Re: sales support

[Nichael Cramer <ncramer@BBN.COM>]

(si:with-soap-box (:flaming? nil)

To expand a little on what Barry Smith said: Lispms are the best
*development* environment available.  Period.

                          **BUT** 

...for reasons that he also pointed out (e.g. the old bugaboo of
"highly specialized hardware", initial cost, etc.) --and others--
Lispms are NOT always necessarily the first choice of customers and,
for that matter, managers.
                                                                      

One thing that's not always made clear is whether SMBX understands
that there's not a single developer out here on the front lines who
doesn't have to go head-to-head with customers and/or people up the
management-chain on a daily (or weekly, or monthly) basis to justify
using Lispms.  Having to contend with unnecessary support problems, or
with 	what has been SMBX's perceived (and quite frankly not wholly
undeserved) ivory-tower attitude doesn't make our jobs --or our
lives-- any simpler.


In this particular instance, I don't know any details: it could be
100% justified or the complaint could be totally off the wall.  My
experience with support has generally been pretty good; and it seems
to be getting better.  But, again, it seems that EVERYone out here has
his horror story to tell.


We whose job it is to be down in the pits cranking out bits understand
how good it is.  There's no bitch whatsoever about that.  And because
Lispms allow us to produce, we can make our case well.  But there are
plenty of examples around that demonstrate that this simply isn't
always enough.


In short it's just that, listen guys, we're on your side.  We're
trying to fight the good fight.  But we don't need fire from both
sides.

    )

NICHAEL