Re: Solving production problems

[boldt@xxxxxxxxxx]

Gary Guthrie wrote:
> Real production problems get solved with real software support
> contracts, not in a mailing list, forum, or newsgroup.

Jeff wrote:
>With all due respect, real production problems do get solved here.
>Why else do mailing lists and newsgroups exist?

I think Gary hit the nail on the head.  If you absolutely,
positively need a real solution to a real problem, then it's
important to have someone accountable to solving the problem.

Mailing lists, forums, and newsgroups can indeed be useful,
but they should not be considered "front-line" resources
since the responders can't be held accountable for their
answers.  On-line fora, such as this, are much like informal
user-group meetings, or other such social gatherings.

I've seen cases of people asking questions, then get very
snippy when they don't see an answer within 30 minutes.  If
someone replies promptly with the correct answer to a
question, the poster should consider himself lucky.

(In some internet newsgroups, not necessarily iSeries
related, the people who know the right answers sometimes get
so tired of repeatedly answering the same questions that they
just don't bother anymore, leaving less qualified people to
pick up the slack.)

Cheers!  Hans

Hans Boldt, ILE RPG Development, IBM Toronto Lab, boldt@ca.ibm.com