[Hypocorism]

Sometimes that is a helpful suggestion that teaches one to fish.

With due respect, I disagree. That's the blind optimist's viewpoint, real world is somewhat different.

"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day drinking beer." -- Anon.

.R.

Carpe diem - Seize the day; Carp in denim - There's a fish in my pants!

[Steve Beswick]

It's stupid engineering:

It shouldn't flash, even if successfully updated.

Have any of you ever worked with engineers? Or eaten lunch with one? In general, these aren't normal people. So I totally understand the OP's trepidation with this.

Hell, in the case of buying a brand-new K-5, why the hell should you have to perform a firmware update so soon after the camera's initial release anyway?

Stupid engineering, brought to you by engineers.

With all due respect to the engineers in this thread, I agree. I think that it should be required of engineers to use the products that they design. In the case of architectural engineers, they should have to build and live in their designs. At a minimum, they should be required to spend one month a year working in construction.

[emalvick]

Sometimes, "let me Google this for you" or an equivalent is the best answer. To my mind, teaching a person how to fish is more helpful in the long run than giving them the fish in the first place.

Here's a question for you: "Could someone tell me how to do colour management?"

Really, what's the best answer? A couple of links or a 3000 word treatise?

When someone comes on (I'm not talking about the OP here, this is a generalization) and asks a question that proves they have in no way tried to help themselves, what is wrong with giving them the tools they need to answer it?
Is it less helpful to give a link rather than an extensive cut & paste? Is it less helpful to tell them what page of their manual has the answer?

Gene, I have, in the past, copied asked questions and pasted them verbatim into Google and gotten the answer.
What is the reticence surrounding teaching people how to use a search engine, or at least reminding them that they exist?

Why is it preferential to ask a question on a forum and perhaps get an answer that may be right or wrong at some unknown time in the future or to put that same question to a search engine and have the correct answer instantly?

I liked your post here, and as one who uses Google a lot, I can see where you are coming from.

However, as a person who has looked for answers for many questions here and elsewhere, I find that a forum like this is much more trustworthy for answers than Google can be at times.

As great as I think Google can be and knowing how to use it can be, I've learned that the best answers to most questions come from forums where there is less likely to be marketing and selling involved. Of course not all forums are this way, and Google has been the way I've found most forums I've used.

In today's internet and Google world, knowing the right answer isn't as simple as just typing it in Google and taking the first thing that comes up.

That is where a forum like this has been fantastic. For anything photography related especially with regard to my K10d, I know I can search this forum and find a better answer 80% of the time and quicker than if I used Google alone.

As for being directed to a manual or other link. I don't mind that at all. It is just difficult when answers through a basic google search seem conflicting.

As for the OP's question, I would probably have asked it to. A flashing red light makes one wonder if the message of completion is real. Anyone who's worked with Microsoft products long enough knows that messages can contradict.

As an engineer, myself (civil), I only wish I had the luxury of firmware updates. In civil, if you make a "bug" you often have to replace the whole structure if it didn't collapse first . Makes you feel really good about us doesn't it?

[antzutd]

if i were in the same situation as the OP, i would panic as well.

you don't see dr. evil's Laser going 'green light' when its operational!
red flashing light = trouble!