I have a personal account (primarily megazone@world.std.com, I actually
have a number of accounts scattered here and there - friends who run sites,
etc) and I could easily send mail from there. But I never saw the need.
Has anyone else noticed that those who think what I say is wrong seem to
be mostly magagers and administrative types, while those who haven't had
a problem are mostly engineers and techs? I find that interesting, it ties
in with some personal observations I've made over the years.
If someone at Livingston tells me to stop mailing opinions from my Livinston
account, fine, I'll take it to a different account. I think it's needless,
but whatever...
Judging from some of the letters recently, and some of the rather personal
attacks (which haven't bothered me much, I've been very active on USEnet
since '89, I've seen the hey-day of the flamewars, I've been called far,
far worse), people seem to have jumped to a few conclusions.
I never said I wouldn't help a customer, I've never turned away anyone
who has requested support. Sometimes there just isn't anything I can do,
but I *always* try to give someone options. I've even recommended other
brands of products when we couldn't meet their needs. I put the customer
first.
What I said about the customer not always being right, let me give an example.
Someone had a B class network, they split it into several pieces. In the
process they had a few different subnet masks applied and they also had a
C-class in the middle of two pieces of B-class. In this mess they had a
Firewall IRX. Which, of course, didn't seem to be working. They started
by flying off the handle about how our 'goddamn router' wasn't working. I've
spent 15 or so hours on the phone, and exchanged several emails, explaining
the basics of RIP and subnetting, and compeltely redesigning the topology
of they network so that it works. And now it does work. They were not
doing it right, and they were blaming us for it not working. As I said,
the trick is finding a way to explain to a customer what's wrong without
making them completely defensive. When I'm dealing with a customer it
is different from making general comments to a mailing list. My opinions
don't enter into it when I'm working support, unless a customer asks for
for my opinon on something.
But when I'm talking on the list I feel that I should have the same
freedoms as anyone else. I have the right to an opinion to, I have my
favorite OS, my preferred way of doing things, jsut like every other
engineer I know. I wouldn't be human if I didn't, IMHO. And I should
be able to express those views here.
I suggest people review the recent threads, and look at who started with
the personal insults first? I believe I made one jab, in response to a
post of insults, and even that was half in jest. I know that *some*
people got it, but a few didn't. (I'm referring to the Bite me, pinkboy
line. It's a Church of the SubGenius reference. I'll explain in personal
mail if necessary. No, it isn't a real church, well, not really...)
People accuse me of being out of line, and at the same time fling personal
insults? Am I the only one who sees irony in that?
-MZ
-- Livingston Enterprises Technical Support Phone: 800-458-9966 FAX: 510-426-8951 support@livingston.com <http://www.livingston.com/> 6920 Koll Center Parkway #220, Pleasanton, CA 94566