rigby
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 07:30:25 pm
content: Quote from: TVman on May 13, 2014, 04:41:30 amThis is one of the great injustices that goes on. Parents send their children to school for education. The school is fully responsible for the well-being of those children during school hours and during school activities. Legally anything that happens to you, even bullying, is something that the school can be sued for, especially if it results in physical violence towards you.There are a few things to remember when it comes to bullying:1) the principal has NO IDEA AT ALL about how to deal with it. This is very, very common, and it's seen by a lot of adults as something that just isn't a problem, which is 100% incorrect.2) the person(s) bullying you live in abusive homes. They are the victims of abuse. This is both reason for and punishment for their bullying, to me. I very much enjoyed the thought of those people going home and being beaten by their fathers. It was wrong of me to enjoy this, but it helped me deal.3) no one can make you feel like shit if you don't already feel like shit for some reason. bullies only pick on easy targets. figure out what's going on to make you appear to be a victim, and rectify it.4) bullying stops the instant you make it stop. In my case I punched the fella right in the mouth, while pretending to be scared. me being scared fanned his fire, and i took the opportunity to lay his ass to the ground with a surprise left-hook. one person after that guy picked on me, 2 years later, and I did the same thing. after that no one ever picked on me again. I was in Jr. High in the first case, freshman in HS the second.No one can make you feel bad about yourself without your consent. So, while you're away from those turds, work on your self-confidence. That you're on this forum is a very good indicator of intelligence, and despite a few people on here having foul moods from time to time, myself included, we're all relatively intelligent. So you're already way ahead of the average, right there.Home schooling is good. If the parent teaching you is invested in your education, you're going to get a better education than anyone in any public school that isn't also getting a lot of tutoring and is in advanced classes. So you have an educational advantage there.So, you have a great opportunity to advance yourself mentally while you're hanging out at home learning stuff no one else knows. I actually envy your situation a bit. If you return to public school at the same place or with the same kids, just know going in that you're going to throw a punch on the first day. Accept it, and do your best to knock the kid who decides you're a target onto his back with a single punch. No one will mess with you, and maybe even a few girls will pay more attention to you.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 07:34:00 pm
content: Quote from: zapta on May 14, 2014, 06:56:54 pmThey know it. And I am not the only engineer by day / hobbyist by night in the company who is not exactly happy about Farnell's behavior.

author: electronics man
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 08:24:09 pm
content: I'm different I love Farnell, I love there website, so much easier to use than digikey and mouser. I find the digikey website looks cheep and unfinished. Even RS is hard to use, they don't have a good parametric search like farnell does. Farnell has great, very fast shipping (next day without fail) I love them.thumbs up for farnell

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 09:21:56 pm
content: Quote from: electronics man on May 14, 2014, 08:24:09 pmYou're kidding, right? Farrnell don't even understand how to sort numerics.QuoteIt may look less flashy but it works a whole lot better.QuoteFarnell do generally offer a great service, it just pisses me off to see them spunking money on useless crap when they could be making genuine time-saving improvements to the usability of their website, to save me, their customer, time, and stop me getting so pissed off that I go to Digikey.QuoteWell they do, but the data is even more piss-poor than Farnell's, so it's borderline unusable

author: lpc32
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 10:27:38 pm
content: Speaking of missing features, I didn't find a way to filter based on minimum order quantity in Digikey or Mouser. Am I missing something?

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 10:35:47 pm
content: Quote from: lpc32 on May 14, 2014, 10:27:38 pmYes - at Digikey you can enter a quantity (at top if search results) , which is used for sort by price, and to filter out items with insufficient stock, but ISTR it only appears when logged on.

author: lpc32
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 10:53:43 pm
content: Thanks. Works without being logged in. Multi-key sorting would still be helpful, but that works too. Nothing of the sort at Mouser? (Though they do seem to have 1 as minimum quantity on most things, if I'm not mistaken).

author: envisionelec
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 12:57:16 am
content: Quote from: Rigby on May 14, 2014, 07:30:25 pmWhenever I want, I can watch this scene and watch my bully get his ass handed to him, running away like a sissy.

author: TVman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 01:36:09 am
content: Quote from: zapta on May 14, 2014, 02:58:24 pmOh yes, Homeschooling gives me A LOT more time to play with electronics!

author: TVman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 03:59:11 am
content: Quote from: Rigby on May 14, 2014, 07:30:25 pmThank you RigBy, Some very wise words have just been said!QuoteBlahh!

