Now when you crash an Autodesk product not only  is the important details are sent to Autodesk and later an email notification if you entered your email address when a fix is available, but now you can see/search immediately if there is a fix for this issue. Unlike many other software companies that simply rely on a default crash reporting mechanism that may just send out your feedback and the valuable details into a black hole or to Microsoft who cannot fix the problem and offers no help of any kind, Autodesk knows how important it is to correct any issues we can with our products. This is a very important project and resulting in more stable and higher performing Autodesk products which results in happier and more productive customers.

I have wrote many blog posts over the years on CER and CIP explaining the process and why you should participate as it helps you get resolutions to issues you have been encountering or with CIP your command usage of AutoCAD 2008 helps develop a greater understanding by Autodesk on how our products are used and how to improve.

• We Try Hard!

• Help Autodesk to Help You - March 2007

• AutoCAD - Customer Error Reporting (CER)

• Recent Customer Error Report "CER" Changes

• Your Customer Error Reports Are Very Important

• 85% Do Not Enter an Email in Their Error Reports

• Customer Error Reports - Please Send Them In

AutoCAD CER http://www.autodesk.com/cer

Autodesk Customer Involvement Program (CIP)

Now with AutoCAD 2008 Customer Involvement Program (CIP) a customer can elect to send anonymous usage data we will get even better. We hope that customers will enable anonymous CIP data reporting to help us understand how they are using our products so that we can make even more solid decisions based on that data.

Please make sure if you do happen to crash (we hope you don't) to be sure to send in the CER report each time it occurs so our teams can research the culprit. And no, there are no file names, bank accounts, DNA details, covert black helicopters circling when you send the data or people checking your serial numbers and knocking on your doors. In fact all the data is on your machine unencrypted before sending if you like to snoop and verify for yourselves.

Happy Holidays,
Shaan (suffering from a bad cold, and too much snow)