Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!apple!mjohnson
From: mjohnson@Apple.COM (Mark B. Johnson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: To Clarify...Apple Support
Message-ID: <27853@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 25 Mar 89 19:24:45 GMT
References: <8903251116.AA09126@crash.cts.com>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 101

In article <8903251116.AA09126@crash.cts.com> pnet01!pro-simasd!pro-nsfmat!pro-pac!tsouth@nosc.mil writes:
>
>> Let's not blame all of Apple here.
>
>No, Mark, let us blame the idiot appliance users (aka, Maccers).
>
Careful here, many of us use both machines and are happy with both.  Let's
not flame the people who purchase Macs because they have made a different
choice (or because they have a fatter wallet).

>Question:  Why aren't there any people in Apple marketting saying
>           this?  Obviously, they ARE the ones that management is
>           listening too, Mark, not you good ole' boys in support
>           and engineering.  Why aren't THEY the ones that are
>           telling me that they care about my money?
>
Probably because _many_ (I'll probably get flamed for this one) of the
people in marketing are now just that, marketing people, not computer
users who happen to want to market the machine they love.  Apple is
changing internally, and there are good and bad points to it.  Many of
the marketing people were not around in the days of the Apple II and
may not have the attachment to PEOPLE that I feel Apple once (and hopefully
still) stands for.  If you stack up your $10,000 to a university or business
who could spend many times that over and over again you can see why the
machines are marketed like they are (not that I agree with it).  Apple is
in the business of making money, and to some people here that is the real
goal, not changing the world or creating great computers and system software
for themselves and their friends. I'm not saying that there are not people
in marketing who feel the same as the "good ole' boys (and girls)," but
many folks like to keep their jobs and are not going to buck the direction
of their bosses, etc.

(I could have had a few marketing positions in Apple, but as many others I 
know feel, "marketing" is a four-letter word and I preferred a more "honest"
job -- developer technical support.)

>     The reason that I, and other IMHO, are telling you and the
>others whom have participated (thank God!) on the net these things
>is that you are our lifelines to the company, guys.  We have no way
>to know if letters do a whole damn bit of good.  Letters, where I

The reason many of us do spend our own time on the public nets is because
we too were on the outside and really know the frustration of not knowing
if anyone inside is listening.  Speaking solely for myself (although I am
sure others echo my feelings), we spend the time because we care about
Apple as a company, about the machines we produce, and especially about
the people, like ourselves, who buy and use them.  You can be sure that
letters and your comments here get passed up a few levels of management
when the situation warrants it, but if you want your thoughts to go
directly to the top, then do as others and send letters directly to the
people you feel need to hear your point of view.  Some do get answered,
as a friend of mine from Notre Dame will attest, but no answer doesn't
mean they haven't been read, it only means Apple has a *LONG* way to go
before we are providing the type of customer satisfaction we keep saying
we are so serious about.

>should realize that feedback is the basic foundation of a support
>system -- and you on the net have seen this is a truth, not an
>
People do realize the importance of feedback, but sometimes the implementation
gets bogged down in bureaucracy, etc.  We do listen, but we just can't act
as soon as people would like anymore because we are not as small as we once
were.

>     As long as the folks who do control the evolution of the ][
>family are receptive, we are happy.  To us, this has been a long
>time in the coming, mate.  Even with the //gs's release, a number
>of us knew for a fact that there still were minimal resources of
>every single aspect being directed towards the //gs.  I see this
>really starting to change.  Maybe somethings like the DOD contracts
>are changing this.  Maybe it's something else.  Either way, I am
>extremely happy to see the change.  But, please, do not mistake
>my glea, nor anyone elses, for complacency.  We still want every-
>thing possible to be applied to our choice of computer.
>
The ultimate control of the company and its products rests in the dollars
of the shareholders and customers.  This doesn't mean we don't fight the
fights internally, only that the only way to make a company sit up and
listen is to hit it where it lives...

>  ^^^^
>A really nice person!  Honest! :)
>
                        ^^^^ Todd's lying.

That's a mouthful you've endured if you've gotten to this point, and all
at a time when we are concerned about traffic volume.  Please excuse my
verbosity, but working with Matt tends to affect even those of use who
once thought ourselves impervious. :-)  Just let me clarify that all the
statements in this, and other, posts are my personal opinions, and do not
reflect the offical opinion or statement of Apple in any way, shape, or form.
I do, however, stand behind my opinions...


Mark B. Johnson                                            AppleLink: mjohnson
Developer Technical Support                         domain: mjohnson@Apple.com
Apple Computer, Inc.         UUCP:  {amdahl,decwrl,sun,unisoft}!apple!mjohnson

"You gave your life to become the person you are right now.  Was it worth it?"
                                                         - Richard Bach, _One_