Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!usc!csun!srhqla!magnus!mml
From: mml@magnus.UUCP (Mike Levin)
Newsgroups: comp.sources.d
Subject: Re: Free software quality (was Re: regarding patch level of patch)
Keywords: patch
Message-ID: <527@magnus.UUCP>
Date: 28 May 89 05:41:03 GMT
References: <3eCX02wo28gL01@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com> <458@mahendo.Jpl.Nasa.Gov> <5437@videovax.tv.Tek.com>
Reply-To: mml@magnus.UUCP (Mike Levin)
Organization: Silent Radio, Los Angeles
Lines: 66

In article <5437@videovax.tv.Tek.com> stever@videovax.tv.tek.com.UUCP (Steven E. Rice, P.E.) writes:
>
>Just a word about the controversy over patches and updates.  The group
>I am part of (the Measurement Systems Business Unit of Tektronix' Television
>Division) has a couple of products from a well-known manufacturer.  One is
>entirely software; the other is hardware that requires software to operate.
>In each case, we have paid for software update services.  In each case,
>we have had great difficulty actually getting what we paid for.

	Part of the problem here is that a LOT of products, when being made
available commercially, are aimed at DUMMIES.  In other words, the company
selling the software product comes to the conclusion that they are a
wonderful company, selling a terrific product to a bunch of idiots who
don't know how to appreciate what they've got.  The 'professional'
customer service folks who answer the software vendors phone when a
customer calls in are, in my experience, the REAL dummies.  They are
people of such a LOW caliber that one has to work very hard to get DOWN
to their level.


>
>Why do we keep buying from such screwed-up outfits?  We don't have much
>choice if we want to concentrate on our primary goal, which is building
>the world's finest television test and measurement equipment.  But
>what a contrast with the software Larry Wall and others provide us
>for free!!!

	We keep buying because we buy their BS.  We believe the ads, we
get sucked in by the graphics, and the fact that the head of the company
walks in with his Wall Street Journal, or his copy of Fortune, and says
"Hey, Joe, why don't we buy... instead of developing our own ...".  And
we figure he knows something, which he doesn't. 

>Please, please, please!!  The quality of the software available over the
>net is astoundingly high!  Furthermore, the level of support is much
>better than that found with commercially-available (and very expensive)
>software.  Rather than whining that what is given you for free isn't
>perfect, count your blessings!  And if you can't use it, ignore it.  Go
>spend kilobucks for a commercial product, instead. . .

	Here I think the motivation is that when we create something that
we post to the net, we are putting it in front of our peers, rather than
the unwashed masses.  The folks on the net are our equals, and THEIR
opinion matters a HECK OF A LOT MORE than the opinions of mere customers,
who (after all) don't know anything at all.  But when a piece of software
is regarded as WORTHY by ..."THE NET"..., that's something to be proud
of.  So we sit at our terminals at 'work', reading the net, posting
articles, and the customers who are calling us for some assistance with
the product they purchased from us are told "I'm sorry, but Mr. xxx can't come
to the phone right now.  I'll have to take a message.", and Mr. xxx is
free to post his article.  The problem is, we're right- nobody in
the commercial world will EVER appreciate the wonderful stuff we do.
But then, if the customer paid out the money, and we get our paychecks,
are they also obligated to pay their respects?  I don't really think so, as
much as my ego would like it.  I just think that we should see to it that
the commercial customers, who are the ones paying for the time we can spend
plunking away at our favorite news group, are also happy.


					Mike Levin

-- 
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