Sorry to have struck a nerve with you Charlie. It was not my intent.
I was not dinging on RedHat in particular - I was ranting because of the
lack of quality and support from the majority of software makers - i.e.
Micro$oft, IBM, HP, Intuit... insert whatever company you want.
{rant}
I think the large companies are primarily driven by their shareholders,
not the customers anymore. That is why bugs are perpetuated from one
generation/version to another, IMO. It seems there is a rush to get a
"quick-fix" to solve a problem on the surface and the attitude of "lets
make this part of a new release/upgrade" but if you were to look at past
releases of some major software you will probably find the underlying
code problem was not fixed in the later version(s) - just patched to
make due, which in turn brings about the constant upgrades and the costs
of ownership/licensing associated with it.
I guess it just boils down to me getting fed up with poor quality
control in order to make a profit, or what appears to be to me anyway.
I find that I prefer to stick with older (more mature) technology
(software) longer than most if it is solid and doesn't give me
headaches. There are some however, I upgrade immediately in hopes it
will not be as buggy as the previous version and for the security fixes
(hopefully). I only recently upgraded to SME 5.1.2 (last summer I
think) and will probably upgrade to SME 5.6 late next summer. SME 5.1.2
works, it's secure and it meets my needs.
Many small and mid size companies will look at the life cycle of the
operating system software to determine if it is going to fall within
their TCO budget. With life cycles becoming shorter it only serves as a
means to get more blood from a turnip. Again, IMO.
I do feed a lot of my gift horses - therefore I never look them in the
mouth because their breath stinks! :)
You will find that I do not get involved in the debates here about
Mitel's policies and the GPL, etc. I know you folks put a lot of hard
work into the SME software and I am grateful for having the privilege of
using your product. If I were not doing this as a hobby I would
subscribe to the service link, but since it is a hobby I cannot justify
the costs.
And while we're on the topic of business sense - What is Mitel's
business model for SME? Is it to provide a superior product because it
can, or is it to provide a superior product to generate a profit? Not
that it really matters to me.
It would not surprise me if I found out that E-Smith came about due to
someone wanting to provide a superior product because they could. I
have been wrong before...
{/rant}
Tom
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Charlie Brady [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Sunday, December 22, 2002 2:47 PM
> To: Tom Carroll
> Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: RE: [e-smith-devinfo] Red Hat Linux End of Life support
>
>
>
> On Thu, 19 Dec 2002, Tom Carroll wrote:
>
> > Not only the brutality on the developers, but the business sense.
> >
> > If I make software that people like and my source of income
> from that
> > software is through support fees which get increasingly
> more frequent
> > for the newer, more buggy software, I should do something
> that would
> > make those customers move up from a rock solid release to a version
> > that requires more support and higher fees.
> >
> > Sounds like a sound business move from their perspective...
>
> Tom, it's long been considered poor form to look a gift horse in the
> mouth.
>
> RedHat is controlling its costs, as every responsible
> business does. It is in the interests of its shareholders,
> employees and customers for it to do so.
>
> If you don't like RedHat's products or their support
> policies, then you
> should just look elsewhere.
>
> --
> Charlie Brady [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Lead Product Developer
> Network Server Solutions Group
> Mitel Networks Corporation http://www.mitel.com/smallbusiness
> Phone: +1 (613) 592 5660 or 592 2122 Fax: +1 (613) 592 1175
>
>
>
>
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