I got this email about an hour ago, and I’m still a little bit stunned by it. This reader wrote:
I purchased [your Extra Class study guide], and I am sorry, but it lacks what I need to follow and prepare for the exam. It is too disorganized. I could not recommend it to my worst enemy.
I’m stunned because I can honestly count on one hand the number of comments as negative as this, while it would take many, many hands to count the number of positive reviews. But, I guess you can’t please everyone.
I was going to email him back, first apologizing that the study guide didn’t do the trick for him and ask if he had any specific recommendations. I’m not so sure that’s worth the effort, though. What do you think?
Ken Devening AD0UA says
Sounds like this person is overwhelmed by the content and is lashing out at you.
Scott Dreher says
I used your guides for tech and general. I thought they were very helpful. Like you said, you can’t please everyone. The tone of the note suggests that this person is not interested in offering anything constructive, so probably not worth the trouble to engage further.
Keep up the good work, Dan.
RickB KA8BMA says
I got my Extra class license using you guide and online testing to gauge my progress. Getting any license requires work. I guess some people are expecting something for nothing.
A happy Extra!!!
Rob W4ZNG says
Disorganized? They’re study guides aimed at specific tests, not “teach me from zero” textbooks. They mimic the organization of the test and get you ready to take it. That’s perfect organization! This guy is way off base.
Steve Bryant says
@Dan – I’ve recommended your guides to friends interested in obtaining their tickets. That said, as a fellow book author, I can say it’s easy to be a critic, but hard to make something that resonates with the majority of folks. Don’t take it personally. Think of it like dating. There’s some people who just won’t like you. Let it roll off your back, know that you have something good to say and valuable to share. Keep doing what you’re doing. 73s, AI6SB
Frank Howell says
As a Professor for 35 years or so, I can tell you that it’s not worth the effort. You’re correct: no one can write a study guide for anything that will please everyone! Just keep on trucking!
73,
Frank
K4FMH
Mark (n6min) says
It might be instructive to ask. In this age of anonymity of the internet, it’s easy or anyone to comment with little or no thought (their “worst enemy”.. really?), or just to find an outlet for their unrelated anger.
That said, sometimes there’s something good – perhaps the choice of font doesn’t suit his vision level. But you might be put at ease if he does reply to know that he gets annoyed whenever the letter Q is used. Perhaps a real problem for him, but nothing you can fix.
Noel KF5SLK says
I’m not sure what this character was looking for, but some effort is required in order to pass.
I used your guides along with a few other resources when studying for General and referred back to them when studying for Extra. Everyone learns differently and I knew that my learning style would require some serious studying and some visual and experiential (hands on) experience. Your guides are outstanding and I still recommend them to those looking to become hams and those seeking to upgrade.
Tim says
Like many things on the internet, I trust less an online comment than a face-to-face comment. What”s said is often misinterpreted, but in your case, the meaning is clear. If the person genuinely wants information, maybe have a phone call to get feedback. By the way, I found your site while researching particular questions from the question pool and the ARRL Handbook. The additional context you provide to the question and answer format helped me.
Walter Underwood K6WRU says
If someone wants things explained from first principles, and I’m one of those people, then the No-Nonsense guides could be very confusing. Because they are scattered information without any underlying theory.
It would be interesting to find out why the guide didn’t help them.
I expect that your one-day classes have a whole web of knowledge supporting the answers to the test questions. Perhaps that is what this person was missing. Or not. Worth finding out.
wunder
Vance N3VEM says
Dan,
I get shockers like that with some of the stuff we put together at work. I’d say reach out and ask for feedback, because in my experience that almost always goes one of two ways:
1) they give good feedback that is useful in the next version of whatever you’re working on
2) they either don’t respond when you follow up (probably because they weren’t actually expecting a response) OR they respond with more spewing.
In case 1, great – you got useable info! In case 2, you can comfortably let it drop, knowing that it had nothing to do with you, and was most likely just someone venting some frustration that probably had nothing to do with you!
Dan KB6NU says
OK. You (and the others who said that I should reply) have convinced me to email him back.
B Hosmer says
You’re on the right track. This person actually took the time to give you feedback, even though it wasn’t specific. I would certainly solicit more. He or she may not be the only student to have these particular issues, just the one who bothered to let you know about them.
