Posted by: Anonymous Coward
on December 04, 2003 12:42 AM
Of course, you're probably not the vast majority of users who would need tech support.
1. A lot of "popular" free projects (read: many people contributing) has great documentation. MySQL, gcc and others have fantastic resources. Further, many programs have man/info pages, which are also helpful. But I wouldn't go so far as to say that all of this is "better." Case in point: read through much of the documentation Sun has put together and released. Granted, a lot of this stuff can seem stupid (i.e. how to turn the computer on), but when it comes right down to it, I can find a tidbit here or there about something that is genuinely helpful. Further, EVERY software/hardware vendor out there releases documentation with its product.
Perhaps this is really a moot point. The big free software projects have good documentation, as do most of the big commercial products. Both camps also have very bad documentation.
2. You're not the normal Joe Sixpack who thinks his CDROM drive is a cup holder.
Also, corporate tech support waits - especially when it matters - don't necessarily exist. Cisco has been known for its incredible tech support. When I was working for an Internet startup several years back, one of our Catalysts wasn't working properly (as near as we could tell). Well, one of the people in my group called up Cisco, got straight through to someone who actually knew what was going on, and they resolved the issues over the phone.
When money is on the line, and our service isn't available for any length of time, knowing we have someone available in an emergency that has intimate knowledge with the product we've purchased can mean the difference between failure and success. Companies pay exorbitant amounts of money for tech support (and on-site tech workers) for a reason.
It is simply impractical for a business not to purchase this sort of tech support for their mission-critical resources. When a crucial router fails and the bottom-line of the company is at stake, no one is going to sit around while some techies tinker with the hardware. An answer is needed, and it's needed right away. Tech support, where the customers can talk to knowledgeable staff, is the answer.
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Re:And this is good, how?
Posted by: Anonymous Coward on December 04, 2003 12:42 AM1. A lot of "popular" free projects (read: many people contributing) has great documentation. MySQL, gcc and others have fantastic resources. Further, many programs have man/info pages, which are also helpful. But I wouldn't go so far as to say that all of this is "better." Case in point: read through much of the documentation Sun has put together and released. Granted, a lot of this stuff can seem stupid (i.e. how to turn the computer on), but when it comes right down to it, I can find a tidbit here or there about something that is genuinely helpful. Further, EVERY software/hardware vendor out there releases documentation with its product.
Perhaps this is really a moot point. The big free software projects have good documentation, as do most of the big commercial products. Both camps also have very bad documentation.
2. You're not the normal Joe Sixpack who thinks his CDROM drive is a cup holder.
Also, corporate tech support waits - especially when it matters - don't necessarily exist. Cisco has been known for its incredible tech support. When I was working for an Internet startup several years back, one of our Catalysts wasn't working properly (as near as we could tell). Well, one of the people in my group called up Cisco, got straight through to someone who actually knew what was going on, and they resolved the issues over the phone.
When money is on the line, and our service isn't available for any length of time, knowing we have someone available in an emergency that has intimate knowledge with the product we've purchased can mean the difference between failure and success. Companies pay exorbitant amounts of money for tech support (and on-site tech workers) for a reason.
It is simply impractical for a business not to purchase this sort of tech support for their mission-critical resources. When a crucial router fails and the bottom-line of the company is at stake, no one is going to sit around while some techies tinker with the hardware. An answer is needed, and it's needed right away. Tech support, where the customers can talk to knowledgeable staff, is the answer.
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