Shareware Overload/ShartewareOverload.cdr/progm/funkybox.zip/BOOBOO.DOC

Text File | 1983-05-03 | 11KB | 205 lines

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         WILL THE REAL IBM BOOBOO PLEASE STAND UP !

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                 PEOPLE SYSTEMS, LTD. (C) 1983

After producing the finest microcomputer ever manufactured, it almost
seems sacrilegious to discuss IBM's short-comings. But the problems
aren't with the computer at all. That is not the real booboo. We all
have heard of and searched for the Microsoft bug, found it and said,
"Great, I'm glad that's all that is wrong, it's not even worth talking
about."

And there have been glitches and gremlins that have cropped up
from time to time in communications, etc, and of course EASY WRITER
wasn't so easy. But,  in the context of real booboos in the
microcomputer industry, these don't hold a candle to some of the
bloopers that have taken place and right at this moment are being
created by some of the other "quality" manufacturers. IBM has done
well by comparison.

"O.K.,if its not the computer, " you ask," what is it ?"
Well, it's called a PERSONAL computer, but the emphasis has been on
the hardware and not the interpersonal interface. IBM in its super
ability to produce and market has set a standard for everyone else
to follow, but there are other important ingredients that need more
attention. The personal or inter-personal interface, as good as it
is, needs development.

"Do you mean the instruction manuals? ", you ask. "Why, they have
been praised as the best in the business." Yes, they are, but still
the people-to-people aspects have not yet been developed, and we'll
go into more detail as we expand our horizons.

There is no doubt that IBM has demonstrated its prowess and craft
by projecting, producing and distributing the finest MICRO computer
system ever to be produced. The feat may never be equaled again.
IBM promised a superior product and they produced one, right from
the start. I have one of the early production models and I am
proud to say it has performed beyond my greatest expectations.

But as a technologist who is sensitive to people's needs, I found
a gapping hole in the complex marketing interface between the customer
and the producer. I don't believe it is a matter of IBM policy
being unsound, because there are indications that the IBM policies
intended for this interface to operate as smoothly as the PC does.
But it just hasn't happened, in the writer's opinion -- not yet.

Now that production and distribution are taking on the world, there
will be time to re-examine this sort of consideration, and do some-
thing about it. Certainly there have been many others who have taken
this problem to heart and written letters to the trade magazines about
their feelings. And possibly IBM has a task force working on it
right now.

But lets get to the crux of the situation and then explain why it
may not be apparent to everyone. The computer industry is hardly one
generation old and the development in the last 10 years has been
astronomical. All sorts of people have migrated to the industy because
it is a boomer. There is a severe shortage of well qualified tech-
nologically trained people and many of the less technical jobs
are held by less qualified people.

IBM set up a fine service to its users that didn't become effective
because it's leadership wasn't organized or technically oriented.
This is the inquiry card included at the back of the software
packages. The idea was good but the implementation seemed to be
ineffective. The people answering the letters didn't know what they
were talking about and the system failed to do what it was intended
to do.

I own a priceless exchange of letters trying to find out how to
implement a simple DOS function in BASIC. One young lady, answered
very succinctly, " Yes, that can be done in BASIC." but overlooked
telling me how to do it. Apparently, she didn't know how either. Then
I got another letter in this series that the typist copied exact code
into and there must have been a major  error in her transcription,
because, it didn't work either.

This feedback should have provided a basis for a newsletter that was
created by IBM for it's customers. But I guess IBM thinks of the sales
organizations as its customers, not the ultimate consumer. You are
probably aware that the Cabots speak only to the Lodges and so forth.

Using the sales people as disseminators of technical information has
not worked. Salespeople are oriented to concerning themselves about
commissions and if you have bought the machine, they no longer have
a stake in its proper operation.

Technical "support" is like the weather, everyone talks about it, but
no one does anything about it. In fact, IBM sends technical releases
to its distribution outlets, but doesn't publicize them nor does the
store let on that they have a file of technical releases. These should
be made available to the user as an obligation of the Company to its
customers. Others in the technical business makes a point of publishing
lists of technical releases, priced or otherwise, but IBM doesn't.
Perhaps a carry-over from the days when IBM never made mistakes.

