From: davidsen@ariel.crd.GE.COM (william E Davidsen)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.sysv386
Subject: Re: DELL CORPORATE CONTRIBUTION
Date: 27 Jul 92 20:03:09 GMT
Reply-To: davidsen@crd.ge.com (bill davidsen)
Organization: GE Corporate R&D Center, Schenectady NY

In article <1992Jul24.202150.4329@raid.dell.com>, edward@locutus.dell.com (Edward Godwin) writes:
| 
| 	This posting is submitted by a Dell employee empowered by Dell to deal 
| with the 'net in an official support position.  This posting is a departmental

  I was afraid it would come to this.

| Donn has stated that he was expressing his personal opinion, as is normal
| on the net for individuals from other companies; without any permission or
| authority to act for Dell Computer Corporation.  Donn is a programmer in the 
| UNIX Development team and has no influence on the policies or practices of 
| Dell support.  His opinions were certainly based on privileged information, 
| but he is not in a position to implement them.  Several posters have 
| asserted that Mr. Baumgartner's mailings suggest something about Dell's 
| commitment to quality support.  This is not the case. His initial postings 
| were obviously intended to be helpful, but have recently degenerated.
| We believe, from discussions with him, that he will be less active on the 
| net in the future.  

  Another good and useful poster silenced. I find it hard not to
interpret "less active" as "totally silent" in this case.

| 	UNIX is an open system.  Without the input, interaction, and work 
| of the people who populate USENETr; UNIX would soon stagnate.  UNIX owes its 
| present form to intense individual pressures exerted by anyone who works 
| extensively in the area.  To call for the dismissal of someone based on 
| his personal stated opinions seems vindictive and counterproductive.  

  It seems in keeping with certain other posts by the same person.

| 	Internal discussion at Dell is resulting in a decision that we
| must be less active on the 'net, though we will continue to monitor 
| news groups and may make individual mail responses.  We believe that
| this is, on the balance, detrimental to UNIX and the 'net; but can find no 
| acceptable compromise in the current climate.  We also predict that
| we will now be castigated for our "creeping corporatitis" :-).  

  And another source of useful info is nibbled to death by the tiny
bites of maggots.

| Eventually, 'net pressure will decide; should Dell participate on the 'net 
| as individual contributors, or as corporate automatons whose every word is 
| intended as official corporate policy?

  If Dell continues to listen to a few disgruntled individuals they
won't have a net presence at all. I have a "tricks" file in which I
collect useful postings and mail on UNIX topics, and a good deal of it
is from Dell authors. It's a shame that flow is being stifled. I don't
remember saving any useful things posted by any of the people who are
so offended by Donn's post that they have made this (successful) effort
to silence him.
-- 
bill davidsen, GE Corp. R&D Center; Box 8; Schenectady NY 12345
	It never ceases to amaze me that otherwise rational people, able to
	understand calculus, compound interest, and the income tax form, can
	continue to believe that poker is a game of chance.