Anyone willing to respond to this CNet posting?

[Richard Rabins]

RE: Anyone willing to respond to this CNet posting

Ray -- I dont really think it is productive to get into debate of this kind in this kind of forum.

I do however think that your last posting which implies that we dont take responsibility for any issues and dont work hard to resolve them is simply at variance with the facts.

I also want to make it clear that we dont have a problem with upfront and honest criticism from real users! We do however have a problem when competitors, masquerading as users, WHO HAVE NOT EVEN USED Alpha Five, use visible sites such as download.com, where we are sponsoring awareness of Alpha Five, to attempt to sabotage our efforts.

I would like to diverge a little bit from this topic onto another somewhat related topic to illustrate our concern.

Many many years ago, I worked for an MIT spin off market research firm, that used to charge substantial consulting fees to Fortune 500 companies to run "simulated test markets" to help decide go/no-go decisions on new product launches. As it turns out one of the key reasons this consulting firm was successful is that these Fortune 500 companies found that if they ran conventional test markets, their competitors would go into test market cities and actively work to distort the results rendering convetional test marketing unreliable. An example of this distortion or maninpulation might be - buying up boat-loads of the product being tested with the objective of fooling the company testng the product into thinking they had a winner (when they really had a loser) and therefore blowing "big bucks" on a national launch (when in fact the product should have been rethought)!! Can you believe someone would do such a thing??:)

[Ray Fernandez]

RE: Anyone willing to respond to this CNet posting

If you don't give them ammunition in the first place, then all they can do is make up lies.

However, the people who have posted concerns are the same concerns that your user base are expressing.

Richard let me make it very clear to you.
The stability and strength of your software needs to be greatly improved.

I can not use your software for even, half an hour without it collapsing and I have no intention of being a beta tester either. I merely moved on, just like a lot of other people that you have lost and will continue to lose. Almost every app that I've supported for users and friends written in Alpha, have moved on.

Now that you shared a story with me, let me share one with you

I attended a major Nextel Service meeting for principals owners, just two weeks ago. And of course having 18 years in 2-Way Communications service industry, I walked in with the attitude that there was nothing that I would learn from this meeting. Boy was I wrong!

One of the first things that I did when I got backed, I just sat in the customer lobby for hours, pretending to be a customer, listening to customer comments. I can assure you because of this, there were five different policies that had to be modified.

For the sake of the people using your software and for the future of Alpha.

You better start taking the criticism of your users more seriously. There's no conspiracy here. Get a cup of coffee, sit down and start going through the newsgroups and invite these people to have all one to one with you. Listen to their concerns without getting defensive.

I have no intention of continuing this thread and truly wish you the best, but take nature's advice, there's a reason why you have two ears and one mouth.

Respectfully;
RF-ARS-Motorola

[Richard Rabins]

RE: Anyone willing to respond to this CNet posting

Respectfully Ray.

If you read my posts I have said that I and We DO understand and respect your viewpoint that our software (Like most software can be improved). I have also said that we do take negative feedback seriously and constructively. If I have not made this point clear then please forgive me.

The only point that I have made in this thread is that people who have NOT used our software, but never the less pass judgement (good or bad), should not be taken seriously.

Again if this point was not clear from earlier postings on this thread then please forgive me on this point too.

I dont know what part of the Land you are in - but I am in Boston - and it is time to bid you good night.

[martinwcole]

RE: Anyone willing to respond to this CNet posting

Ray � as I understand it, you don�t use Alpha, and haven�t for some time now. And as I understand it, your clients are not clients that would use Alpha, anyway. To paraphrase Selwin, �I wouldn�t use Alpha to develop a reservation system for American Airlines.�

Given that; given that your comments on this phorum the past few years have been negative; and given that the most negative comment on CNET�s web was by someone named �Ray� � I wonder why you are even posting here! Why aren�t you on one of the phorums for languages you actually use, helping people?

My sense is that your motives as regards Alpha are destructive and anger-based; thus your comments serve no constructive purpose! And although I compliment your programming knowledge, if I were running the zoo, to paraphrase Mr. McGoo, I would bar you from the phorum.

[Ray Fernandez]

RE: Anyone willing to respond to this CNet posting

Martin,

I think you're watching a bit too much CSI.

Your statements are completely false, but you're entitled to your opinions.

I will leave it at that

Sincerely;
RF-ARS-Motorola