Re: AN IMPORTANT MESSEGE FROM SYMBOLICS SOFTWARE SUPPORT

[Paul Pangaro <pan%athena.pangaro.dialnet.symbolics.com@RELAY.CS.NET>]

    Date: Wed, 25 Oct 89 18:03:22 EDT
    From:     MILLER@vax.cam.nist.gov

	 Date: Fri, 18 Aug 89 14:59 EDT
	 From: pan@Athena.Pangaro.Dialnet.Symbolics.Com (Paul Pangaro)
	 Subject: Re: AN IMPORTANT MESSEGE FROM SYMBOLICS SOFTWARE SUPPORT
     
	 I respectfully ask that all those interested in software bugs and
	 fixes read the following and respond. Your opinions are important
[....]

    Sorry that it has taken me a while to get around to responding; I wanted
    to wait till our situation here was more clear (see below) before
    responding.  I do have to say that I was a bit disappointed in the
    amount of net traffic that this request produced; especially from
    Symbolics personnel.  Disclaimer; Please note that these are my personal
    opinions, not NIST.

    In view of prices vs. budget vs. service (Remember the `Deficit' ?), we
    decided to go with the subscription service this year, previously we had
    the equivalent of contract service.  In view of the IMPORTANT MESSEGE
    (sic),  I am now wondering what it is we're going to get.

[....]


Bruce: Thanks for the reply, even coming a bit after the original
solicitation; your delay is irrelevant to the matter, as you had reasons
for waiting for better information, as clearly stated in your message.

The delay that is relevant, however, is Symbolics' continuing lack of
response. I am at a loss about how to respond. If their tactic is to
wear SLUG down by lack of any reply, they are succeeding. The "bug
tracking" issue, as we who correspond about it on a bi-monthly basis
(Reza and myself, slug-board, interested parties), has again (after three
years, within my personal history) gone bust. 

Having a reply within their own set timelines of the form, "We,
Symbolics, do not care to provide such a service to users no matter what
they think" would be far more polite, professional and responsible than
the total lack of response (and hence respect for SLUG), and disregard
for their own promised timeliness, that we are again being subject to.

Anybody out their care? If you work for Symbolics, then let's see your
concern translate into action.


Fed up to here,
PANgaro