Re: Informix support: Where are you?

In article <704313073snx@noyles.pha.pa.us> juan@noyles.pha.pa.us (Juan J. E. T. Noyles) writes: > >In some previous articles, Mr. Hogg has complained about being told that >Informix knows about a bug, but hasn't fixed it yet, and doesn't know when >I don't mean to pry, but do you provide programming services to your clients? >If you do, aren't you in the same boat as Informix when one of your customers >comes up with a bug that you know about but haven't had the time or resources >to fix? If he does, there's a pretty good chance that he'll fix them one hell of a sight quicker than Informix do! :-) >If Informix is creating such a problem for your business that your customers >are unhappy, wouldn't it make more sense to find their competitor and see if >they have a better solution? That is often no practical. Just because you have a problem with one Informix product does not mean that it's practical to rip out all Informix products from customers' sites and replace them with something else. When the radiator cap won't fit properly, do you go and buy a new car? >vote with their dollars, so why shouldn't you? Good idea. Unfortunately, some of us have come too far. >If you can not find a suitable >substitute, it still makes more sense to have good relations with Informix, so >you can be well informed about their developments. If "good relations" means letting their organisation take as long as it likes to fix problems, then, no, this is not the best relationship to have. Just look at it this way: Some of us are committed to using Informix products. They even seem to do the job properly, on the whole. That doesn't mean we'll be able to justify totally dumping them if they make a few mistakes, nor does it mean we won't give them a bit of a hurry-up if they are slow to fix problems which arise in their products. -- _--_|\\ Craig Macbride <lhscmc@luxor.latrobe.edu.au> / \\ <s900387@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au> \\_.--.*/ v