Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!hacgate!ashtate!dbase!awd
From: awd@dbase.a-t.com (Alastair Dallas)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Re: Market share for DOS database products
Message-ID: <1991Apr30.224901.18001@dbase.a-t.com>
Date: 30 Apr 91 22:49:01 GMT
References: <71280@brunix.UUCP> <1991Apr18.230012.12838@dbase.A-T.COM> <1991Apr28.041636.7696@welch.jhu.edu>
Organization: Ashton-Tate, Inc.
Lines: 36

In article <1991Apr28.041636.7696@welch.jhu.edu>, glenn@welch.jhu.edu (Glenn M. Mason) writes:
> You guys at A-T really should not try to use netnews as a means of
> spreading dBASE related propaganda.

Not "us guys," just me.

> Someone who works for A-T and owns
> A-T stock posting second hand, negative comments about a competitors
> product? That's just not cool.

Anyone can own A-T stock; I'm not hiding my affiliations.  I think if you
re-read my posting, you'll see that the discussion of Paradox came up
in response to a question about relative market share.  I was explaining
why Paradox's market share did not rise more quickly as ours fell.

I think that answering technical questions about dBASE is a good thing,
and that's why I'm here.  Answering business questions such as market
share is not as valuable to netland, but it's an interesting subject
to me.  Slamming competitors or spreading "dBASE related propaganda"
is not why I'm here, and I'd be the first to criticize someone for
doing it.  However, I find myself fruitlessly defending against some
fairly emotional attacks that are almost as inappropriate as propaganda
from the competitors in question.

> I'm not sure how you are
> interpreting the followup postings, but from my viewpoint, you guys are
> really taking a beating!

Oh, goody!  

/alastair/
-- 
|Disclaimer: I am speaking for myself, not as a spokesman for Ashton-Tate,
|which does not monitor my outbursts here.  I reserve all rights to my
|opinions in terms of commercial endorsements.