Category Archives: Website Updates

Log of changes, both good and bad, made to this website over the years.

The New and Improved Samurai Appliance Repair Forum is Up and Running!

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The Eagle has landed! The world-famous Samurai School of Appliantology, is up and running, fully intact and operational, at our new campus. We also upgraded to new forum software while we were at it. And we had a custom theme developed for us so the forum blends in visually with this site. All in less than two weeks and that during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays! Thanks to the great folks at Data1Systems, everything went slicker than snotcicles on Mt. Lafayette. Major domos to Jim Hale and Di at Data1Systems!

The new forum software, called UltraBB, has several built-in visual design layouts called “themes.” If you haven’t registered in the repair forum yet, then you’ll see the spiffy, new forum theme by default. If you joined the forum prior to this move, then the forum will look like this to you. If you’re a forum member, you can change your forum theme anytime you want to in your forum preferences. I recommend you set it to the “Appliance” theme for the optimal Samurai School experience.

Oh, I could have locked everyone into the theme I wanted everyone to see. But that’s not the Samurai Way. That’s because the Samurai is all about choice and empowering people to take control of their Informational Modalities®. Heck, you can hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don’t upset us ‘cuz, at the Samurai School, you git it yooouurr waaay!!

As always, the Samurai School is open to anyone and free to read, peruse, and search for wisdom. If you’d like to download any of the thousands of illustrative attachments or post a question, you must enter the Dragon.

There’s still a bunch of moving in stuff to do, links to add and other tweaks. But that’ll be ongoing work while the dojo is in session. Right! You got questions, I got sciatica; now let’s get stuff fixed!

The Samurai School of Appliantology is Moving…

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That's right, my fellow appliantology acolytes, Sunday evening (1/11/09) this forum is moving to a new, more powerful server that will serve up forum pages faster than Mrs. Samurai serves up spam and grits!

But wait, there's more!

It's not just a new server– we're also upgrading to new forum software. You'll find it to be functionally very similar to this board but with some waay cool improvements. And a FREE cappuccino maker! … well, not really, but it does have a spiffy, new custom-designed look (check it out)!

So, the forum will go down Sunday evening and the transfer will thus commence. None of your posts or replies or anything will be lost! But the forum will be down for about 12 to 24 hours, depending on how long it takes for the domain name change to reach your particular webhood.

While the forum is transferring, I'll have this temporary forum set up for questions. You don't have to register or anything to post questions; it's totally open. I'll shut it down after the transfer to the permanent forum is complete.

How will you know when it's complete? Just keep coming to ApplianceGuru.com and, when it looks like this, you'll know you're at the new and improved forum. Eess seemple, da? Ha, ha, ha, you seely Ameedicans!

A little bump in the road, my dear tomodachi, and we'll be back better than ever! Mucho domos for being cool about it.

Requiem for Xdrive

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xdrive_logo.jpgI used to store and share my vast library of appliance repair service manuals using Xdrive, which was, at one time, the premier secure file sharing service. Sometime in 2007, AOL bought ’em out and, as you would expect, Xdrive went steadily downhill after that because AOL has a gift for turning everything they touch into a steaming pile of monkey dung (they have a lot in common with Microsoft in this respect).

After suffering through numerous problems and technical glitches with Xdrive under the new AOL management, the unthinkable happened: Xdrive shat the bed and lost all my files. Since I was dealing with AOL staff, I wasn’t surprised to discover that the “tech support” drones were utterly useless creatures and a colossal waste of calories and air. The most helpful person I spoke to was in billing when I cancelled my account. And I was pleasantly surprised to find later on that she actually did cancel it when my credit card wasn’t re-billed for the “service.”

Then I stumbled across a recent announcement that AOL is shutting down Xdrive permanently at the end of the year. Now I’m gleefully awaiting the announcement that AOL itself will shut down at the end of the year.