author: electronics man
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 06:42:39 am
content: One really annoying feature of digikey is that when you sort by price (lowest to higest) it gives you a whole load of products that that are no longer manufactured so they don't have a price

author: kizzap
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 07:54:08 am
content: Quote from: Rigby on May 14, 2014, 07:30:25 pmYes and No. The problem is that the "strategies" that get put in place never work. Kids see that weakness and go in harder in other ways because they know they are getting in your head.QuoteI'm going to straight up call bullshit on this. Are you telling me that a complete grade of 180 students that I was bullied by were all from abusive homes? Kids bully because it is fun for them.QuoteI agree with this.QuoteBe careful with this. I would even strongly suggest ignoring this advice. If you end up against a group and throw a punch they are going to beat the living shit out of you. Sometimes flying under the radar is the better option.QuoteAgain, I suggest against such actions. It will bring a series of negative repercussions that you don't want or need.</De-railment>

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 08:03:23 am
content: Quote from: kizzap on May 15, 2014, 07:54:08 amIf that happens go to your parents let them call the police, sue each and every person that hit you and sue the school if it happened on their watch and property.Mostly physical bullying happens outside the school property which makes them powerless to do anything.With me it ended the day one of the bullies kicked me between my legs (you know what I mean) in school and I went home, my parents at that moment called the school and the police and immediate action was taken by the school who only then saw how serious it was. The bully (one of the many) was expelled for a month, their parents had to talk to the police and I was never ever bullied again, yeah verbally abuse but not physical.At this moment there is a new tv show here in Holland that lets the victim carry a hidden camera for weeks in school recording all the bullying and then confront the school, mentors and class as a whole to discuss it. Most bullies have no idea what damage they cause by their victim and usually if it was only one bully it can be handled but mostly a lot of the classmates are copying the behaviour making life a living hell for the victim. Stop it, and stop it now.

author: Rigby
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 12:39:46 pm
content: Quote from: kizzap on May 15, 2014, 07:54:08 amBulliesAbusers rely on the victim remaining silent. Do NOT remain silent, and DO stand up to them. It is unlikely that anyone else will stand up for you, so you MUST do it yourself.It is far easier to heal from a physical beating than it is to recover when a piece of your soul is taken away by bullying.And, yes. The chronic bullies do come from abusive homes, and, yes, abuse is FAR more prevalent than you think.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 12:50:49 pm
content: When I was a kid, it was quite easy to deal with bullies: you take them to the back alley and beat the shit out of them and they would never bother you anymore. Because of that, I don't ever recall we had a bully or a bully problem, at least not as pervasive as it is today.QuoteUnfortunately, in a hypersensitive society that we are in today, that kind of solutions are no long available to the kids today - you are more likely to be charged with an assault.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 12:52:48 pm
content: QuoteIf one's soul is taken away by a bully, there are far bigger problems for that person and the society to worry about.We are producing softer and softer kids today (girly men?).

author: Rigby
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 01:32:19 pm
content: Quote from: dannyf on May 15, 2014, 12:52:48 pmyou have no idea what you're talking about if you think we're producing softer kids today.

author: TMM
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 02:01:06 pm
content: Tbh i don't quite understand why people are carrying on like element14 has the worst site out there. The website itself (the store part, not the 'community' rubbish) is excellent imo. Where it falls down is that some of the data entry is sloppy and parameters often lack standardised formatting so you end up with lists of parameters that don't order properly and components that fall under several categories so you have to search all of them. If people keep telling them "the website is bad" they will probably redesign their site and make things worse. The website is fine, the data is bad.Digikey's site is worse but the data entry of the products is generally tidier.As for all the e14 social media stuff, "pissing money up the wall like a dysfunctional government agency" probably sums up how i see their attempts to be more than just an online shopfront. I often get the impression that they spend the money on something like in the OP, everyone pats each other on the back to justify their existence and no one really cares if it was effective or not.

author: electrolux
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 02:02:14 pm
content: GAH

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 02:09:27 pm
content: Quote from: TMM on May 15, 2014, 02:01:06 pmThe problem is they don't listen.Yes, the data is bad, and the website, while generally OK could be make a lot better without a lot of effort, but instead of that they're pissing all their effort into useless social media and pointeless surveys.QuoteGive be better data over a prettier website every time.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 02:13:13 pm
content: I use digikey a lot and find their website generally useful / helpful.QuoteI don't know what the pay-off is for e14 in something like that; and I don't understand why a 3rd party forum-goer here would be so worked up about their investment in something like that.

