Interesting blog post - comments anyone?

[Marty Knapp]

Personally, I felt no compulsion to defend Rev because they let us know 
there was a debate going on at slash dot. Neither was I offended by 
that. When I'm getting ready to make a purchase (software or otherwise) 
I very much want to read what real world users are saying about it (as 
opposed to paid PR) - what's so bad about that? And I will also say that 
there is much more of a community here than I've experienced in 
connection with any other software product. In this light, I did not 
find RunRev's "enlistment" out of line in the least.

Marty Knapp
> The idea that the customer services manager of a company would enlist that company's own customers in a public debate over the merits of that company's product and the rather easy to debase claims it made of its product... Well it just feels a little icky.  I am a huge fan of xtalk and any bridge that can be built between intent and the horrors of programming.  That is a professional opinion, a philosophy.  When I purchase a product, that decision, and the money that is exchanged is my argument for that product, and should be sufficient to pay for any PR the company uses to attract other customers. And to ask for help without explaining how that decision to ask for customer help was made (and why) or at a minimum also venturing your own attempt at the same debate seems a tad unfair.  Choosing a tool, especially in programming where endless hours are eaten up thereafter, well that is argument in itself.  Use it!  Tell the world how many rev users there are.  If someone, unabated, wants to defend your products in public debate, so be it.  But to ask this of your own customers?  If the product were free, and if you were an unpaid volunteer, well maybe.
>
> randall