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From: Andrew Lynch <lynch@cci.de>
Subject: Re: gnat-3.10
Date: 1997/06/18
Message-ID: <33A7AD60.71A5@cci.de>#1/1
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References: <m2soz7parq.fsf_-_@devo.ridgecrest.ca.us> <dewar.864929078@merv>
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Organization: Competence Center Informatik GmbH
Reply-To: lynch@cci.de
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Date: 1997-06-18T00:00:00+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>


Ronald Cole wrote:
> pontius@btv.vnet.ibm.com (Dale Pontius) writes:
[...]
> > You call ACT money-grubbing because they're not giving you free
> > support. I call them downright generous because I have access to
> > their software for free, even if it is unsupported.
> 
> I call them money-grubbing because Robert is constantly bringing it
> up.  "I'll tell you it's broken it if you pay me" probably isn't such
> a hot marketing strategy...

Indeed it is not. A much better marketing strategy would be:
1) "I'll give you the product if you pay me"
2) "I'll tell you it's broken if you pay me some more"
3) "I'll fix what is broken if you pay me even more"
4) "I'll actually let you have the fixed version if you pay me..."

Many software and hardware companies run successfully like this.
I've been told that some places (maybe MS or Compaq?) even ask you
to pay for _sending_ them bug reports, let alone somebody actually
dealing with the bug.

I see being able to get a free version of GNAT as a privilege, not a
right. If GNAT does not work for me, then tough shit. I can either
have a look at the sources and try to fix it myself, or I can *pay*
ACT to make me a version that works for me, or I can wait for the
changes that somebody else *paid* ACT to make become available in a
public release.
For my personal use of GNAT I usually go with the third option. If
you want to use GNAT in your company I would suggest you go with
option two and carry on these arguments via email.

Andrew.
(Beware of sarcasm)

Maybe ACT could fix every problem free of charge, but for how long?
At some point all ACT employees will have starved to death and then
where will you send your bug reports..?