Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!natinst!tntdev!carpet!bill
From: bill@carpet.WLK.COM (Bill Kennedy)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.microport
Subject: Re: Microport Status
Message-ID: <178@carpet.WLK.COM>
Date: 31 Mar 89 03:07:14 GMT
References: <315@uport.UUCP> <96473@sun.Eng.Sun.COM> <6385@bsu-cs.UUCP> <96729@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>
Reply-To: bill@ssbn.WLK.COM (Bill Kennedy)
Organization: W.L. Kennedy Jr & Associates, Pipe Creek, TX
Lines: 52

Before starting, I have been a frequent critic of Microport and have
often challenged John's (my words) "change of stripes" from simple
user to high muckety muck.  Thanks to Rahul for asking and more thanks
to John for answering with such candor.  It now remains for the rest
of us to figure out where to go from here since (I bitched and growled
about this ad nauseam, I'll try to exercise restraint) we're all adrift.

In article <96729@sun.Eng.Sun.COM> plocher@sun.COM (John Plocher) writes:
>In article <6385@bsu-cs.UUCP> dhesi@bsu-cs.UUCP (Rahul Dhesi) writes:
>>So, now that you can speak freely, what really was the problem at
>>Microport?
>
>	The number 1 problem was simply too much work for too few people.
>
>	There was no support from upper management to hire more people, so
>	the engineering was done by a staff of 4 or 5:

Confirmed!  I quit uPort before John's watch and suggested this very
situation.  May I propose a reincarnation?  Microport grew out of an
ill advised Digital Research fiasco.  I understand that Chuck Hickey's
gone now, but is there space in the situation for another Lazarus number?
I NEVER had any difficulty believing the dedication of the techs I dealt
with, it was management (in my opinion) who "pissed in the grits".  John,
is there any possibility this could be recouped?  They, after all, hired
you (also in my opinion) to attenuate the noise.  No criticism intended,
but they had to move you and charm you, any whoofle dust left?

>>As others have asked, will Microport release source to its drivers, so
>>others can fix bugs?
>
>	I wouldn't think so; they are a "valuable" asset and can/could be
>	sold to pay creditors.  Remember, Microport is still in business,
>	but I am no longer there.
>
>	I tried to obtain the legal rights to Microport's driver source
>	before I left, but because of SEC regulations about insider trading
>	I would have had to pay "full asset value" for them, and I didn't
>	have the ~$250K that it would have taken. :-(
>
>	John Plocher

Oh ouch!  I had a similar situation a long time ago.  The thing had no salvage
value until they found out I thought it did.  Nonetheless, and my anger and
outrage notwithstanding, I think that uPort management got their just desserts.

So whadda WE, the senseless devils who provided the cash, do?  That's not the
imminent death of the net, just a question from someone who will not allow
a fully licensed 3.0e on his '386 and who isn't as happy with V/AT 2.4 as he
was with 2.3...
-- 
Bill Kennedy  Internet: bill@ssbn.WLK.COM
                Usenet: {texbell,att,killer,sun!daver,cs.utexas.edu}!ssbn!bill