Thus spake Ed
Jeff I believe they listen to you because they know you are fairly intelligent on the 3com systems and you have been on this list helping others for so long that others listen to you.
Well, I appreciate the implicit compliment there. :) I don't know that *I'm* listened to particularly though. I think 3Com really does listen to the list as a whole, but perhaps because of the reasons you say (and its hard for me to acknowledge that what you say is true since it comes down to me evaluating myself which I suck at...we'll go with it though) I've become known to folks within 3Com as someone that maybe has his finger on the pulse of the list? I dunno...kinda grasping at explanations maybe. I feel relatively confident though, that without the rest of the list saying things as well, I wouldn't be listened to within 3Com just because I'm a nice guy and help people. :) If I said something was a problem and the rest of the list ignored what I was saying...I might get *some* results just because I know a lot of people and I'm generally good at agitating...but I doubt I would get very far. :)
However they aren't listening to most people who complain... and they definitely aren't fixing certain problems. 3com connectivity issues and v.90 problems aren't fixed and haven't even been modified to my knowledge... Ascend is still kicking 3com's butt in v.90 connects. Also Support Contract issues seem to elude them... they cannot grasp such simple thinking as give a little and gain a lot.
I really think (and have even had some folks, which will remain nameless here, within 3Com agree with me) that the problem is really one of beaurocracy. 3Com is listening, and is working on the problems...just not even close to the speed at which we think it should/could be done.
From the discussions that I've had with folks about the support contract issues...its seems that 3Com is trying to fix everything in one fell swoop rather than taking little steps. My opinion is also that 3Com tends (again, this will probably sound familiar to many of you) seems to be making decisions on where to go largely without the feedback from customers. While they are moving...and maybe mostly even in a forward direction...without feedback and guidance from customers its just terribly easy for 3Com to take a step to the side or back and not realize it.
While I've gotten a couple of calls, as I mentioned, in the past couple of days regarding the support contract issues...and this is a good thing, at least a good start...this is largely an anomoly...most decisions at 3Com seem to be made in a vacuum of customer input and feedback. Let me also qualify this a bit...I'm speaking with my experience with Total Control...we don't have any other 3Com equipment (maybe a NIC or two...nothing significant), so things on the enterprise (corebuilder, netbuilder, pathbuilder, etc.) side of the house may be different...and the feeling that I got up at Networks3 indicates that maybe it is different on that side of things. I don't know for sure though. The enterprise side of things does have the 3Com user's group that represents them fairly well apparently. I know there have been some people that wanted to get carrier folks involved with the user group more...and I think I have even been told that there are some people interested in getting a 3Com carrier (which would include ISPs) user group started up as a seperate entity from the main user group. I think this would be a good idea and would definitely be involved.
If I were head of 3com I would be DEEPLY upset if people spoke about my products in such a way. I would do something about it. Maybe the people who would care don't see the list...? ShareHolders and Executives
Well...I do know that there are some *fairly* high up people that are on the list, but I suspect its rather too high of traffic for the likes of the executive officers and such. :) I do know that *some* of the content does make it up to them on occasion...which content I really don't know, but some of it does. :) -- Jeff McAdams Email: jeffm@iglou.com Head Network Administrator Voice: (502) 966-3848 IgLou Internet Services (800) 436-4456 - To unsubscribe to usr-tc, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe usr-tc" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message.