Re: JDeveloper rant...

Thank you Niall. You are quite right. I missed the Collaboration tab when I initially joined and missed all the chestnuts to be found there. I like you don't believe in getting something for nothing. Here is what I do think though. It should not cost programmers hard dollars to learn how to use a tool. The obvious problem of cobbling freeloaders is to provide products with "single user" and "single connection" capabilities. As for tech support, I think it would be reasonable for oracle to do as Microsoft does; allow the public to buy a package of support on a per query basis or time-and-materials so specific problems can be overcome in a cost-effective manner. People with run-the-business systems obviously need a higher level of service and need to pay accordingly. As a 17 year NSK man and 13 year consultant, I am well aware of the notion that "nobody rides for free" and I certainly don't work for free either.

That being said, there is still the problem that the JDeveloper community has no direct access to the problem database or the development group to solve the really tough problems in a timely manner - other than ponying up big bucks. If I only encounter 3 problems over the course of learning what I have set for myself in this endeavour and paying for everything out of my own pocket, would it be cost-effective for me to pony up thousands for support? That begs the question "Why not just pony up the same thousands for WebSphere or Forte and get the free support for a year included with these tools?"

[Quoted] If Oracle has set a goal of getting the world to embrace JDeveloper because [Quoted] it is free, they need to go just a little farther to make the proposition workable, don't you agree?

"Niall Litchfield" <niall.litchfield_at_dial.pipex.com> wrote in message news:3d161492$0$8506$cc9e4d1f_at_news.dial.pipex.com...
> "Watchman" <dmalone_at_attglobal.net> wrote in message
> news:o66R8.103910$831.83427_at_news01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com...
> > As for the tech net - you need to have a paid support agreement, as in
> spend
> > thousands, to get support. So I come back to my rant. What good is a
> > "free" product that you can't get support for? At least with something
> like
> > JBoss, you get the source code so you can solve your own problems.
>
> To get access to technet you most emphatically do not have to spend a
single
> penny. This gives you full documentation, sample code, discussion forums,
> white papers etc. Thats pretty damn good for a free resource. I'm also
> interested in the support that you needed that required someone with
source
> code access. most dev problems I've come across are of the 'how do i do
x?'
> or 'does the products support y?' kind.
>
> Jdeveloper isn't however (none of oracle products are) free products. if
you
> want to use them in a commercial environment then you pay. For that you
get
> the full range of tech support that you seem to be looking for. 24/7
support
> with dev access and escalation levels etc doesn't come cheap and certainly
> not free. I for one don't see why it should.
>
>
> --
> Niall Litchfield
> Oracle DBA
> Audit Commission UK
>
>
Received on Tue Jun 25 2002 - 18:22:09 CEST