The biggest thing at my site affected by this is the Live Help program. I’ve had to temporarily suspend it whilst I setup a new file hosting and sharing service since unlimited access to all my appliance service manuals was a key feature of the program. I still have all the manuals on my local hard drive but now I have to locate a new secure file sharing service and set up shop there.

But fear not, my intrepid seeker of higher appliantological wisdom! You can still get help fixing your appliance from Master Appliantologists, including your fermented host, in the world-famous Samurai Appliance Repair Forums.

New and Improved Three-Step Samurai Appliance Repair Program and Appliance Repair FAQ Pages

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In his never-ending quest to enrich and vivify your online DIY appliance repair experience, the Samurai has re-designed the world-famous Three-Step Samurai Appliance Repair Program and the Appliance Repair FAQ pages. You can see preview images below; click the pix to be there now. Now you can find all the appliance repair troubleshooting and repair information you need and even get expert help from real-life Master Appliantologists all within the refined and luxurious user experience you’ve come to expect from the Samurai.

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The World-Famous Three-Step Samurai Appliance Repair Program
These pages step you through the most effective way of getting it fixed: everything from frequently asked questions, to getting personal expert repair help, to finding the part you need to finish the job. Come with me now on a safari through the Serengeti of appliance repair help to the Promised Land of Appliance Nirvana.


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Appliance Repair FAQs
Frequently asked questions for all types, makes, and brands of appliances: dishwashers, disposals, dryers, icemakers, microwave ovens, ovens, ranges, refrigerators, stoves, washers, and general appliance repair questions. I’ve written thousands of posts on all this stuff so there’s a good chance you’ll find what you need here.


Appliantology Newsletter, Fall 2008

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appliantology-fall-2008-thumbnail.jpgKonnichiwa, My Friends!

Just in time for Halloween, an all-new edition of our award-winning newsletter, Appliantology, is out terrorizing the neighborhoods! Download it here. (about 250 kb, PDF file)

This issue features cool new stuff added to Fixitnow.com and lots of appliance tips so hurry and download it today before it gets all used up!

Kanpai!

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Appliantology Archive

Getting Started in the Samurai Appliance Repair Forums: The Movie

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The Samurai Appliance Repair Forums are where you can get interactive help with your appliance problem. I get lots of emails from folks who are new to compooters and/or new to online forums and can’t figger out how to get help in the repair forum. Since he is compassionate and of great gootness, the Samurai made a short video for his precious grasshoppers on how to get started using this forum. It includes how to register and how to post a question.

To watch the video, download it from the link below:

http://www.mediafire.com/?h3pn9eo1z3z

It’s less than 10 minutes long and it’s full screen so you can easily see what’s going on. You’ll need Quicktime to view it, which you can download for FREE ratcheer.

How to Find Appliance Parts Without Having to Know Much

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Now it’s easier than ever to find the appliance parts you need using the new pretty yellow appliance parts search box at the top of the page.

Let’s walk through a quick example of how easy it is to find parts with the new Part Detective using the Whirlpool Duet Sport washer as an example. Let’s suppose we have an F-01 error and have determined that this is a bad CCU (central control unit– a fancy word for an unreliable electronic circuit board) and we need to buy a new one. Now the fun part beings!

Just scroll up to the top of the page and use the handy parts search box in the cheerful yellow box and enter “whirlpool duet sport washer” in the form. The search box below is the same one at the repair forum and here at this website. I’ve already typed in the search term, “whirlpool duet sport washer” so we can move things along:



Find Parts Fast!

Search by part number or model number for best results. If you don’t know your model number – try searching by appliance type, brand or part type.

When you click the “Search for Parts” button in the search box above, you’ll go to a page of parts for the Whirlpool Duet Sport washer. Go ahead and click the button, it’ll open in a new page so you can keep reading this one.

Now refine your search using the “Part Type” box on the left hand side. Click the “Circuit Board / Timer” option.

You’ll see a page of mostly CCUs for the various models Duet Sport washers. At this point, you’ll need your model number, this page will help you find it. Once you have your model number, just click the your model number in the top box on the left hand side labelled, oddly enough, “Model Number.” The next page you see will have the exact CCU for your particular model.

