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From: gk@kksys.UUCP (0000-Greg Kemnitz)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards,comp.unix.xenix
Subject: Re: Microport - Man or Myth?
Message-ID: <421@kksys.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 18-Oct-87 01:48:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: kksys.421
Posted: Sun Oct 18 01:48:59 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 21-Oct-87 00:36:53 EDT
References: <163@uport.UUCP> <2964@phri.UUCP>
Reply-To: gk@kksys.UUCP (Greg Kemnitz)
Followup-To: alt.flame
Organization: K and K Systems, Minneapolis
Lines: 59
Xref: mnetor comp.unix.wizards:5005 comp.unix.xenix:996

In article <2964@phri.UUCP> roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith) writes:
>In article <163@uport.UUCP> chuck@uport.UUCP (Chuck Hickey) writes:
                 (content of Mr. Hickey's posting deleted)
>	Isn't this type of material better suited to the corporate
>background sheet that goes out in the promo folder along with the 4-color
>glossy literature?  Since it seems that you are selling a new product
>(namely new and improved corporate management), maybe I could see myself
>stretching the limits of my imagination and just barely approving of this
>on comp.newprod.  But on unix-wizards?  Give me a break!

(flame on)

Normally I would have to agree with you on this, but in this case I
think the large amount of "Microport-bashing" that has gone on in
these newsgroups recently justifies his posting.  After all, he *was*
trying to explain that they are working to resolve their internal
difficulties and be more responsive to the user community.

The recent discussions about bugs in the Microport product, while no
doubt correct, and certainly useful to readers of these news groups,
unfortunately have the potential for doing a great deal of harm to a
company who, based on Mr. Hickey's comments, is making a legitimate
effort to improve.  

Agreed, they *have* had problems with their product.  Many of these
problems are reported to be fixed in their latest release (2.3, which
is now available).  Many people are citing the existance of these
*fixed* problems as a reason *not* to purchase their product.  More
have accused them of not being responsive to users needs, in many
cases complaining about the very issues he addresses.

The man has a right to respond to criticism, IN THE FORUM IN WHICH THE
CRITICISM IS DELIVERED.

(flame off)

Please, don't condemn Microport's product without rationally considering
all the pluses and minuses, and CHECKING THE CURRENT STATUS of the
comments.  Things -DO- change.

>	BTW, if Microport really is selling "People's UNIX", maybe they
>should call it Bolshevix?

It appears you forgot the 'smiley' at the end of the last line... :-)


DIsclaimer:  I have no association with Microport other than as a
relatively satisfied user who has gone through h*ll dealing with a
company suffering growing pains, and has generally found them making a
sincere effort to fix their problems.  Now, if only they could get our
backordered Merge/286 on the way to us!  (1/2 :-) , they say they lost
track of the order and promised it would ship last Thursday)

Followups to alt.flame, please...
-- 
Greg Kemnitz              |   amdahl \
K and K Systems           |   ihnp4   !meccts!kksys!gk
P.O. Box 41804            |   rutgers/
Plymouth, MN  55441-0804  |  AT&T and clones: (612)475-1527