Finding current updates and manuals

The past few times I have gone to the ETC site to download a current version of software or manual I am unsuccessful. I go through the range of type, language, etc and when done it returns nothing found. Example: Keyword (leave blank), Product line consoles, Product Element, Language English US. That search returns no product documents found.

When searching through Support and Training I pick Consoles, Element, EOS Family and I can't find anything related to documents, manuals or software updates. That page is just training. But when selecting the Software page and doing the same search it returns no product documents found, even though it is in a Search Software mode.

Doing something wrong?

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  • I don't think its you.

    Ever since the website upgrade, I have not been able to use any of the search functions with any success. Sometimes I put in a keyword and get nothing. Sometimes I put in a keyword and it returns things that have nothing to do with the keyword. Using the drill down menu's as you mentioned usually returns incorrect results or no results. Finding datasheets on legacy products seems impossible, and current products is a challenge. 

    In fact, I  just got off the phone with an LD who was calling for help asking where to download the Nomad software (and which one).

    The most reliable thing I've found is to use the Product pages themselves. Unfortunately even those have to be scrutinized before you get what you are looking for as there is no default sort by date. For instance, Nomad 2.2.0 is the first result, so you would think it is the most current.  Only if you read further down in the list do you see Nomad 2.2.1. Then also on the Nomad page is the console download file, which can add confusion to which file to download. While I realize that the other two downloads say Mac and PC, with the introduction of the name Nomad meaning both a software and a piece of hardware, people seem to be getting confused. 

    Hopefully this is something that ETC is working on as its currently impossible to send someone (prospective  client, LD, student, teacher, etc...) to the website to do their own research

  • Hello,

    I have tested this and gotten the same results that you are seeing and apologize for the difficulty in finding what you are looking for. I’m in contact with the entire website team at ETC to get more information on issues around searching from the Support & Training tab.

    We have been working on search issue with the website since it went live early this year. The main focus has been on the documentation tabs within the product pages. For Element you can find all current documentation via Product; Consoles; EOS Family; Element; Documentation tab for Element.
    http://www.etcconnect.com/Products/Consoles/Eos-Family/Element/Documentation.aspx
    The same holds true for Software and Datasheets. Your best bet currently is to go to the product pages, ‘drill down’ to the product you are looking at, and select the Documentation tab from there.

    We have also been working hard on the results that are returned when using the main ‘Search’ that is found in the upper right hand part of the site. Progress is being made on making this function better and work will continue on the optimization of search results.

    Very sorry for the trouble and I assure you we are working on this.

    Sincerely,
    Mike Meskill

  • As a follow up

     

    Our IT department has looked at the issue and was able to reset the search function on the Support & Training tab. If you run a search there now (with keyword blank) and select Consoles and Element, you will get results.

     

    We are investigating what made it stop working in the first place but I will not post an update on that here.

     

    We do appreciate hearing back about problems as that is the only way that we might know something is wrong and needs to be looked into. So thank you for taking the time to post to the user forums.

     

    Sincerely,

    Mike

  • Hi Mike,

    Sadly, I don't think the problem is fixed. While yes, I get results now, they are still incorrect. I've attached a couple screen shots.

    I tried a software search, datasheet and manual search and none of them returned what they should have. Software honored the Product Line (console) but not the product or the Language.

    Datasheet didn't seem to honor any of the category as I got datasheets for S4's when doing a Product line of Console.

    etc.

    Also, while they re looking at it, is it possible to maybe make it default sort by release date, then name. So the newest is at the top then its alphabetical?

    Thanks,

  • Hello Benjamin,

    Sadly you are totally correct. After my last post, our webmaster was reporting the same issue with the search results not being valid. IT is back at this and I have faith that they will get it worked out…in time.

    As I wrote before, we have had issues with site search. Most of the effort to date has been on the documentation and software tabs within the product pages. The effort has been on this part first as research showed that large percent of visitors to the site go to the product pages to find documentation and software. Of course this is of little help to those like you and me who first think about going to the service part of a website to look for such things.
    Documentation for Element is found here: http://www.etcconnect.com/Products/Consoles/Eos-Family/Element/Documentation.aspx 

    Once again thank you for your feedback on this. It is very welcomed.

    Sincerely,
    Mike

  • Thanks for taking the time to reply Mike. Its much appreciated. Its funny you mention the research on how people use the site as I had that exact thought as if anyone had noticed a drop in click thru's from the search page when it stopped working. But if it was never something a lot of people used in the first place, then I guess there wouldn't have been much of a decline. As you have said, there are other ways to access the data, so its certainly not a show stopper.

    Thanks!

Reply
  • Thanks for taking the time to reply Mike. Its much appreciated. Its funny you mention the research on how people use the site as I had that exact thought as if anyone had noticed a drop in click thru's from the search page when it stopped working. But if it was never something a lot of people used in the first place, then I guess there wouldn't have been much of a decline. As you have said, there are other ways to access the data, so its certainly not a show stopper.

    Thanks!

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