If a firm is selling an application for a certain platform, it is a reasonable expectation for the author to be reasonably astute about that platform, including the minimum requirements for the application to run. 'Minimum' includes the minimum NTFS security settings under IIS and particularly for IUSR_machine. Telling a customer 'you figure it out' doesn't seem very reasonable, particularly when the acquisition cost came directly out of you own pocket. Having to spend a lot of time testing and tweaking to figure out what works, shifts that cost to the customer and will surely cause the author increased support calls.
While we agree that the final burden for security lies with the admin, which is why we won't install or upgrade a product which requires IUSR to have full control and we'll remove a product if the installer gives IUSR full control, the application author has security responsibilities as well. I suspect that if an author wants his product to sell well in today's Internet environment, it would be wise to make sure it runs securely on the target platform. Suggesting that the increase is support calls is due to clueless Admins who can't define DNS or an MX record (and that the majority of Ipswitch customers are that clueless) also seems off target. If I were a clueless admin and the installer gave IUSR full control, I probably wouldn't know the difference until sometime well after the server was compromised and maybe not even then. Kevin Gillis has already told us that several bugs have been disclosed after they prudently BETA tested and ran the product in their own production environment. I suspect, therefore, that the increased call times/wait times are due to trouble-shooting those issues and not giving tutorials on DNS or MX records. If you wish to spend an additional $250 for a support call (not out of your pocket, I suspect), I suspect Ipswitch will be pleased to book that contribution. Wednesday, January 4, 2006, 7:50:55 PM, David Gregg <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: DG> Kevin, >> I understand the frustration... I've personally been on dozens of calls >> and >> emails resolving issues, including over the holidays. DG> As usual, your participation and comments are always appreciated. DG> We are happy with the new 2006 product so far (on new installs). It seems to DG> work great on single domain servers. BUT - In all honesty, we have not DG> upgrade our ISP shared servers (multi domains) due to the numerous problems DG> being found. Typically we will wait for two or three hotfixes anyway before DG> taking the plunge on major releases of IMail. DG> Maybe releasing the first week of January would have been better. Major DG> releases before holiday schedules and vacations are a bad recipe. DG> As for your statement addressing explaining the long hold times (staying DG> with a customer as long as it takes). In all fairness to your other paying DG> customers, IPSwitch should support *one* set of web installation DG> instructions and not spend time working with people who want to run DG> modified/secured environments that require settings not included in the DG> installation instructions. Securing servers is a basic hosting need and it DG> is solely up to the admin of the server to tighten things up as required. DG> You guys aren't IIS gurus - don't waste our support hours trying to be. DG> Most .NET applications are written to run on default IIS installations and DG> the burden of securing the underlying filesystem, impersonating users, DG> etc... etc... are all duties of the system admin. DG> Personally, I'd prefer to pay lower annual maint prices and $250 per issue DG> to get on-line with a *senior* technician. If it turns out being a bug, you DG> refund the $250, otherwise you keep it for services rendered. Because there DG> are so many variables (TCP, DNS, Firewall, etc...), your current model DG> sucks you into 'supporting' more than the imail product (Do you have port 25 DG> open on the firewall? What's a firewall? Is your domain configured DG> correctly in DNS with an MX record? What's a DNS and what is an MX record? DG> You know what I'm talking about here :) DG> Have a good evening Kevin. Keep up the good work. DG> Regards, DG> David Gregg DG> dgSoft Internet Services DG> +1 (949) 584-1514 DG> -- DG> mxGuard for IMail DG> The no-nonsense antispam and antivirus solution. DG> Download a free 30-day trial at DG> http://www.mxguard.com/postmaster/freetrial.asp DG> -- DG> To Unsubscribe: http://www.ipswitch.com/support/mailing-lists.html DG> List Archive: DG> http://www.mail-archive.com/imail_forum%40list.ipswitch.com/ DG> Knowledge Base/FAQ: http://www.ipswitch.com/support/IMail/ ---- Don Brown - Dallas, Texas USA Internet Concepts, Inc. [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.inetconcepts.net (972) 788-2364 Fax: (972) 788-5049 ---- To Unsubscribe: http://www.ipswitch.com/support/mailing-lists.html List Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/imail_forum%40list.ipswitch.com/ Knowledge Base/FAQ: http://www.ipswitch.com/support/IMail/
