fischer@netmbx.UUCP (Axel Fischer) (05/30/89)
Hi netlanders, I want to thank SCO for making it possible to access there BBS via annonymous UUCP to request the available patches xnx???.* Even from Berlin, West Germany I have had no trouble getting in and first of all requesting the info file. On the second call I requested one patch and it works just fine. I really don't know what some guys are complaining. I works great. Thanks SCO, for making a fast access to the patches for everyone possible. By the way, Mr Rosso - where is my DiSCOver ??? I'm still waiting for issues and I'm getting impatient. -Axel -- Domain: fischer@netmbx.UUCP Europe: ...!tmpmbx!netmbx!fischer Rest of world: ...!uunet!pyramid!tmpmbx!netmbx!fischer =====> Beam me up, Scotty - there is no intelligent life down here ! <=====
davidsen@sungod.crd.ge.com (William Davidsen) (06/01/89)
In article <2874@netmbx.UUCP> fischer@netmbx.UUCP (Axel Fischer) writes: | I want to thank SCO for making it possible to access there BBS via | annonymous UUCP to request the available patches xnx???.* | | Even from Berlin, West Germany I have had no trouble getting in and first of | all requesting the info file. | On the second call I requested one patch and it works just fine. | | I really don't know what some guys are complaining. I works great. | | Thanks SCO, for making a fast access to the patches for everyone possible. It's nice that someone like the service and can get it. I paid $375 for Softcare and it doesn't seem to include BBS service, according to Rhonda about 4 minutes ago. My system crashed about 4pm yesterday (19 hours ago) and I just got my "express help." The problem was that fsck silently crashed during phase one and exited with a status of 4. She said this was a known problem, and they would send me a fix "at no charge since it's our problem." I asked if they could make it available via uucp so I wouldn't have to reload the entire system and was told "that isn't in place yet." BTW: I waited for four 8 minute periods for an engineer when the system went down, and then was given a callback time of 10am (EDT). I didn't get a call until 11am, when Dorothy told me they "just realized we didn't call you" and told me there was an engineer available. I then sat on hold for another four minutes. SCO could have saved me about 24 hours if they had told me to use my hat for a commode on the first call. At least that way I would *know* what support I was getting. I think the BBS is a great idea, too bad I didn't spend the money for the cheap fix instead of going for the higher level of support. Foolish me, I though it was a superset of the BBS-only. bill davidsen (davidsen@crdos1.crd.GE.COM) {uunet | philabs}!crdgw1!crdos1!davidsen "Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me
fischer@netmbx.UUCP (Axel Fischer) (06/03/89)
In article <559@crdgw1.crd.ge.com> davidsen@crdos1.UUCP (bill davidsen) writes: >In article <2874@netmbx.UUCP> fischer@netmbx.UUCP (Axel Fischer) writes: >| Thanks SCO, for making a fast access to the patches for everyone possible. > It's nice that someone like the service and can get it. I paid $375 >for Softcare and it doesn't seem to include BBS service, according to >Rhonda about 4 minutes ago. I have no idea what SoftCare at any level means ? Could you please explain it ? Here in Germany you buy your SCO from an authorized dealer. There are also two or three other dealers who import SCO Xenix directly from USA but they can't help you if you have any problems. If you have a problem you just call your dealer and thats it. The dealer where I have bought my SCO Xenix has until today answered 99 % of my questions. It seems that the know almost everything about Xenix :-). That results from the fact that they work every day with Xenix and write software for it. I was never in touch with SCO directly - there was no need for it. The only times I was in touch with SCO USA was now with the new BBS feature (very good !) and because I want a copy of DiSCOver on a regular basis. BUT I DON'T GET IT !!! I have written several times to Mr. Rosso and he has promised me to give me a subscription, but NOTHING happens. The is NOT a good service. And the worst thing is, that I like DiSCOver - it's a good source for new product informations and fixing problems. I want it ! > My system crashed about 4pm yesterday (19 hours ago) and I just got my >"express help." The problem was that fsck silently crashed during phase >one and exited with a status of 4. She said this was a known problem, >and they would send me a fix "at no charge since it's our problem." That is a known problem, you could get the patch (xnx124 I believe) from the new BBS via uucp request. > I asked if they could make it available via uucp so I wouldn't have to >reload the entire system and was told "that isn't in place yet." Uh ? -Axel -- Domain: fischer@netmbx.UUCP Europe: ...!tmpmbx!netmbx!fischer Rest of world: ...!uunet!pyramid!tmpmbx!netmbx!fischer =====> Beam me up, Scotty - there is no intelligent life down here ! <=====
jerry@xroads.UUCP (Jerry M. Denman) (06/05/89)
