On Wed, 23 Oct 2013 18:31:48 -0600 Ken Springer <snowsh...@q.com> wrote:
> On 10/23/13 2:31 PM, Richard Talley wrote: > > Interesting comments. I too have found small vendors to be much more > > helpful. Often the developers help with or even do all of the tech > > support at small vendors. And they actually read my emails, instead > > of replying with canned responses. > > Most of the time, you can't get help from the big guys, really pisses > me off. If it pisses you off, then as Vincent van Ravesteijn said, don't use it. Use proprietary software, with their official support channels (often for limited time or costing money) full of script-reading ignos escalating to other script reading ignos. Earlier in this thread someone implied that some Open Source projects are "unprofessional". Well yeah, surprise surprise, Open Source isn't most developers' profession: It doesn't pay the rent. You want professional, go to those who make their money by charging you for software. If you want good software with excellent support for those who know how to ask questions and behave on a mailing list, stay with Open Source. It's funny. In February 2008 I got royally pissed at what I considered bad support from the LyX community, so I started designing a book-writing software alternative to LyX, using VimOutliner, LaTeX, and a few other things. There's a long, rich tradition in free software that if you don't like their support or their progress adding features, you fork their project. But you know what never occurred to me? Going with Page Plus, Microsoft Publisher, or InDesign. Here are just a few reasons these alternatives never occurred to me: * http://news.cnet.com/2008-1082_3-5065859.html * http://www.troubleshooters.com/tpromag/200104/200104.htm#_editors_desk * http://www.zdnet.com/windows-8-continues-to-fail-7000016222/ *http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240185097/Microsofts-Windows-81-update-fails-to-deliver There's something that doesn't make sense to me: Why does someone go on the mailing list of an Open Source project and diss Open Source? I diss Windows all the time, but I don't do it on ##windows. I diss Apple all the time, but I don't do it in Apple User Groups. I diss OpenOffice all the time, but not on an OpenOffice mailing list. Another puzzler: someone has a problem with a single LaTeX package, generalizes it to all Open Source (except LyX), and then somehow turns that into "why people give up on open source software", as if there's some kind of mass exodus from Open Source. How does THAT work? My observation is that Open Source is gaining mindshare and usage pretty much continuously. I leave you with one more article I often think of when reading threads like this: http://articles.latimes.com/2001/aug/23/news/mn-37472 SteveT Steve Litt * http://www.troubleshooters.com/ Troubleshooting Training * Human Performance
