kennedy@tolerant.UUCP (Bill Kennedy) (03/04/88)
I have seen a lot of grumbling and growling about the level and quality of technical support from Microport and from time to time I feel the same frustration that seems to stimulate the noise. My experience with them has been spotty but there has been one constant theme, they always want to help whether they can or not (sometimes they can't). Let's face the arithmetic, there are at least hundreds of us, thousands more that do not have access to usenet and how many, 20?, of them. We have (at least I have) a menagerie of equipment, incredible variances in skill and knowledge level and they have their development lab and support staff. Since removing moderated status I haven't seen any increase in the noise level, good! But I propose that we form a habit. Post questions here first and let John Sully and company look them over ignoring the obvious ones that other readers can answer. If we don't hold their feet to the fire for help volunteered onto the net we can get a lot done. I know that this will work, I coordinate the PC 6300 PLUS mailing list and we get a lot better unofficial support out of AT&T via usenet than we do from the official tech support. Also the "newcomers" get a lot of definitive info from the others that already ran up that particular dead end street. That is only a fair analogy because the 6300 PLUS is rather finite and not as susceptible to "creative configuration" as AT's and AT/386's which brings me back to the first point. AT&T is somewhat larger than Microport and the quality and quantity of their tech support is *still* better through the unofficial channel. The unofficial channel works best with a heavy dose of self help punctuated from time to time with straight skinny from the manufacturer. That was rather a long way to ask for some moderation (not moderate the group!) and cooperation. We'll get a lot more help out of Microport if we make it a pleasure to deal with us rather than skinning their hide every time they do something silly. Sure, I've been mad at them too, but I never got any help until I started cooperating. Bill Kennedy {rutgers,cbosgd,ihnp4!petro}!ssbn!bill or bill@ssbn.WLK.COM (Tolerant is letting me use their facilities)
root@hawkmoon.MN.ORG (Admin) (03/07/88)
I agree Bill, those are my feelings as well as my experience, so far...
root@mjbtn.UUCP (System Administrator) (03/09/88)
In article <1370@tolerant.UUCP>, kennedy@tolerant.UUCP (Bill Kennedy) writes: > > That was rather a long way to ask for some moderation (not moderate the > group!) and cooperation. We'll get a lot more help out of Microport if > we make it a pleasure to deal with us rather than skinning their hide every > time they do something silly. Sure, I've been mad at them too, but I never > got any help until I started cooperating. > AMEN!!!!! Mark J. Bailey root@mjbtn.UUCP In the Heart of Middle Tennessee! "Y'all com bak now, ya hear!"