Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!pt.cs.cmu.edu!cadre.dsl.pitt.edu!pitt!cuphub!kar7481
From: kar7481@cuphub.cup.edu (Dan Karbowsky;AtariEliteOfPghPa bbs412-384-5609)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: FLAMES and SUPPORT IN THE MINUS REALM
Message-ID: <2369@cuphub.cup.edu>
Date: 10 Dec 89 02:11:15 GMT
References: <2352@pkmab.se> <1830@atari.UUCP> <2370@pkmab.se> <1854@atari.UUCP> <874@lzaz.ATT.COM> <1864@atari.UUCP>
Organization: California University of Pennsylvania, California, PA
Lines: 76

In article <1864@atari.UUCP>, kbad@atari.UUCP (Ken Badertscher) writes:
> bds@lzaz.ATT.COM (Buce Szablak) writes:
> 
......

> I'm not way off base. I may be wrong in your case, and in fact I may be
> wrong in the case of every person who reads comp.sys.atari.st!  But
> active members of online communities aren not by any means
> representative samples of ST owners.  If the online community were more
> ubiquitous, I would grant that your experiences were representative,
> but it isn't, so I can't.  My opinion is based on my experience working
> in a computer store, working with user groups, supporting development
> tools, and talking with Atari's user group and developer support people.
> Users, by and large, want to use their computers.
> 
> As far as supporting hobbyist programmers, I take a pragmatic stance.
> How much PD software comes from where is not directly important to a
> computer maker.  It is certainly indirectly important, because a wide
> variety of PD tools make a computer a lot more attractive to the
> informed buyer.  But a wide variety of professional products make a
> computer more attractive to the market at large.  A lot of people buy
> the computer that runs the software that they want to run.  That is why
> it is vital for computer makers to have a broad commercial software
> base for their machines.  In order for that to happen, strong support
> for the companies that produce that software must exist.
> 
> A side effect of having strong support for professional programmers is
> that end users get supported as well.  More books get written by the
> professionals, making more information available to the hobbyist than
> the computer maker can hope to provide.  A broader base of technically
> competent people exist to answer the questions of hobbyist programmers.
> All these programmers will be happy because they can get their
> questions answered and they can solve their problems without having to
> stumble around in the dark too much.
> 
> Every customer is a valued customer.  You are an espeically valued
> customer, because you take the time to give feedback on how you think
> Atari is doing.  I'm sorry that my attitude bothers you, but I think
> that it's a practical one.  I hope that I've clarified where I'm coming
> from.
> 
> Please note: the opinions expressed in this article are mine and mine
> alone.  Atari has its own.
> 
> -- 
>    |||   Ken Badertscher  (ames!atari!kbad)
>    |||   Atari R&D System Software Engine
>   / | \  #include <disclaimer>
-- 

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* *** ****   **** *    *    **** * *** ___* **** ,  # \ ### # ### ,

 BUT HAVEN'T YOU REALIZED THAT THE GENERAL CONSENSUS OF PERSONS ON THIS
 
 NEWSGROUP SEEM TO BE ***QUITE PISSED OFF*** AT ATARI FOR NOT GIVING

 ANY REALISTIC SUPPORT IN ANY WAY TO ANY ST USERS/PROGRAMMERS/WHATEVERS

 AND YOU HAVE (in the past 3 weeks since our site has had this newsgroup,anyway)

 NOT REALLY _STRENGTHENED_ ATARI'S OVERALL PICTURE IN THE EYES OF AT LEAST

 THIS PROGRAMER/USER/etc... AND MORE THAN LIKELY--A ((FEW)) OTHERS TOO!!!

             [ hell couldn't be this hot ]

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