You could also enter an appliance part type. For example, if you enter “icemaker valve” in the parts search box, you’ll get pages of pictures of water inlet valves for every type of icemaker. Since you see a picture of each valve, you can usually find the one you need by simply looking at it.

The Famous Three-Step Samurai Appliance Repair Program

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So you have a broken appliance; you’re trying to figure out what’s wrong and how to fix it. And you’re all flustered because you don’t even know where to start getting help. Well, you just unfurrow that brow and unbunch those panties, Grasshoppah, because the Samurai will walk you through your repair journey with his famous three-step appliance repair program. The three steps are (drum roll, please):

1. Browse the appliance repair FAQs.

2. Get interactive appliance repair help (if needed).

3. Get the parts and tools you need to finish the job!

See, we’re so good, we only need three steps to help you rehabilitate your appliances.

Appliantology Newsletter, Fall 2007

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Konnichiwa, My Friends!

Appliantology: The Oracle of Appliance Enlightenment. Click to download.Another edition of our award-winning newsletter, Appliantology, has hit the streets face-first and screaming! Download this issue now (about 580 kb, PDF file). Lots of cool new features have been added to Fixitnow.com and are ‘splained in this newsletter so hurry and download it today before it gets all used up. You’ll be glad you did! 🙂

In case you missed the previous issues of Appliantology, you can peruse the archives.

And if you want future issues of Appliantology delivered directly to your email in a discreet brown wrapper, just fill out your e-mail address (one-click opt-out):

Blackout

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More problems with the repair forum, but with a twist. This time, it’s not the forum per se that’s causing the problem; the entire datacenter in which the forum is hosted is down while they install a new power cable. Was supposed to only take three hours starting at midnight. But, we know how those sorts of promises go. I’ll update here when I know more.

UPDATE: Everything is groovy in Dataville. Come on in and say, “Hey.” Maybe set a spell. Whatever.

Official Legal Notice: Terms of Service (TOS) for Fixitnow.com

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Be it known to all ye present…

By using Fixitnow.com or other Samurai Appliance Repair Man websites (“Samurai Sites”), you agree to be bound by the following terms and conditions pursuant to the Common Law of Erasmus (c.1530):

Be thou not a weenie. For weenies belong not in civil conversation but rather roasting over a warm blaze, spitting and sizzling with oozing fat.

Turn away when spitting lest your saliva fall on someone. If anything purulent falls on the ground, it should be trodden upon, lest it nauseate someone.

To lick greasy fingers or to wipe them on your coat is impolite. It is better to use a tablecloth or the serviette.

Some people put their hands in the dishes the moment they sit down. Wolves do that.

You should not offer your handkerchief to anyone unless it is freshly washed. Nor is it seemly, after wiping your nose, to spread out your handkerchief and peer into it as if pearls and rubies might have fallen out of your head.

Do not be afraid of vomiting, if you must; for it is not the vomiting but holding the vomit in your throat that is foul.

All Samurai Sites are subject to this disclaimer. Caveat Reader.

If you cannot swallow a piece of food, turn around and discreetly throw it somewhere.

Do not move back and forth in your chair. Whoever does that gives the impression of constantly breaking wind or trying to break wind.

Retain the wind by compressing the belly.

No Paypal Account but Need Personal Help from the Samurai on an Appliance Repair Problem

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MESSAGE SENT THROUGH YOUR WEBSITE

IP Address: 64.172.176.75
name: Robert

I would like your help fixing a washing machine. I don’t have a paypal account and want to make alternate arrangements.

How do we do that?

Your appliance is broken and you know you need Live Help from the Samurai. Only problem is that you don’t have a Paypal account. Hey, nolo problemo, Budrow! Use Google Checkout instead:

Come, read more about the Samurai’s unique Live Help program.

If you want an alternative way of making your love-offering to the Samurai Appliance Repair Forum, use this Google Checkout button: