From: Joseph R. Grace <jgrace@TetraSoft.com>
Subject: Poll results Re: "NeXT Developer Marketing Programs"  : -)
Keywords: NeRD forest trees florist forester Committee NeXT retroactive prosper survive
Organization: TetraSoft International
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1992 06:13:16 GMT

The poll has been tallied and the results are in!  Most activity occurred in  
public, so I will simply tally the anonymous results.  Were I to include the  
public responses, the tally would weigh increasingly in Concerned's favor.   
It's nice to know someone stuck up for NeXT, though.

Responses by mail:
4 Concerned to 1 Unconcerned.
All voters have been quoted (anonymously).  The Unconcerned voter sent his  
message both to me and also to the net (un-anonymously).  From the look of the  
net postings, many people were quite willing to go to the net with their  
concerns, and I didn't bother to tally the votes from there.  I think my 1  
unconcerned respondent was the only (?) unconcerned respondent on the net also.

Concerned by retroactive de-authorization of NeXT Developers:
  "felt some betrayal along with isolation"
  "disappointed"
  "I rely on NeXT for business partnership and goodwill, but *not* for tech  
support."
  "It makes me wonder if NeXT really wants to "level
   the playing field" in the shrink-wrapped applications field,
   as this change in support hurts the small guys most.
	
   For Tallying Purposes: I disagree with this change.
   What they should have is a flexible support 
   policy, more [$ expense] for in-house developers, and less [$ expense]
   for people developing apps that will help sell
   NeXT boxes or System Software."
   
Unconcerned:
  "The yearly price is high, but the "incident" price is a little more 
reasonable."  [Also posted to the net at large.] [BTW, I disagree with this  
summary but I think it summarizes this poster's view.]

Also, at least 2 other concerns were raised:  NeXT removed support to some  
without notice; and even recent DevCamp attendees were not notified of the lack  
of developer support until *after* they had paid for DevCamp --- so between the  
time they paid for camp and received it, NeXT un-authorized them to receive  
Developer Support.  If nothing else, NeXT has not handled its support change in  
an altogether clean and fair manner.

Finally, a wee bit o' news:  Alex Fitz (Manager, Developer Marketing Programs)  
phoned me and for 90 minutes tried to explain to me how NeXT was making the  
best decision it (NeXT and its policy Committee) could, and I explained how  
NeXT was missing the forest for the trees.  By the end, I had quoted Keith  
Ohlfs (NeXTWorld) and Glen Reid (2 posts that morning regarding NeXT Support  
changes) to no avail.  I also suggested a non-retroactive policy change  
(already considered but dismissed by the Committee, according to Alex).  To  
make a long story short, all my words were heard but by all appearances went  
unheeded.  I am afraid NeXT's policy committee had too many florists and too  
few foresters.

Anyway, that's the view from this NeRD.  I am sorry, I have no better news (for  
NeXT or NeXT developers).  Let's wish this problem is an isolated mistake by  
NeXT, and that NeXT and its developers prosper despite it all.

Cheers,

= Joe =

p.s., thanks for your participation!
-- 
Joe Grace <jgrace@TetraSoft.com>
TetraSoft International   Business and Personal Productivity Tools for NeXTSTEP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.advocacy