Trailblazer Setup for HDB <--[NO! NO! NO!] for the UNIX PC

[Robert J. Granvin]

>>>We don't need support, except for maybe a correct manual   ( 1/2 |-) )
>>>Please oh please please please release HDB to us, AT&T.
>
>>I can try to find out if anything can be done.
>>I can try to fight the fight from this end.
>>Suggestions?
>
>Yeah.  Get it released as an unsupported product.  How much could *that* cost?

I understand where ATT is coming from.  _Nothing_ on this planet is
unsupported.

Right now, everyone and their mother would be excited for HDB to be
released totally unsupported.  "Yes, I know it's unsupported.  I'll
take my chances, and never ever ever call ATT about it" is an easy
thing to think right now.  And today it would be acceptable.

But, some months from now... Someone will have questions, someone will
notice a bug, someone will run into a "fatal" problem.  Even though
they may realize it's totally and completely unsupported, a "use at
your own risk" product... well, what the heck.  Call the hotline
anyways.  You never know.  You might get someone willing to help.

"I'm sorry.  I cannot help you with that product.  That product is
unsupported."  That caller is bound to get angry.  At least some of
them will.  "Why did you _ever_ release a product that caused me
problems and grief, and then won't even help me out?!"

You upset the customers, and you create a hassle for the hotline.

Granted, those of us here right now know the status of HDB, and we'd
consciously know that we're taking the full burden of the risk, but
there are a lot of 3b1 users out there who would not understand this
risk, or in many cases not even know about it. 

It can be argued that when ATT ships the product, they include a
written disclaimer with the distribution, but in reality, what's the
chances of every user receiving that disclaimer?  In todays world of
"redistribution", those chances rapidly diminish.  If it's on paper
(i.e., Legal) then over time most people will never see it.  If it's
on disk, it's bound to get lost in some distributions, and how many
people really _do_ read through all the README's that come with an
installable product...?  :-)

I'm not arguing against the public release of HDB for the 3b1.  I am
for it, and have pushed for it for a number of years now, but it's not
as easy as "Get it released as an unsupported product."  As for the
secondary question of: "How much could *that* cost?", the answer can
be surprising... Just a distribution of it would entail:

	Media (diskette) cost.
	Cost of printed material (Install guide, HDB docs, disk labels).
	Production cost (creating the diskettes).
	Personnel salaries (production, distribution, initial contact).
	Distribution costs (mailing).

Thats roughly per person.  And there is bound to be activity on the
hotline no matter how it is disclaimed.  The only semi-cheap way to
distribute this is via The Store!, but how long will that stay
around?

Relatedly, if the product has some notable problems (or shortcomings),
especially if those problems turn out to be relatively serious bugs,
then they _must_ be repaired and verified prior to release.  This
would require the dedication of at least one person to perform the
repairs and some staff to authorize and verify it.

It's not as simple as stick it on a disk and be done with it.  I
personally wish it were.  At some point, when the 3b1 fades further
away from ATT, they may just do that, but today they are not willing
to take their "chances" with a product that was never completed for
worldwide distribution, and while I may not agree with it, I also
understand it.

-- 
       Robert J. Granvin           
   National Computer Systems     "Looks like the poor devil died in his sleep."
       rjg at sialis.mn.org         "What a terrible way to die."
{amdahl,hpda}!bungia!sialis!rjg