Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!ksand
From: ksand@Apple.COM (Kent Sandvik)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Why doesn't Apple support their users and developers?
Message-ID: <47137@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 6 Dec 90 01:55:27 GMT
References: <1CE00001.a8frf3@tbomb.ice.com> <47122@apple.Apple.COM> <14550@crdgw1.crd.ge.com>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, CA
Lines: 59

In article <14550@crdgw1.crd.ge.com> darweesh@zephyrus.crd.ge.com (Michael Darweesh) writes:

>Looking at the MacDTS sample source code is a good thing to do, but it doesn't
>show up at apple.com for a while and if you don't have ftp access, you're
>not gonna be able to get it very easily at all. Same with the tech notes and
>human interface notes.

APDA sells the MacDTS sample source code, you could even get it in
Australia (!).

>How am I supposed to be able to make enough money to become an official
>developer if I can't debug my Mac program in the first place due to lack
>of technical support?

I don't want to sound picky or arrogant, but good products sell.

>Some random people from Apple. Sometimes one or two will spend some significant
>time answering questions via this Bboard even though it is rumored that they
>must do it "on their own time".

The 'cat /etc/passwd | wc -l' on this machine showed 1455 entries, and
that's only one of the machines on the network. A lot of Apple people
read and answer entries, the problem is time and resources. Many of 
us are busy finishing System 7 just now, so there's not much time 
left for other work.

>I truly feel sorry for the begining Mac developers who don't have access to 
>the Internet. Without comp.sys.mac.programmer, I would never have continued
>trying to program my Mac.

A lot of the early UNIX revolution was also due to the network culture!
I personally think that anyone with brains, a Mac and access to IM
and a development environment is able to produce code. But a network/BBs
with people discussing programming issues sure helps.

>Enough with that thread for me. I could go on and on, but no...

I think most of us at Apple are open for criticism. We certainly could
do better. Then again how many computer companies have a dedicated
developer services group? In most places this department would be considered
just a waste of money, brain and time.

I know that many of you would like to have the same service level as
registered developers. Back at Apple Australia we always had the pressure
to provide the same service to non-registered as to registered ones.
It usually helped to think, that the registered developers/companies
struggled with loans and payments, and if the product did not hit the
street some programmers could become jobless, or loose their
homes... That way it was quite easy to prioritize the registered ones.
Then again it does not mean to forget the rest.

Regards,
Kent Sandvik

-- 
Kent Sandvik, Apple Computer Inc, Developer Technical Support
NET:ksand@apple.com, AppleLink: KSAND  DISCLAIMER: Private mumbo-jumbo
Zippy says: "With C++ we now do have the possibilities to inherit
dangling pointer problems"