After my third “per my previous email…” or “I’ve asked thrice for documentation regarding…” I realize I need to basically scrap the whole response and start over.
Working with FOSS software has set extremely high expectations that vendors cannot seem to meet. Like, all these projects are built by unpaid volunteers and have amazing documentation. We’re paying you a lot of money - what’s your excuse?
Here’s the thing, people who suck at what they do are usually either
A. Stupid
B. Overworked
C. Under-qualified
D. Under-compensated
It doesn’t matter which one(s) of those apply to them, your interactions with them should be adjusted the same regardless of why they suck. Limit all emails, all requests, and all questions to one topic only. Don’t try to get answers to 3 different things because it’s not going to happen. Address one subject, and only move onto the next after you have resolved that subject. Trying to do anything else is an exercise in futility.
EXACTLY! I mean I’m coming from a sysadmin side, but I’ve definitely been spoilt by all the manpages, flexibility, stability, etc of foss. It’s insane how some vendors can ship a product with pretty much no logging and call it a day.
That’s where I’m at: sysadmin side of things. We spent 2 weeks going back and forth on an issue with the reporting component that was only solved by a Zoom meeting. The culprit was a missing config key/value, and they had the gall to say “oh, you should have had that configuration option set; this isn’t our fault.”
And I pointed to the documentation they gave us regarding that:
Like, the config is an uncommented JSON file with no defaults/examples whatsoever. There is literally no way for us to know what key/values are valid because none of it is documented. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. lol
At least our project manager was on my side and fought them to not charge us for that “support” call.
My god. Per-call charges should really cease existing. If it’a number of support calls that’s making you money and not the product - your product sucks.
I carry the attitude that withholding the fact they suck is being selfish and ignorant. How else are they supposed to improve? 😁
After my third “per my previous email…” or “I’ve asked thrice for documentation regarding…” I realize I need to basically scrap the whole response and start over.
Working with FOSS software has set extremely high expectations that vendors cannot seem to meet. Like, all these projects are built by unpaid volunteers and have amazing documentation. We’re paying you a lot of money - what’s your excuse?
😆
Here’s the thing, people who suck at what they do are usually either
A. Stupid
B. Overworked
C. Under-qualified
D. Under-compensated
It doesn’t matter which one(s) of those apply to them, your interactions with them should be adjusted the same regardless of why they suck. Limit all emails, all requests, and all questions to one topic only. Don’t try to get answers to 3 different things because it’s not going to happen. Address one subject, and only move onto the next after you have resolved that subject. Trying to do anything else is an exercise in futility.
EXACTLY! I mean I’m coming from a sysadmin side, but I’ve definitely been spoilt by all the manpages, flexibility, stability, etc of foss. It’s insane how some vendors can ship a product with pretty much no logging and call it a day.
That’s where I’m at: sysadmin side of things. We spent 2 weeks going back and forth on an issue with the reporting component that was only solved by a Zoom meeting. The culprit was a missing config key/value, and they had the gall to say “oh, you should have had that configuration option set; this isn’t our fault.”
And I pointed to the documentation they gave us regarding that:
Like, the config is an uncommented JSON file with no defaults/examples whatsoever. There is literally no way for us to know what key/values are valid because none of it is documented. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. lol
At least our project manager was on my side and fought them to not charge us for that “support” call.
My god. Per-call charges should really cease existing. If it’a number of support calls that’s making you money and not the product - your product sucks.