BostonU SysMgr <root%bostonu.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa> (12/29/84)
It never ceases to amaze me when someone (predictably) responds to a pricing/quality/service complaint "Hey, they're only trying to make buck" which is usually meant to justify most any outrageous practice and is usually an indication that this clever person has great insight and empathy into *business*. Somehow, I think this outright cynicism started around the watergate thing (ok, I date myself) the moral of which was "Hey, they're only trying to make a buck/win" strongly reinforced by the rapid decline into recent recessions/scandals/cynicism/apathy/despair-for-moral-values. Ok, my answer: Hey, I AM THE *#$%@!! CUSTOMER!!! And if YOU want my business ya better keep me happy or I'll find another game even if it's painful. I got bottom lines too and I can live w/o any vendor a heck of a lot easier then they can live without me, the customer. I started using UNIX cause a) It worked b) it was reasonably priced for a source license c) it looked like (in 1976) it was gonna be an area of real development by a community that saw the problems a lot like I did. If some of those things stop being so, I stop being a customer as soon as a reasonable alternative appears...poof, gone. And I have enough faith in the good sense of customers that I won't be the only one gone. And something will appear to fill the void (nature hates a vacuum, so does american capitalism.) Now, I don't mind paying a reasonable price for something, but what that price is depends on its value to ME NOT THE PROBLEMS OF THE PEOPLE WHO BUILT IT. Their problem is to convince me, the customer, it is worth to me what it costs TO ME, not them. Personally, I think the free pricing of UNIX to universities was wonderfully generous. What AT&T got back was an incredibly highly developed system. Probably, now as it matures it would not be unreasonable to adjust pricing but they better not think the world will magically stand still at SYSV or 4.2bsd, development continues to be critical. Notice, AT&T gave it away for free and made a killing on it...chew on that next time you decide to give in cause "Hey, they're only trying to make a buck." My suggestion to AT&T is that they charge some reasonable price for their source distributions that can be spread out over time (optionally.) Then, they buy back every bug fix and augmentation. At standard consulting rates, of course. I realize this is a bit frivilous but in fact I am half serious. -Barry Shein, Boston University