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From: cleland@sdbio2.ucsd.edu (Thomas Cleland)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Reality check: Amiga coverage is not a right, but a privilege
Message-ID: <14937@sdcc6.ucsd.edu>
Date: 14 Dec 90 02:26:58 GMT
References: <1990Dec13.061622.13992@maytag.waterloo.edu>
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Reply-To: cleland@sdbio2.ucsd.edu (Thomas Cleland)
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In article <1990Dec13.061622.13992@maytag.waterloo.edu> giguere@csg.waterloo.edu (Eric Giguere) writes:

>The point is, there is no "anti-Amiga conspiracy".  It's all a matter
>of supply and demand.  And it's certainly NOT censorship!  Censorship is
>when someone steps in and stops you from publishing what you want to 
>publish.  You decide what you want to publish AND what you DON'T want
>to publish.  Freedom of expression is also freedom of omission.
>
I agree, of course, in principle.  However, it has certainly not
escaped IBM and Apple  (presumably separately)  that the best
public relations defense against competition from
Commodore-Amiga is to actively contribute to public perception
of the Amiga as "not a serious machine".  Obviously they believe
differently--Apple uses Amigas in house, and both were falling
over themselves trying to get NewTek to do a DOS-Toaster or
MacToaster.  I certainly don't see it as beyond those companies
to put pressure on respected magazines to limit competitors'
coverage  (vast advertising budgets are pretty convincing).


>More Amiga coverage will happen only when the market is big enough.
>Writing insulting letters to the editor won't help your case a bit.
>Buying Amiga software will, as will using your Amiga for productive work
>and telling others about it.
>
Absolutely correct.  That's how the Mac got accepted by the
mainstream as a serious machine.  Just overpower the pressure of
money with the irrefutability of your presence and the value of
what you have to offer.

I don't condone the "rude" part of it.  But keep the letters
flowing to editors.  That's how they know there's an Amiga
market out here.

>--
>Eric Giguere                                       giguere@csg.UWaterloo.CA

-- 
   //  / Thom Cleland                       / It is easier        /
  //  / tcleland@ucsd.edu                  / to get forgiveness  /
\X/  / ASOCC * Amiga Users' Group at UCSD / than permission...  /
     \____________________________________\____________________/