Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ncar!ico!rcd
From: rcd@ico.isc.com (Dick Dunn)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.sysv386
Subject: the Microports
Summary: the "evil twin" phenomenon??
Message-ID: <1990Nov14.013509.18818@ico.isc.com>
Date: 14 Nov 90 01:35:09 GMT
References: <6@mport.UUCP> <2899@van-bc.wimsey.bc.ca> <7@mport.UUCP> <5@mport.COM>
Organization: Interactive Systems Corporation, Boulder, CO
Lines: 44

duc@mport.COM (Richard Ducoty) writes about Bill Kennedy's disgruntlement
with "Microport":

> From your recent posts and others, it is obvious you have a grudge against
> Microport Systems.  We are not Microport Systems - we're Microport Inc.  This
> is an entirely new company; new people, new site, etc...

I think Bill has pretty well explained that he's not confused by the situ-
ation.  There is room for confusion, but people seem to have sorted it out.
More to the point, there is reason for people to make some connection be-
tween the "old" and "new" Microports even if they are separate companies. 
Stephen Friedl had asked whether he hadn't seen a "we're back..." ad. 
Yes.  (Well, actually I don't know if Steve saw it, but it did exist.:-) 
Now, it seems a bit disingenuous, to put it mildly, to say in this context:

>...I would hope that
> you would judge us on our actions and products, not those of another company
> with a similar name.

...when the new company (Microport Inc) has acquired the logo of the other
one, then advertised "WE ARE BACK IN SCOTTS VALLEY..."  and notes its V.4
product as "another first to complement the other firsts from" followed by
the big script-m logo.  I don't think you can blame this ad, or the appear-
ance of a connection, on your evil-twin company.  Just as friendly advice,
it's better to take the good with the bad; you can't expect to trade on the
name only until you find an unhappy Microport Systems customer, then
disavow any connection.  Wouldn't it make more sense to try to establish
yourselves as a successor-of-sorts, trying to take on what the old Micro-
port was aiming at technically, but getting the business and support parts
right?  If you don't have or want *any* connection to the old Microport,
why on earth would you want the name and logo???

> If you have ever been involved in the software business you must realize that
> a few people inadvertently fall between the cracks...

Another bit of friendly advice:  It's not wise to address unknown people
with unknown connections in a condescending manner.  *I* sure-as-hell
wouldn't say to Bill K, "If you have ever been involved in the software
business..."  It can be an unpleasant way to find out you just stumbled on
someone who's been around for a loooong time and has lots of friends who
buy and/or make purchase recommendations on a lot of systems.
-- 
Dick Dunn     rcd@ico.isc.com -or- ico!rcd       Boulder, CO   (303)449-2870
   Cellular phones: more deadly than marijuana.