[Ticket#: 2006040510000641] Re: [OT] Articles to read

[Richard Gaskin]

Steve Knox wrote:

> On Apr 6, 2006, at 3:29 PM, Richard Gaskin wrote:
>> With other products I manage we generally aim for zero defects only  
>> with issues that cause data loss, and evaluate the rest on a case- 
>> by-case basis in terms of customer value and company ROI.
> 
> This appears to be a decent strategy, if the evaluation of customer  
> value bugs is done correctly.  Frequently it isn't.  For example,  
> User Frustration bugs (such as the clunky/buggy script editor) should  
> have a higher priority than they seem to command, in that lost sales  
> and upgrades, and the resultant lowering of company reputation, that  
> these bugs can generate can impact the company's bottom line in a  
> very significant way.

Absolutely.  I believe editor/debugger issues demand top priority not 
only because of their critical role in the customer experience for a 
scripting product, but also because they are the linchpins for 
addressing any other issues in the IDE.


> Management is an art, not a science.  Reducing it to a science takes  
> the human element out of the process.  Doing that isolates the  
> manager from the task.  This isolation creates arrogance, arrogance  
> lowers morale, low morale lowers quality, and you get the point.

Exactly. Any single metric, like Bugzilla votes or list rants or repair 
cost, will likely fail.

Given Rev's historic reputation, they'll have to work harder than most 
in this area to overcome the stigma they've earned.  If recognized 
soberly this could bode well for us as well as for them.

...
> Lynn Fredericks has said that inventive users like me don't really
> exist, which does not inspire confidence.

The reaction to Lynn's post has been curious.  I read the same post, but 
I got a very different message.

It didn't seem to me that he was claiming that people don't exist, but 
merely that inventing a phrase to describe them which ultimately turns 
out to be roughly synonymous with "everyone who uses Rev" may not be as 
useful for strategic planning as existing language other successful 
companies use to describe market segments and personas.


> I can get HyperCard to work for my application.  Not well, and  
> running Classic will be a pain, but it will do it.  I was hoping to  
> buy something faster and more modern with better graphics that would  
> run on OS X.  Revolution has so far shown the greatest promise.

As much as I gripe about it, I still haven't found anything that 
provides anything close to the level of productivity for the work I do. 
  Hopefully you'll find the same.


> But it's not there yet.  And judging from the attitude of some of the  
> Rev dignitaries on this list, it may never be.

Just in case you meant to include me among "dignitaries", let me put 
your mind at ease:

I have no more influence at RunRev Ltd. than anyone else here.  My 
opinions are my own, and only that.  You can judge products developed by 
Fourth World based on what I write, but that's as far as it goes.

Sure, between myself and my clients we have more at stake with the Rev 
engine than most of RunRev's investors.  But no matter how much I have 
at stake it's been made clear to me that I have no more say with how 
RunRev prioritizes their business than they have with mine (actually 
less so, considering that they make the engine I use).  If I did you'd 
know, as it would be a very, very different company (maybe a lot of the 
folks here are glad I have no influence <g>).

That said, note that I continue to use Rev.  Even with warts and all, I 
haven't found anything else that provides the same ROI for me.  And I've 
looked.  And I continue to look.  And I still use Rev.

-- 
  Richard Gaskin
  Fourth World Media Corporation
  Developer of WebMerge: Publish any database on any Web site
  ___________________________________________________________
  Ambassador at FourthWorld.com       http://www.FourthWorld.com