Taking risks on software (ISC)

[Bill Vermillion]

In article <935 at zoom.Clik.QC.CA> marc at Clik.QC.CA (Marc Boucher) writes:

(Gripes about Interactive deleted - wjv)

>	I have also been disappointed with your telephone support. I have been
>stupidly asked many times for the "exact error message" with to the word
>precision! so that the ignorant interactive employee could look it up in her
>miracle problem solving database.

Marc - I have several clients with small Unix/Xenix systems.  I often get a
call and the conversation goes something like this.

"I got an error message and now ...."

"What did the error message say?"

"Something about foo"

I think a moment, and that sounds implausible, so I say.

"Are you sure it didn't say bar"

"Yeh, that might be it too."

"When it happens again, write down the entire error message EXACTLY, and call
me back."

I'm not a veterinarian.  My patients have to tell me what's wrong.
To call an employee ignorant because he is trying to help you is way off base.

-- 
Bill Vermillion - UUCP: {uiucuxc,hoptoad,petsd}!peora!tarpit!bilver!bill
                      : bill at bilver.UUCP