author: TMM
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 02:19:45 pm
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on May 15, 2014, 02:09:27 pmAnd probably never will. The people who can fix it probably don't get paid enough to care.Quote from: dannyf on May 15, 2014, 02:13:13 pmHah, frankly i couldn't care less what they do with their money. Their loss not mine

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 02:27:34 pm
content: Every electronics site should mandatory have the original manufacturers partnr in their original form in their search criteria. That would help a lot.

author: TVman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 02:53:08 pm
content: Quote from: Rigby on May 15, 2014, 12:39:46 pmI did one time on the second last day of school.Probably to late though.

author: Rigby
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 03:18:17 pm
content: Quote from: Kjelt on May 15, 2014, 02:27:34 pmI think Digikey does. I know they capture that data. The answer here is to simply not use distributors who don't behave in a way you find acceptable. If they ever ask you why, tell them why.

author: fcb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 03:22:21 pm
content: Quote from: TMM on May 15, 2014, 02:01:06 pm...Yet people still buy from them and they make a return for shareholders.If you want sucky search - try RS.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 03:52:50 pm
content: Quote from: dannyf on May 15, 2014, 02:13:13 pmBecause if they spent the money on improving their website, it would mean I'd spend less of my time specifying and ordering parts, simple as that.

author: TVman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 05:02:52 pm
content: Quote from: kizzap on May 15, 2014, 07:54:08 amI learn the same thing maybe more when I Home school.And there is A big community of home-schoolers in my area.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2014, 08:40:04 am
content: Now RS are at it as well

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 16, 2014, 09:54:52 am
content: Wow

author: IanJ
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 16, 2014, 11:24:26 am
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on May 14, 2014, 11:05:04 amI like the initial category criteria/spec building interface down the left hand side of RS's website. It has that explorer feel to it that I like. But I suppose I then prefer Farnell's horizontal filter select once you get that far. Be nice to have both I suppose.Digikey is great, just wish it also had the left side interface also.Maybe I'm wierd......Ian.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2014, 03:25:15 pm
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on May 16, 2014, 08:40:04 amAnd the youtube hurray comments show the sad state of mankind

author: lpc32
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2014, 04:28:29 pm
content: I'm guessing they've concluded it's a way to reach new audience. Maybe they're right? For me what would be more useful is reasonable international shipping.

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2014, 05:29:51 pm
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on May 12, 2014, 09:17:17 pmOMG that is the most cringeworthy thing I have ever seen on the internet. I honestly felt queasy trying to work out how pathetic it was and actually doubting my sanity thinking there was something I am missing, but nope. This shit needs to go viral. Anyone involved has to lose their shitty non-jobs. Sigh!

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2014, 07:39:53 pm
content: QuoteTBH I'm speechless, not to mention more than a little pissed-off.If this is how RS views the "typical electronics hobbyist" then I despair.I've just sent this via their website feedback form (for what it's worth, probably not much).I have just watched your "time to tinker" video on YouTube. I can honestly say that I'm stunned - mostly stunned with rage that is. Is this how you view your hobbyist customers?I can honestly say this video has eliminated ANY desire I might have had to do business with you. It won't be much of a loss to me - I usually buy stuff from Farnell anyway but I doubt I'll even follow the search links wich lead to the RS website any longer.100% fail.

author: Zad
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2014, 09:45:35 pm
content: So this is what RS thinks engineers and hobbyists look like?I get the feeling that they if they were making a video selling kitchen appliances then it would have "the little lady" in an evening gown working hard at making a dinner party. Or perhaps if it were a comedy, there would be "a jolly black chappie from the West Indies" possibly sweeping the streets. Welcome to 1960s stereotypes guys.I criticise AdaFruit for being hipsters, but having a high profile young female with bright pink hair is probably more representative of electronics now than a bloke with a 1970s moustache and greasy hair wearing a grey cardigan in his shed.RS - you are really doing yourselves and our profession no good at all.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2014, 09:50:58 pm
content: Quote from: Zad on May 16, 2014, 09:45:35 pmMaybe they are targeting hams?

