Keeping Your Hand In
by Paul McGoldrick
This week I am going to get down and dirty with an anechoic chamber, a laboratory full of test equipment, and an academic audience as I test out a piece of equipment at a local university that evokes skepticism - big time - with me. But it is a path of adventure and it will be informative for all of us. Whatever direction the testing goes I am committed to writing a review to show what I found out - so watch this page next week!
It also made me wonder aloud how many of us editorial types still keep our hand in, still pick up a test meter every now and then, or can remember how to drive an oscilloscope?
From those I know the answer is not many. And that's kind of sad because sometimes the real world is a place that gives us more perspective for all the other stuff that is going on around us; I rarely see the printed electronic trade publications any more - they don't seem to like my name, or something - but in every one of them I could point you to copy which is hardly changed from the official announcement that came from the manufacturer or vendor. It's a production line with the need to maintain the editorial ratio (to advertising) much more important than the content.
Here at analogZONE we don't even pretend to change manufacturers' copy as each week we review semiconductor products and post the manufacturers' press releases in as complete a manner as we can - warts and all, especially when they include idiotic executive comments. But then we go the extra mile and add value to the announcement by offering our input on the product. It would be easy to do that by just reiterating what the manufacturer said, but we don't: We put our reputations on the line - in my case four times a week.
Yes, we take a lot of inputs. I try to avoid briefings when I fully understand the product out of the gate, so to speak, but if I have any doubts then I cheerily will spend half-an-hour to an hour on the phone with a (usually) PowerPoint presentation in my hands and a printed copy of the data sheet.
They're usually fun sessions and I honestly believe that the manufacturers get as much out of them as I do. The ones I don't like are those where the contact person that has been provided doesn't understand his/her own company's product and we end up with a list of questions to be "followed up on" that is longer than the answers that were available. To say the least one leaves that kind of telephone call with a lot of serious mental questions about the company's future.
I think keeping your hand in is a valuable asset to have as a technology
journalist. I'm lucky enough to have three non-profit FM radio stations
to look after in my community - the ultimate in toys for an RF engineer
- but that's a far cry from the audio review that will be here next week.
Stay tuned, or keep your ears on!