IBM Bashing

The subject line is strong; too strong probably, but I'll be darned if I can
think of a better one.

Let me start with this: Customers confuse me with my employer.

When a customer calls me for some legitimate business reason, all too often
I also get an earful about how CommSoft did this or how CommSoft could have
done that better or... whatever is on the customer's mind at the moment.
They called CommSoft, got me and therefore I AM CommSoft.  Judging from the
number of times this has happened, I can only surmise how easy a habit this
is to slip into.  Call the vendor, and whatever poor soul picks up the phone
gets unloaded on.  By otherwise pleasant people.  When they hang up, I can
only hope that they, at least, feel better.

We have confused Jon with IBM.  We use him and other IBM employees as a
surrogate to bash IBM's current and former policies.  To blame them for IBM
management decisions.  To gripe about things which cannot be changed.

I don't know who here follows the RPG400-L list, but Hans has stopped
posting.  His last post to RPG400-L was 17 May.  Yet he posted to
comp.sys.ibm.as400.misc on 27 June.  What have we done?

This note is my weak effort to assuage my conscience for not sticking up for
them earlier.  I feel great remorse that I stood by and didn't say anything.
Thank you Bob, for reminding me how valuable these fine people are to us
all.  I only wish I had the guts to do so myself.

Buck Calabro
CommSoft
Albany, NY

"The biggest problem in communication is the
 illusion it has been accomplished"
 -- George Bernard Shaw