[comp.unix.sysv386] Unattributed statements

rcd@ico.isc.com (Dick Dunn) (04/19/91)

larry@nstar.rn.com (Larry Snyder) writes:
> I was told that they (SCO) are the standard and that they (again SCO)
> will decide what will be the operating system of choice in the future.

The obvious cheap-shot follow-on to what Larry writes is something like
"Yeah, heaven forfend that any user should influence the decision of what
will be the operating system of choice in the future!"

But wait!  (We have been told that the passive voice is to be avoided.)
Before attacking SCO on that one, let us ask:  WHO told you that SCO
thinks they call the shots?  Is this someone actually speaking for SCO, or
someone from SCO off the record...or is it someone on the outside, making
a cynical observation (or a guess) about their attitude?

and in another message:
>...Talk about service - heck - I know of others still waiting
> on their security fix from ISC..

Well, that's interesting but what does it really mean?  Why are they still
waiting, when the fixes were shipped so many weeks ago?  If you're saying
that the fix was requested and not received, then the person who is missing
the fix should be talking or sending email to ISC to find out what happened;
the intent is that anyone who needed the fix should have it by now.

Vendors *do* screw up, and when they do, you should hold their feet to the
fire.  But the complaints ought to be things the vendors can respond to,
not "I heard this..." rumors.
-- 
Dick Dunn     rcd@ico.isc.com -or- ico!rcd       Boulder, CO   (303)449-2870
   ...While you were reading this, Motif grew by another kilobyte.

richard@pegasus.com (Richard Foulk) (04/23/91)

>and in another message:
>>...Talk about service - heck - I know of others still waiting
>> on their security fix from ISC..
>
>Well, that's interesting but what does it really mean?  Why are they still
>waiting, when the fixes were shipped so many weeks ago?  If you're saying
>that the fix was requested and not received, then the person who is missing
>the fix should be talking or sending email to ISC to find out what happened;
>the intent is that anyone who needed the fix should have it by now.
>
>Vendors *do* screw up, and when they do, you should hold their feet to the
>fire.  But the complaints ought to be things the vendors can respond to,
>not "I heard this..." rumors.

This sure looks like twisting someones words to me.  You just turned
an "I know others ...", into an "I heard this ...".

Some real, solid data here would certainly be helpful.  But in this
discussion oriented Usenet newsgroup, the above hearsay has meaning to
many of us.  We know not to bank on it, but it fits in quite well with
the general picture we have formed due to a steady flow of similar
postings.

ISC may be becoming more responsive.  But they were SO bad before that
I don't think anyone expects them to change over night -- the prevailing
hearsay seems to support that.

As a counter example; There is evidence that Dell is setting a new
standard that ISC will, most likely, never even attempt to attain.


-- 
Richard Foulk		richard@pegasus.com