RE: Linux support; was Graphical File Managers

> Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 21:28:46 +0200
> From: "Pablo Vieira" <listas-FYuJXz9k+h59uiUsa/[email protected]>
> Subject: RE: [Annoyances] graphical file managers
> To: "'Seeking Linux annoyances for a book.'"
> 	<[email protected]>
> Message-ID: <009f01c39352$903c0600$3600a8c0@Pablo>
> Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"
> 
> Brad Hazledine:
> > > Is it reasonable to expect that a frustrated corporate user goes 
> > > hunting for responses in user groups and tries to hide his or her 
> > > frustration so he doesn't "provoke" the gurus?
> > 
> > If you purchased your software then by all means you should expect 
> > some level of support. It probably will cost you just the same as if

> > you had a problem with Microsoft software.
> 

<<<snipped>>>

It is a falacy to believe that buying Office or a computer with Windows
(for the average computer) buying public comes with a support contract
from Microsoft.  If you call them up, you will have to pay for that
call.  This move was made some years ago by the way.

Most people's support from Microsoft comes from the microsoft.com
website (and, thank goodness, Google) or (if they are in business) from
their IT staff (of which I am a member).  It is only after the problems
exceed the knowledge of the local staff that outside consultants come
into play.  Generally corporations have support contracts with Microsoft
for a certain number of incidents and so forth (but they are still
paying extra for this service) AND if they don't want to use up those
calls on possibly trivial or drawn out issues, they hire independent
consultants.

In a sense... THAT is the "user friendliness" behind windows.  I can
tell you that I support a couple of hundred people.  When things break,
they don't call Microsoft, they call me.  When I have problems, I don't
call Microsoft, I check the web.  When I still can't find solutions, I
check with my colleagues.  When they can't find solutions, we ask if we
can use a support call to Microsoft on the issue (this happens so rarely
that I can't even remember the last time something went that far).  Our
system guys generally have more need of those contract calls anyway
(mission critical systems and all that), but you still have to remember
that that support is added on.

Linux is no different.  If you want support there are people that know
Linux that would be happy, VERY HAPPY, to have you pay them to be on
staff.  You can also pay a distribution vendor to handle heavier support
calls... contracts are available.  I am sure that SuSE, RedHat, or IBM
would be glad to hear from you.  If you don't want to tie up those lines
(or use up a call on a trivial or drawn out issue, there are many MANY
consultants and companies (Linuxcare, HP, etc) that would be glad to
handle the issue for you.

You see the issues really are the same (or at least similar).

If users/support people aren't used to Linux or don't have onsite staff
to support it, they will feel lost when problems crop up.  They can't go
to the same (exact) places they have gone for answers before.  They can
check the website of the distribution.  Sometimes this helps.  They can
also check the bug database maintained by the distribution and see if it
is a known issue (and what to do to fix it).  They can also add test
cases if the bug isn't resolved that might help in resolving it.  They
can check Google and see if anyone else has run into the problem and
found a workaround (I do this daily for Macs and PCs not running
Linux... why should it be any different for those that do?).  Then they
are going to hit a brick wall.  If they haven't hired anyone that knows
Linux or haven't had the staff trained in Linux, the IT person is not
going to be able to consult the collective knowledge of his colleagues
(but that is a management issue, not a Linux issue per se).  I have this
problem with Mac stuff.  If our Mac guy is out of the office, that is
one less resource at my disposal.  If it is a pressing need, and their
organization has paid for a support contract, the IT person can consult
his superiors about calling in a ticket or about getting a consultant in
to help with the problem.

You hear all this stuff about "user friendliness" but really, beyond
interface issues (which are big... I am not going to argue that), a lot
of these issues are really "support friendliness."  Who do I call when I
have a problem?

Really, you will use the same _types_ of people and services that you
used before, however you MAY not be able to use the same _exact_ people
and services that you used before.

For the home user using Linux is going to be harder than for the
corporate user.  They won't have an IT staff to fall back on as,
hopefully, the corporate user will.  They guy they ask down the street
probably won't be able to help them, unless he is a Linux user himself.
They won't be able to take it to the local CompUSA or Best Buy for help,
BUT a local mom and pop MAY be able to help them.  If they bought a
distribution, they will at least have email support for a while and they
probably should buy an extended contract.  They can also contact
Linuxcare and get a contract with them.  Beyond that, they are going to
have a harder, but not impossible, time compared to when they used
Windows.  But again... they wouldn't have been able to FREELY contact
Microsoft (or some other software vendor) for the most part when
problems occurred.  They would just have to find a service provider that
would help them... just like with Windows (sort of).

Jim

*All opinions are my own and not those of anyone else or any other
institution.  No one else would want them*