To make FaultCat really useful, IMHO we should decide what we’re trying to achieve. There are several possible objectives, but they will drive different ways of categorising faults. Which of the following are we trying to achieve (we probably can’t manage all at once)?
- Identifying diagnostic techniques that we need to develop or improve
- Sharing our experience of faults we’ve come across, to make it easier for others to spot them
- Identifying additional repair resources (diagnostic equipment, tools, spares) that we should have in our armoury
- Sharing repair techniques
- Developing strategies for keeping old computer equipment running, after the software is declared obsolete
- Pressuring manufacturers to behave more ethically or environmentally
- Making the case to regulators for tighter regulation of manufacturing
- Making the case to regulators for fuller disclosure of service information
Each of these drives different ways of reporting faults. We should be asking repairers to record their experiences with one or two of these specific objectives in mind.