Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!mtuxo!mtgzz!drutx!druhi!med
From: med@druhi.ATT.COM (Myron Drapal)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Beta ROMs and bug reporting.
Message-ID: <3517@druhi.ATT.COM>
Date: 3 Sep 88 17:38:16 GMT
Distribution: comp
Organization: AT&T, Denver, CO
Lines: 112

> From uucp Wed Aug 31 20:17 MDT 1988
> >From ames.arc.nasa.gov!uucp!atari!apratt Wed Aug 31 12:03:34 PDT 1988 remote from arpa
> Received: Wed, 31 Aug 88 12:07:38 PDT by ames.arc.nasa.gov (5.59/1.2)
> Received: by atari.UUCP (4.12/4.7)
> 	id AA12987; Wed, 31 Aug 88 12:03:34 pdt
> Date: Wed, 31 Aug 88 12:03:34 pdt
> From: atari!apratt@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Allan Pratt)
> Message-Id: <8808311903.AA12987@atari.UUCP>
> To: ames!med@druhi.ATT.COM
> Subject: BETA TOS
> 
> In article <3451@druhi.ATT.COM> you write:
> > Well, Allan, I really hate to rain on your parade again, but this stuff
> > about the new format being compatible with the PC is just not true...
> > At least not in the BETA ROMS...
> 
> PLEASE DO NOT USE NEWS TO REPORT BUGS IN UNRELEASED ATARI PRODUCTS.
> PLEASE DO NOT USE NEWS TO REPORT BUGS IN UNRELEASED ATARI PRODUCTS.
> PLEASE DO NOT USE NEWS TO REPORT BUGS IN UNRELEASED ATARI PRODUCTS.
> PLEASE DO NOT USE NEWS TO REPORT BUGS IN UNRELEASED ATARI PRODUCTS.
> 
> Am I making myself clear?
> 
> If you have a comment to make about Beta ROMs or any other unreleased
> Atari product, use the appropriate communication channels: in this case,
> send us an SPR.  If you don't know how to do that (for example, because
> you copied the ROMs without copying the instructions for reporting about
> them) you can mail us a letter.  We probably won't even prosecute
> you or the official beta tester who let you copy the ROMs, because we
> want the feedback.  This is not a legal opinion, but it would be my
> recommendation.                   ^^^^^ ^^^^^^^

Finally, a legal opinion worth the paper that it is printed on...

>                  But you do not get any goodwill by flaming us in
> public about UNRELEASED products.       ^^^^^^^^

Good will starts at home, and I think that your company needs to start
treating its registered developers (and customers) better if it expects
to be on the receiving end of some good will.  In my final commentary
regarding this on NETNEWS, I suggest that the following issues need to
be solved to help this along:

1.	NETNEWS was the accepted forum for bug reporting, especially when
	Landon and Alex were employed at Atari.

		In fact, discussions usually included the report of the
		bug, followed by discussions from developers and the Atari
		folks regarding how the bug was noticed (reproducibility)
		and even possible solutions, both long term and short term.
		In particular, the 40 folder bug was solved this way.

2.	Most registered developers have not been receiving updated documents
	or information regarding new bug report procedures.

		I have been a registered Atari ST devloper for over two
		years.  I have yet to receive any update notices, new
		documentation (the GDOS documents that some registered
		developers got a few months back), nor was I notified
		that the new TOS 1.4 was being made availble to BETA sites.
		I know this isn't your fault (Allan and Roy), but you are
		the only people from Atari on the NET that seem to listen.
		Where is the support?

		I realize that $300 is not much if you consider the entire
		development cost of the ST.  It is, however, a significant
		investment to those of us who don't have money to burn.  I,
		for one, feel that the quality of the documentation in the
		developer package was at best mediocre, and we developers
		are entitled to updates in a reasonable amount of time.
		Promises were made to these few who forked over the $300
		that updates would be made available, but I have not seen
		any to date.  I am not alone in this feeling, either.  A
		number of very good third party developers have left your
		fold, primarily due to very poor support on Atari's part.

3.	Instructions for reporting bugs should be made available to all
	owners - not just a few "selected" registered developers.

		Even a person who owns an ST and only runs 1st Word should
		be able to report a problem to you.  They may be using the
		system in a way that none of us could possibly dream of.
		If there had been such an approved method of reporting bugs
		and it had been distributed to all owners (simply through
		Compuserve, NETNEWS, etc.), this whole issue would not have
		happened at all.

> 
> Please cut it out.

If you really don't want the feedback, please create a new newsgroup
(I suggest mod.sys.atari.st), designate yourself as moderator, and
screen the postings as you see fit.

But, if you really do want the feedback (as you claim above), please
make the reporting mechanism and the instructions available to all
ST owners.  We're all in this together - I think most of us are
willing to help, given the proper information and consideration.

> 
> I post this in public because the offense was committed in public.  I am
> also sending mail, because that is far less likely to be overlooked by
> the intended recipient. 

Ditto.

I'm afraid that the only offense that I'm guilty of is telling the truth
in a public forum.  For that, I plead guilty.

						Myron Drapal
						AT&T Denver
						att!druhi!med