Consumer Reports Discovers Tech Support Sucks

fuzzykitty writes "CNN just posted an article about how commercial software is filled with bugs and customers are used as an army of unpaid testers. It also goes on about the lack of good technical support. Best quote: 'I'm unaware of any company that would shortchange the customer in their speed to get the software to market,' LOL"

Comments

And the point is?

[Blaine Hilton]

Is this really news? I'm sure most people have come to this conclusion a long time ago.

Re:And the point is?

[rusty spoon]

Yes, as opposed to other (non-commercially produced I guess) software where the support is non-existent (you know where the source is, there's comments too, maybe).

You don't get a busy signal with other software because there is no one to call. Sure, there's forums and there's newsgroups, and of course there's mailing lists...but none of them *have* to help you resolve your problem.

At least with commercial software you can get your money back. What's that I hear you say, can't get your money back? Well, perhaps you should have bought on plastic instead of cash.

Perhaps with non-commercial software there is an army of tech support staff sitting quietly in the back room along with the army UI designers and the army of technical authors, LOL...all doing nothing, apparently.

Seek and we shall find; I conducted a survey or people using linux and I found 100% of them couldn't get samba to talk to a Win2K server. All of those that responded said "Tech support sucks. I was referred to a 'man' page, whatever the hell that is". Another disatisfied 'customer'.

Oh wait, non-commercial softare doesn't have 'customers' so no problem there. No customers, no problem - a software developers dream.

Pah! news for nerds. Every nerd knows tech support can't help all of the people all of the time. This is news if you live in a cave and bang rocks together to make fire.

Happy troughing.

Re:And the point is?

[rusty spoon]

So, then, support for commercial and free software is the same except with commercial software (that you have bought) you have one extra channel through which to complain.

Your perseverence with the last (which ought to be first) channel of support is up to you.

Complaining and demanding a refund (through your credit card company) are often enough to resolve most problems at least to your satisfaction.

If you complain to the authors of free software you have no leverage whatsoever. They can, and often do, just leave you alone to figure out the problem.

Dear god I had no idea that the world isnt perfect

[stratjakt]

And this is interesting how? Because it's a jab at commercial software? Does it somehow imply open source is better? Yuk yuk MSFT is teh gay!

You can make the same arguments in any industry. Why are cars improved every year? The Model T was just an expiriment, Ford used us as guinea pigs! Why do fashions keep changing, designers use us as free test subjects!

Everything in the grocery store bears a label "New and improved!" That means the previous product was inferior! I'm shocked and appalled that anyone would sell a less-than-optimal product!

Yeah, products are revamped, reviewed and improved. Plenty of stuff is recalled, plenty of poor engineering mistakes are made.

It doesnt mean the worlds out to screw you, as an educated consumer you should know better by now.

Re:FRIST POST

[Anonymous Coward]

No, no, my friend. I am afraid you are the suck. For behold...

YOU FAIL IT!

EAT MY SHIT WHORES

[Anonymous Coward]

Are you drunk?

[Anonymous Coward]

If not, what led to that inane comment? If so, shouldn't you be working rather than drinking?

Re:$59.5 billion!

[Anonymous Coward]

holy shit! what content! what a poignant statement! mod this the fuck up!