Greetings all,
Today I will be
addressing Blog topic #1.
To do this, I will
contrast the physical maintenance books that came with my truck
to on-line resources.
I will begin by
say that I do have bias towards reading the hard copies. The repair
manual claims that it is entirely based upon a breakdown and rebuild of
the vehicle from scratch. The owner's manual was produced by the Manufacturer.
These resources were printed and organized by mechanics, engineers and the
company itself. Therefore, I am led to believe that this makes both manuals
much more precise and accurate tools.
However, with
the availability of the internet, I can use a Google search
or forums (such as http://www.toyota-4runner.org/) to
find additional resources. These include forums, videos, blogs and occasional
articles where other people with the same vehicle or questions can go to find
information. These should not be discounted as they often do contain valuable
information, only just organized and presented in a different format.
The major
differences I have noticed between the two would be the complexity of the
written language. For instance, the reference manuals both use very technical
jargon. This is easily contrasted with on-line blogs and forums that tend to be
less formal. The books are very well edited and do not contain spelling errors
or extraneous information. The writers of such material clearly have much
experience working and dealing with the vehicle and topics related to it.
On-line resources on the other hand, are produced by anyone and everyone.
They will often have errors, and can sometimes be filled with useless extra
comments and random information.
Another huge
difference is the use of stories and experiences on the forums contrasted with
straight information that is provided by the books. Many of the people who post
on the forums will offer much more insight. For example, the hard copies may
suggest using a certain part to fix a problem (let’s use an engine battery for
example). The manuals will suggest a basic Toyota battery. However, the forums
will go into much more detail outlining the pros, cons, and alternatives to
this battery. They may also include factors which are not presented in the
book. Factors such as but not limited to climate, age and mileage.
Therefore, the
different sources both have their advantages and disadvantages. Both of them
cause me to think in different ways as I absorb the information. I have found
that the ideal way to approach problems is to utilize both media forms. I will
start by reading the book, taking in the information in hard text and jargon.
Then I will progress to utilize the on-line resources to gain a well-rounded
feel for the problem and the multiple solutions available to me. This
way, I have found that I am more in control of the experience.
Until next week,
Clint
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