Allen,


Sorry about the delay in replying to your question, I've been away and  
when I got back there are so many posts to skim - and then I found this  
(and several other) bons mots had not actually been delivered but had  
somehow got stuck in my Outbox.

On Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:27:02 -0000, Allen Bauer
<✉spicedham.codegear.com> wrote:

> What *would* make you think that we're open to suggestions?

The very fact that you are contributing here is a good start! (and Nick  
and Michael Swindell - although Mr Rozlog does seem to have gone quiet  
recently)


But I would guess that you will have a long, uphill struggle to regain  
trust from long-time customers who have been burned in the
past. So if you want to minimise that timescale, you're going to have to  
open up "above and beyond".


Personally, I think it comes down to "you" making it clear to "us" that  
you realise that...


1) You're no longer a small company - which can be excused if it doesn't  
provide the full service.


2) You're no longer a large company - which can dictate what (and when)  
customers +must+ accept.


and..


3) Stop putting all the blame on to the previous management - While a lot  
of bad things did happen back then, the tactic of blaming all the current  
troubles on the previous management loses its efficacy very, very quickly  
(and you've had /much/ longer than Obama) - even more so when many of the  
names are still the same.




I don't really want to post an exhaustive list, but off the top of my  
head, communication about...


1) Roadmaps - yes, they are difficult and yes, you'll get hammered if you  
don't meet the deadlines. Maybe you could take advice from some of your  
partners who do seem capable of producing roadmaps +and+ shipping product  
every three months... http://www.remobjects.com/ROadmap.aspx


2) Activation - Nick said this was "still on the stove" back in November  
2007 - surely it has come to the boil by now?


3) Support of previous versions of your product - Even at the most  
generous reading, RAD Studio 2009 was only in "Active Support" for ten  
months  http://support.codegear.com/article/37740. Not everyone wants to  
(or is capable of) upgrading 15 years of legacy software that often.


4) Active contribution from EMBT employees...
a. in these newsgroups - I'm full of admiration for the help that Peter,  
Wayne, Rudy and others provide for free - but it is *your* product after  
all.
b. following up QC reports rather than passively sitting back waiting for  
user input.


I'm sure others will be able to think of more.

> Remember,
> listening and considering input, is *not* equal to agreeing with or
> acting on said input.

Yes, I do realise!


If you have been, thanks for listening.


-- 
Paul Scott
Information Management Systems
Macclesfield, UK