> I assume you read this part of an earlier post from Tim:
>
>>>Actually, in a lot of cases it costs us more than that.  The fact is that
>>>if
>>>we continue to provide updates to a version, then we are obligated to
>>>keep
>>>providing bug fixes and new updates.


Yeah, and it's, um, horse crap.  Post the version for 4.x users, put a nice
little (unsupported) next to it and call it a day.

John

In article <8945865D-F790-44A1-A00D-5F60B8C8EC30@news.elevatesoft.com>,
JohnE wrote:
> How hard would it be for you to compile a D2007 version of 3.30, and only
> bundle
> with a new version?  I bet your legacy users would be willing to purchase
> D2007 4.x if a 3.30 version was bundled in.  OTOH, you may lose a user
> altogether by not supplying what is seemingly so simple just because you
> don't want to.

But to be brutal there are times when business sense means losing a
customer - you can spend so much time making one happy that you lose five
others through not being able to help them. There's a difference between an
end user getting the v3 source and fixing it up so that their app works
with D2007 and Tim shipping an updated version for D2007, which implies
that the full quota of testing and QA has been done.


--
Tony Bryer SDA UK  'Software to build on'  http://www.sda.co.uk
Software Industry Conference 2007 sponsor   www.sic.org

There's a difference between an


> But to be brutal there are times when business sense means losing a
> customer - you can spend so much time making one happy that you lose five
> others through not being able to help them.

Assuming that you are only trying to make "one" happy.  But one thing is for
sure, you are losing an existing customer that has been around a very long
time.  Now, you need to replace him.  It's Coke versus New Coke all over
again.

> end user getting the v3 source and fixing it up so that their app works
> with D2007 and Tim shipping an updated version for D2007, which implies
> that the full quota of testing and QA has been done.


Well, you make an compelling argument in support of the one-man operation.

John

JohnE wrote:

<<The Elevate value proposition is waning, imo.

Only in your mind...

Seems to me Tim did that with version 3. He declared it "unsupported"
after a certain amount of time (2 years ago) and proceeded to "call it
a day." What is so hard for you to understand about that?

There are "Customers from Hell" and Tim is the only person who can
decide what is right for his business. I recommend you look at this
book to see if you fit into one of the categories...

From the description:

"They yell and shout, and try to intimidate. They're belligerent,
abusive and condescending. They whine and demand inordinate amounts of
time, pushing buttons and raising blood pressure. Who are they? They're
the customers from hell. They may represent just a small proportion of
the people a company does business with, but this tiny group can have a
big effect on a workforce."

http://www.kogan-page.co.uk/bookdetails.aspx?ISBN=0749444517

--
Regards,
Jan Ferguson


JohnE wrote:

<<<<I assume you read this part of an earlier post from Tim:
<<<<
<<<<<<<<Actually, in a lot of cases it costs us more than that.  The
<<<<<<<<fact is that if we continue to provide updates to a version,
<<<<<<<<then we are obligated to keep providing bug fixes and new
<<<<<<<<updates.
<<
<<
<<Yeah, and it's, um, horse crap.  Post the version for 4.x users, put
<<a nice little (unsupported) next to it and call it a day.
<<
<<John
>>

JohnE

> "They yell and shout, and try to intimidate. They're belligerent,
> abusive and condescending. They whine and demand inordinate amounts of
> time, pushing buttons and raising blood pressure. Who are they? They're
> the customers from hell. They may represent just a small proportion of
> the people a company does business with, but this tiny group can have a
> big effect on a workforce."


Dude, I'm not yelling or being belligerent or condescending.  I am simply
stating my opinion.  I would think that opinions are valued, both positive
and negative.  I have been very happy with DBISAM and applaud Tim for a fine
product.  Does that sound belligerent?

John

Firest of all...I am *NOT* your "Dude". Further, I wrote, "I recommend
you look at this
book to see if you fit into one of the categories.." If you don't, no
worries. But you on;y looked at the first two sentences of the
description. Did you read the book? Do you know whether or not you fit
into any one of the categories in the book?

Tim has already stated, quite eloquently, why it is more than just a
matter of compiling the DBIsam versions with D2007, yet you won't
accept that. Unless you are in his shoes and working *HIS* business,
you need to accept what he is telling you to be fact. If you can't do
that, you might begin fitting into the third sentence of the
description of the book.

--
Regards,
Jan Ferguson


JohnE wrote:

<<<<"They yell and shout, and try to intimidate. They're belligerent,
<<<<abusive and condescending. They whine and demand inordinate amounts
<<<<of time, pushing buttons and raising blood pressure. Who are they?
<<<<They're the customers from hell. They may represent just a small
<<<<proportion of the people a company does business with, but this
<<<<tiny group can have a big effect on a workforce."
<<
<<
<<Dude, I'm not yelling or being belligerent or condescending.  I am
<<simply stating my opinion.  I would think that opinions are valued,
<<both positive and negative.  I have been very happy with DBISAM and
<<applaud Tim for a fine product.  Does that sound belligerent?
<<
<<John
>>

JohnE

In article <9C832085-06E9-4108-81A3-88936B50AF6B@news.elevatesoft.com>, J.
B. Ferguson wrote:
> There are "Customers from Hell" and Tim is the only person who can
> decide what is right for his business.

Bryer's first law of retailing says that 200% of your profits come from
90% of your customers

--
Tony Bryer SDA UK  'Software to build on'   www.sda.co.uk
Software Industry Conference 2007 sponsor   www.sic.org

> But you on;y looked at the first two sentences of the
> description. Did you read the book? Do you know whether or not you fit
> into any one of the categories in the book?


I'm not going to read a book simply because you *think* I fall into some
customer from hell category.

> accept that. Unless you are in his shoes and working *HIS* business,
> you need to accept what he is telling you to be fact. If you can't do
> that, you might begin fitting into the third sentence of the
> description of the book.


Ahh.. so because I disagree with a certain business practice, I am a
customer from hell. Sweet.

>Tim has already stated, quite eloquently, why it is more than just a
>matter of compiling the DBIsam versions with D2007, yet you won't
>accept that.

I have accepted it.  I don't agree with, but I have accepted it.

John

JohnE,

<<I'm not going to read a book simply because you think I fall into
<<some customer from hell category.

I never said that. I simply asked whether or not you knew if you fit
into any one of the categories. I guess you read my posts as well as
you read Tims'.

<<Ahh.. so because I disagree with a certain business practice, I am a
<<customer from hell. Sweet.

Again...I never said that! Boy, you sure have a way of putting words
into people's mouths!

This thread is going no where with you. I am done.

--
Regards,
Jan Ferguson