We’re often too quick to blame the student simply because they aren’t articulate enough to tell you what their issue is.
Paul kk4ptv says
The guy who Did’nt like your extra Guide is just an… Idiot!
I would ask him if he had his Tecch and Gen licences first.
Dan KB6NU says
The guy actually does have a General Class license.
Don Keith says
Dan,
From one author to another (that’s how I make my living and have more than 30 books in print), consider all reviews…good or bad…with an open mind, but don’t necessarily believe any of them….good or bad. In this case, and considering the type of book yours is, I see nothing wrong in asking the fellow for more specifics so you can make your work better. Don’t expect any worthwhile feedback, though.
The only reviews or comments I get upset about are the occasional zero-star reviews on Amazon that say, “The book arrived with a corner bent. Zero stars!” Or, “Amazon promised it would arrive on Tuesday. I didn’t get it until Wednesday.”
Keep on keepin’ on, Dan. You are rendering a great service to those who are serious about joining our wonderful hobby.
73,
Don N4KC
http://www.n4kc.com
http://www.donkeith.com
Tom Stahl says
Dan,
I have over 20 years of podium time. You can not please everyone and should consider that the occasional negative comment might be of use. Try to talk to the guy and see exactly what his issue is, it may be of some help when you do the next edits on your guides. Or it may totally bogus and a waste of your time. Regardless, I think you should make the effort. Personally I wish I had found your guides before for my extra upgrade. I downloaded the pool from the FCC, put in Word with only the correct answers and had it printed and bound. Then I studied it – and studied it again. Had I known about your guides it would have saved me a lot of effort. Your guides are now my first recommendation.
-73-
tom
Ronny, KC5EES says
I think you are handling it correctly by asking how they would write a manual. But, in the end, haters gonna hate. Actually, since hams can be such an odd amalgam of people, I am kind of surprised it took this long for you to latch onto a ringer.
Keep on doing what you are doing.
Harald says
I would reach out to the initial reviewer and get more specific feedback and insight. The Extra study guide was perfect for me, but I could see that it might not be right for everyone. It provided a distilled version of the Extra Class test content (in the form of “what” I needed to know). The guide definitely assumes some basic background and isn’t an all-in-one ground-up curriculum that starts at first principles. For example, if a reader hasn’t been exposed to concepts such as polar and cartesian coordinate systems, vectors, complex numbers, logic functions, etc. then I think the content would be challenging and could lead to frustration. That’s much more a function of the Extra Class body of knowledge though than the guide.
I agree with one of the earlier comments that you’re not going to be able to create one guide for everyone. I think the guide is pretty perfect as-is, but I’ll offer the following suggestions:
– Adding an explicit list of prerequisite knowledge might help with setting expectations and help potential students determine if this is the right guide for them.
– Include links to content that could provide the prerequisite background (I think this definitely falls into the “above and beyond” category though).
– I found myself creating a sort of one-page “study sheet” of notes – things like key equations; concepts; a sketch showing that Y-Axis is Reactive, X-Axis is Resistive, inductive reactance +y axis, capacitive reactance -y axis; etc. Including one would be an added convenience.
The second and third items could certainly be crowdsourced.
I have no reservations about recommending the guides.
Don Bosco says
Author, chill. Different people learn in different ways. There is NO such thing as a study guide that will meet everyone’s needs. You need thicker skin.
David says
Dan,
Not only took your one day and passed but later on (this year) I used your guide for my General upgrade. I enjoyed the read and lack of ARRL non-sense. Keep up the good work and thanks again for foster new hams into the hobby
73
David
N8DAH
Curtis, K5CLM says
I would say write him back like you said and ask him what he found was so difficult about it or what he thought you could “improve upon” and even offer a refund.
Dave, N8SBE says
I’d say the worst thing would be to ignore him, as it will give him added ammunition when he complains to his friends.
On the other hand, once you’ve made a sincere effort to elicit specific feedback, and he either ignores you, or continues to engage in baiting, then you can feel free to dis-engage, by saying you are sorry that it seems that there is nothing you can do to help him, and you suggest he look elsewhere for his study guides (which is a gentle way of saying, ‘bug off’, find someone else to berate).