I've seen posts here refer to the movement of DSE away from electronics components and stuff to consumer goods, and the vast lowering of staff standards (eg recently I went to buy an LCD TV in the Warringah Mall store, only to find that the salesman knew nothing about those *either*... so I bought elsewhere...)
I see Jaycar is also going. Only in their case they are increasingly advertising gadgets like 'farting ash tray', bosses you can strangle, lung ash tray and the like which have nothing to do with electronics. If you open that mostly excellent magazine Silicon Chip, invariably on the inside front cover you will find Jaycar advertising junk like this, which IMO denigrates from the electronics tone of the magazine. Just my opinion. Do others share it?
And another beef: For years I bought all my computer needs from HN at Balgowlah, and that's quite a few thousand dollars. Then I wanted a spare battery for my Toshiba laptop that I'd bought there. I received completely unhelpful and disinterested service from *two* salesmen, and as a result I no longer buy my computers there. A little assistance with a small item would have maintained customer loyalty, but no...