From owner-freebsd-chat  Fri Jan 17 02:44:35 1997
Return-Path: <owner-chat>
Received: (from root@localhost)
          by freefall.freebsd.org (8.8.4/8.8.4) id CAA22752
          for chat-outgoing; Fri, 17 Jan 1997 02:44:35 -0800 (PST)
Received: from time.cdrom.com (time.cdrom.com [204.216.27.226])
          by freefall.freebsd.org (8.8.4/8.8.4) with ESMTP id CAA22747
          for <chat@FreeBSD.ORG>; Fri, 17 Jan 1997 02:44:32 -0800 (PST)
Received: from time.cdrom.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by time.cdrom.com (8.8.4/8.6.9) with ESMTP id CAA11461; Fri, 17 Jan 1997 02:44:17 -0800 (PST)
To: Annelise Anderson <andrsn@andrsn.stanford.edu>
cc: Amancio Hasty <hasty@rah.star-gate.com>,
        Michael Smith <msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au>, chat@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject: Re: FreeBSD into larget corp. environment? 
In-reply-to: Your message of "Sat, 04 Jan 1997 21:39:16 PST."
             <Pine.BSI.3.94.970104212237.22115A-100000@andrsn.stanford.edu> 
Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 02:44:16 -0800
Message-ID: <11447.853497856@time.cdrom.com>
From: "Jordan K. Hubbard" <jkh@time.cdrom.com>
Sender: owner-chat@FreeBSD.ORG
X-Loop: FreeBSD.org
Precedence: bulk

> My view is that phone-in tech support (as an initial contact) is
> an inherently flawed approach.  You cannot possibly pay what anyone
> good enough can get doing other work (nor would they want to do it).
> It is especially problematic with a small staff.  The person who

So you think that the customer won't insist on talking to a human
being as an initial contact?  I guess I really don't have a good feel
for how customers regard email as an effective support tool these
days.  If they're comfortable with the idea of just sending a message
into the void and expecting some sort of timely response back from us,
well, I guess I certainly won't argue.  I'm just not entirely certain
of that latter point.

> But the point is really to do something rather than nothing, and
> starting with phone-in tech support from an office is sufficiently
> daunting in terms of costs and organization that it is unlikely to
> get done at all.  And it seems important that something be offered,
> even if it is not perfect.

So, I guess what you're saying is that there are already enough bodies
who are willing to work through a company like FreeBSD, Inc that we
could present a credible tech support picture to FreeBSD sites?

Hmmmmm.  And who's going to be the business manager for this again?
This sounds suspiciously like a lot of ongoing paperwork. :-)

					Jordan