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2014, 10:38:38 pm
content: please sent those marketeers to Siberia in their underwear

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 16, 2014, 11:03:34 pm
content: I'm betting it was done by a third party studio. Anyone want to guess how much it cost RS? My guess would be at least $25K minimum.Imagine what practical or other useful marketing stuff they could have done with the same money.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2014, 11:38:08 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on May 16, 2014, 11:03:34 pm..or made a decent dent into cleaning up their crappy parametric search data....or at least got their website to sort numbers properly.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 16, 2014, 11:45:52 pm
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on May 16, 2014, 11:38:08 pmYes, they could have probably hired a programmer for 6 month with the money.But in any big company marketing gets an allocated amount of money regardless, so the question is better value (to them and potential customers) could they have used it. The answer is almost anything else but this ridiculous video of course.

author: Rigby
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 17, 2014, 12:17:20 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on May 16, 2014, 11:03:34 pmIt is a package. I've seen it used on other sites. The look and feel was identical. Element14 are the victims of good sales people, and now if they give it up someone will lose face and, well, that's a tough row to hoe for someone who was duped once and was wounded by it. That person or team is going to MAKE the current software work whether anyone likes it or not.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 17, 2014, 12:34:04 am
content: Quote from: Rigby on May 17, 2014, 12:17:20 amYes. When Element 14 first came out with their "community" site that package (whatever it is) was all the rage, everyone seemed to be using it, and they all sucked arse. Element 14 got duped by a package that was sold to do everything asked for in their new fangled social media driven wet fantasy land. Blog? yep, it's got that! Community forum? yep, it's got that! Video platform? yep, it's got that! Expert centres?, yep it's got that!, Webinars?, yep it's got that! - Great, we'll buy it! That'll be a million dollars please.And the result as everyone knows is a pathetic unusable mess that as you say, they can't admit they got epically wrong.

author: lpc32
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 17, 2014, 01:36:46 am
content: You are just grumpy old timers.The user votes on YouTube are good, there are 15K views in 4 days. The company likely does its best to measure the effect of these commercials and decide if it's worth it. They have enough money to do both PR and web development. Why shouldn't they cater to multiple target audiences, or at least try?

author: Rigby
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 17, 2014, 02:52:38 am
content: It's not that. We know their videos are worthwhile, the content is good, it's the site usability that is just crap. I mean it is CRAP. Awful.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 17, 2014, 02:55:46 am
content: Quote from: Bored@Work on May 16, 2014, 09:50:58 pmI don't have a mustache,& my cardigan is brown!Actually,he looks a bit like an old mate of mine,except for the mustache.He was never a Ham,but he did have about 14 "Stepdown Hudson" cars in his back yard!

author: all_repair
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 17, 2014, 03:35:57 am
content: E14 ma not be right, but that do not make us (EEVBLOH nerds) right :-)They can still spend big budget on youtube production, targeting at the purchasers, not at the engineers and hobbyists. Normally people who buy through searching the parameters are a small fraction to those who just need a perfect match on the part number.

author: Rigby
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 17, 2014, 03:45:08 am
content: I applaud them for creating a community, and for clearly caring A LOT about the content quality via the budgets. No other parts distributor that I know of does this, and it is non-trivial to do. Full marks for that.Whoever or whatever is keeping that terrible UI in place needs to go, or just let go.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 17, 2014, 06:12:47 am
content: Quote from: all_repair on May 17, 2014, 03:35:57 amThe customer is always right.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 17, 2014, 08:39:12 am
content: Quote from: all_repair on May 17, 2014, 03:35:57 amI spend £10-20K per year at Farnell, and specify more in BOMs I send to customers.On several occasions I have got so pissed off with their poor search I've gone to Digikey instead. This is a direct loss to Farnell solely because of inadequacies in their website.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 17, 2014, 11:43:41 am
content: Quote from: lpc32 on May 17, 2014, 01:36:46 amWhat if from those 14k views were teenagers never spending a cent on their site? And the other 1k through this forum absolutely hating it? I mean if you want the arduino and berry buyers you might have a point, if you want to keep selling mainstream electronic components ...................

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 17, 2014, 12:25:31 pm
content: element14 is bad, but not as bad as RS

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 17, 2014, 12:45:38 pm
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on May 16, 2014, 08:40:04 amCute ad. BTW, the banana part is real

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 17, 2014, 02:07:45 pm
content: QuoteI find that a total oxymoron in today's world,

author: bookaboo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 17, 2014, 02:11:07 pm
content: To any Farnell reps reading I'll add a massive +1 to those that are frustrated by the lack of proper sorting by engineering terms in the parametric search. When that function is working it's brilliant but when it thinks for example that 500mA is greater than 5A it kind of loses its effectiveness.

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 17, 2014, 02:30:05 pm
content: I have long given up on buying from European distributors.If I buy from Digikey or Mouser, it is faster and cheaper and they really have improved their websites over the years.I had it before, that I ordered from Digikey on Friday and got the parts on the next Monday with Fedex for free shipping.