In article <2891@netmbx.UUCP> fischer@netmbx.UUCP (Axel Fischer) writes: >In article <559@crdgw1.crd.ge.com> davidsen@crdos1.UUCP (bill davidsen) writes: >>In article <2874@netmbx.UUCP> fischer@netmbx.UUCP (Axel Fischer) writes: >>| Thanks SCO, for making a fast access to the patches for everyone possible. >> It's nice that someone like the service and can get it. I paid $375 >>for Softcare and it doesn't seem to include BBS service, according to >>Rhonda about 4 minutes ago. >I have no idea what SoftCare at any level means ? >Could you please explain it ? >Here in Germany you buy your SCO from an authorized dealer. There are also >two or three other dealers who import SCO Xenix directly from USA but they >can't help you if you have any problems. > >If you have a problem you just call your dealer and thats it. The dealer where >I have bought my SCO Xenix has until today answered 99 % of my questions. >It seems that the know almost everything about Xenix :-). That results from the >fact that they work every day with Xenix and write software for it. > >I was never in touch with SCO directly - there was no need for it. > >The only times I was in touch with SCO USA was now with the new BBS feature >(very good !) and because I want a copy of DiSCOver on a regular basis. > (other stuff deleted) This is how it should be. I have frequently stated ( and will do so again) that the users should be supported by their dealers NOT by the developers. If the brakes on your Chevy need fixed you don't call General Motors! If your dealer cannot support the product that he sells you, FIND A NEW DEALER! The only exception to this would be (heaven help them) those companies who sell their products direct to the user. I feel that they deserve everything they get. SCO has set up a three tier dealer structure to deal with the problems of support. A real simplistic breakdown is: Level 1 sells it Level 2 supports it Level 3 teaches it By requesting the developer to support the user you are diverting valuable company resources. If SCO did not have to support the users directly then they would be able to use more of their income to develop products. As for the availablity of patches for the OS, we stock all the "free" patches so that they are available on short notice. To those of you who must get your support direct from SCO I wish the best of luck. I also wish that the company that sold you the product would hire or train their own support staff so that the dealers who do support the product could get better service from SCO. Jerry M. Denman Director of Technical Support Peak Systems, Inc. -- \ / C r o s s r o a d s C o m m u n i c a t i o n s /\ (602) 941-2005 300|1200 Baud 24 hrs/day / \ hplabs!hp-sdd!crash!xroads!jerry
chip@vector.Dallas.TX.US (Chip Rosenthal) (06/07/89)
In article <730@xroads.UUCP> jerry@xroads.UUCP (Jerry M. Denman) writes: >This is how it should be. I have frequently stated ( and will do so again) >that the users should be supported by their dealers NOT by the developers. >If the brakes on your Chevy need fixed you don't call General Motors! If >your dealer cannot support the product that he sells you, FIND A NEW DEALER! Nonsense. This analogy is a nonsequiter. How often does Chevy do recalls? How often does SCO issue fixes? When your Chevy crashes, people usually die. When your XENIX box does, people usually don't. This is not a slam of SCO, but rather that's the way the software industry is. (I'm even open to the argument that unix is more complex than an automobile, and therefore is inherently doomed to be buggier.) The day *you* can issue utility and kernel fixes is the day I buy my support through dealership. Granted, you can probably respond to my requests faster than SCO can. But the level of my needs are beyond your support. For the vast majority of users, this is probably not the case. I would guess most support calls boil down to RTFM to the poor user. And for all the slams support folks get here, it really must take the patience of a saint to do the job well. However, if anybody tries to answer my problem by just reading the manual to me, I'll bite their goddam ear off. (Hey...I even know how to use the permuted index.) So, don't take it personally if I cut out the middleman and purchase my support direct from the factory. I'll even pay bucks for it if it is quality support. The day operating systems are as stable as my Black&Decker toaster, I will be willing to forgoe this. Anyway, this is probably a topic which will probably turn into a boring flame-fest if it goes any further, so, I've directed followups back to me. -- Chip Rosenthal / chip@vector.Dallas.TX.US / Dallas Semiconductor / 214-450-5337 "I wish you'd put that starvation box down and go to bed" - Albert Collins' Mom
davidsen@sungod.crd.ge.com (William Davidsen) (06/08/89)
After my posting about not getting stuff via the BBS I got a personal
call from the head of support saying that he had talked to the analyst
and that it was a new feature. I could have gotten the fix via uucp.
Note: I got the call at about 7pm my time. I was still in the office
reloading 150MB from floppy. If I wasn't paranoid I wouldn't have the
backup, but I would rather not use it.
bill davidsen (davidsen@crdos1.crd.GE.COM)
{uunet | philabs}!crdgw1!crdos1!davidsen
"Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me