It is not too late to correct. IBM is used to high paid hand-holders
who could personally guide the proper people in correcting glitches.
In the main frame business there are many of these available. But in
a consumer product, hand holding is an unnecessary expense  to many
managers. But it can be a source of future business and the finest
quality lowest priced advertising, that is "word of mouth" from a
satisfied customer.

A picture is worth a 1000 words. But did you notice, there are almost
no pictures in the DOS and BASIC manuals. The "word people" are so
involved in producing non-emotional, non judgemental prose, they
have forgotten how to use illustrations.  They have republished and
reset the type in these manuals, but they haven't filled the gap
of interpersonal exchange in them. For example, there is
a need for a good detailed map of memory, using some of the common
formats of DOS and BASICA or DOS and DEBUG. We have produced simple
ones in TOOLBOX for someone to easily grasp low memory or high
memory concepts and the addressing methods used in the CPU.

There are piece meal address lists and a weak attempt at a memory map,
but there is no complete overall plan with detailed areas blown-up
to a larger scale offered. The information is there, but you have
to put it together yourself -- and why should this be done by one
million buyers when it could be done once for everyone.

Yes, the manuals are better than most, but they lack interpersonal
communications information that would have made them superior. There
are several possible reasons for this type of failing. First, the
creator doesn't really understand what he is trying to explain.
Or second, he does not want to fully explain it, because it is a
valuable secret and should not be disseminated.

Years ago these were valuable secrets, now it can hardly be the
reason. The emphasis is directed towards satisfactory prose instead
of concentrated on clearly explained and documented answers.
A little poor grammar would never be noticed if the information is
simple and sincere. By distilling information to its essense, too
much of the communicative understanding can be lost.

How would you like to visit New York City and find your way around
armed with the following street guide :

Broadway runs from the Battery to the Harlem River. Also 42 nd Street
runs from the East River to the Hudson River and crosses Broadway.

The information is correct but not as informative as it might be.
It is a disconnected expanation of two major thoroughfares without
proper priority.

Obviously, some personal feeling could be communicated with the
factual information to better prepare the receiver for the facts.
For example:

New York City is a long slender (judgmental) island with Broadway
running north from the tip of the Battery to the Harlem River. Midtown
42 St. runs east from the Hudson to the East River, crossing Broadway.

For some time computer writers have hidden behind the broad disclaimer
"This is not intended to be a TUTORIAL" but they then set out to
instruct the user on how to PRINT "Your Name". Its time to stand up
and be responsible for the warmware ( the manuals ) that go between
the hardware and the user. They can be easily improved if technically
prepared people are in command. The final drafts can be reviewed by
a word processing English student, but don't give them the creative
responsibility.

Since the IBM was the first of its kind in 16 Bits and MS-DOS and
since there were no good tutorials and there are lots of white spaces
left unused in the IBM manuals, IBM should make it their business to
do a better job of information creation and distribution.

In its infinite wisdom IBM created another albatross that they haven't
heard the end of and it will take a long time to live down. I call it
the Graduates Club. It is the dubious process of advertising for soft-
ware submissions from outsiders and then writing most of it in-house.
IBM has just announced that they intend to release many new programs
created by their own staff.

Oh yes, IBM legal has tried to protect itself against those who would
cry foul in the courts, but an understanding judge may discount all
the disclaimers and demand to see the records of these submissions.
Why were so many submissions held for such long periods of time, only
to be shed with the standard computer letter  that said "we don't
wish to pursue your offer any further...."

And the most galling thing to the submitter is that IBM can't find
my information to return it to me. Even if agreed to in advance
such conditions place the submitter at an unfair disadvantage to the
Colossus and they may organize and fight back someday. The record I
heard was holding the software for about a one year period and then
summarily rejecting it.

This is a low in interpersonal relations. Too many fine people worked
hard for this carrot not to feel they had been taken advantage of
unfairly. The original terms of the software agreement were so one
sided and dictatorial that IBM revised them immediately. But the
real critical matters were left  untouched. Who is to say that IBM
ever intended to purchase any programs, maybe this was just a ploy
to get people to purchase computers and try to submit software for
IBM's future software development. I really don't believe it, but
the melody lingers on.