more helpful flames, perhaps?

[Dick Dunn]

akcs.larry at nstar.UUCP (Larry Snyder) writes:
> ...ISC told me that the USR modems
> are junk and are not supported by 2.02.  Hogwash - I wouldn't suggest
> ISC to anyone -

[I have quite a different view of ISC.  I haven't had to use support, so I
can't comment on that one way or the other...but I've found 386/ix itself
to be quite reliable.  Of course, I'm probably too biased...:-]

Speaking strictly as an *individual* within ISC...

Seriously, when we--engineers, within ISC (whether working on the products
or not)--read a comment like the one Larry made, it's very frustrating
because we don't know who gave bad advice and we can't use it to help "fix
the problem".  Certainly from a customer's viewpoint, anyone within ISC
speaking to the customer is speaking "as ISC"--and I don't mean to mini-
mize the extent to which one person's advice can reflect on the whole
company.

I think if someone told *me* that "USR modems are junk..." I'd react with
something like "hogwash" also.  I've used them personally; we've used them
at several places I've been.  I'd really like to know what's behind such
a statement, and who made it, and why.  Just for a moment, put yourself in
the position of someone within ISC, and think about the effect of what
you're saying.  I'm not asking you to do our jobs for us; I'm just
suggesting that when you make a criticism, make it in a way that conveys
enough information that we can figure out how to address a problem.

Remember that ISC isn't a new company with a new product.  ISC has been
around for quite a while; 386/ix has been out for a while and there are a
lot of people using it.  It's not going to go away because someone doesn't
like the company, or the product, or something about it.  There are
various ways in which 386/ix stands head and shoulders above the other 386
UNIX products, and this is pretty well established by people who've taken
time to compare the various systems.  So saying "I wouldn't suggest ISC to
anyone...", while possibly true, doesn't really convey your message.

No plea for mercy here...if ISC screws up, go ahead and flame!  But, as I
*hope* recent discussions suggest, if a flame shows a tangible problem that
can be fixed, there are people reading the newsgroup who are interested in
getting it fixed.
-- 
Dick Dunn     rcd at ico.isc.com    uucp: {ncar,nbires}!ico!rcd     (303)449-2870
   ...Keep your day job 'til your night job pays.