Re: rant - does oracle know how to design a website?
From: Vladimir M. Zakharychev <vladimir.zakharychev_at_gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:54:40 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <f246c50d-48c3-41e7-b063-85220c8469d1_at_q16g2000yqq.googlegroups.com>
On Feb 10, 4:25 am, "Bob Jones" <em..._at_me.not> wrote:
> "gs" <g..._at_gs.com> wrote in messagenews:Vg1cn.63008$Db2.46115_at_edtnps83...
> > Matthias Hoys wrote:
> >> "gs" <g..._at_gs.com> wrote in messagenews:SDWbn.62938$Db2.43303_at_edtnps83...
> >>> I think I see the method behind the new metalink, or "my oracle support"
> >>> for that matter. Make it as frustratingly clunky and user unfriendly as
> >>> humanly (or not) possible, and support calls will go down, along with
> >>> that "unsatisfied" support calls. I know for me it is a last resort
> >>> after I have exhausted all other avenues.
>
> >>> Case in point - we are installing 11G on a windows 2003 server, the
> >>> database is going to be spatial and the vendor doesn't support (for
> >>> reasons known only to them) windows 2008 yet. Anyway, thats not my
> >>> point.. I'm trying to find out if 11G R1 is certified on Windows 2003 64
> >>> bit R2, so I go to the 11G database page to view the certification
> >>> matrix like I always do (did) Ah, here is the link, on the downloads
> >>> page for the database, right where it says "Review the certification
> >>> matrix for this product here." But wait, clicking on the link brings up
> >>> a page saying all certification information is now on My Oracle Support
> >>> website.. Ok, go to my support page, enter in "11G windows certification
> >>> matrix" - what do I get? A list of 8 or so options, on about generic
> >>> connectivity on windows or linux 64 bit platforms, something about what
> >>> platforms oracle messaging gateway is available on, and a real relevant
> >>> one: "Oracle® Database on Unix AIX®,HP-UX®,Linux®,Mac OS®
> >>> X,Solaris®,Tru64 Unix® Operating Systems (Customer Recommended)"
>
> >>> So, play with search terms a bit, I get links on installing 8i on
> >>> windows NT, a windows 98/ME certification article, running 9i on windows
> >>> 2000 etc etc etc..
>
> >>> Lot's of information on patchsets etc., but 10 minutes later I still
> >>> can't find an 11G windows certification matrix.
>
> >>> Who designs this infrastructure? Do they think all the cool
> >>> sliding/expanding/contracting menus and various error pages are what
> >>> people want??
>
> >>> Anyway, at least I feel better now, back to looking, give it another 5
> >>> minutes them I'm logging an SR..
>
> >>> Wish me luck
>
> >> Recently I was looking for the latest patch set for APEX - but the search
> >> on MOS always returned zero results.
> >> Luckily, I could find the patch set number on a blog and I entered that
> >> one directly - now the patch set did show up. Hail to the blogs!!!
>
> >> Matthias
>
> > I wasn't trying to imply that the info I needed wasn't there, but the
> > hoops one has to jump through to find something simple is simply
> > ridiculous IMHO - for example filling out the first x number of fields in
> > a search box and ignoring the rest, because even filling them out
> > correctly yields 0 rows returned.
>
> > I was looking for apex download last week, I got tired of searching
> > Oracle's site and googled it instead and had it in one hit, it pointed me
> > straight to oracles download page whereas a search from within Oracle.com
> > for "apex download" brought up pages and pages of documents and other
> > things that had nothing to do with what I wanted.
>
> I am surprised it took you that long to realize that. The new Metalink has
> sucked for a while. It is slower and sometimes hangs or just gives an error
> pop-up.
>
> They should just go back to classic Metalink. It is easier to navigate and
> less confusing.
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:54:40 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <f246c50d-48c3-41e7-b063-85220c8469d1_at_q16g2000yqq.googlegroups.com>
On Feb 10, 4:25 am, "Bob Jones" <em..._at_me.not> wrote:
> "gs" <g..._at_gs.com> wrote in messagenews:Vg1cn.63008$Db2.46115_at_edtnps83...
> > Matthias Hoys wrote:
> >> "gs" <g..._at_gs.com> wrote in messagenews:SDWbn.62938$Db2.43303_at_edtnps83...
> >>> I think I see the method behind the new metalink, or "my oracle support"
> >>> for that matter. Make it as frustratingly clunky and user unfriendly as
> >>> humanly (or not) possible, and support calls will go down, along with
> >>> that "unsatisfied" support calls. I know for me it is a last resort
> >>> after I have exhausted all other avenues.
>
> >>> Case in point - we are installing 11G on a windows 2003 server, the
> >>> database is going to be spatial and the vendor doesn't support (for
> >>> reasons known only to them) windows 2008 yet. Anyway, thats not my
> >>> point.. I'm trying to find out if 11G R1 is certified on Windows 2003 64
> >>> bit R2, so I go to the 11G database page to view the certification
> >>> matrix like I always do (did) Ah, here is the link, on the downloads
> >>> page for the database, right where it says "Review the certification
> >>> matrix for this product here." But wait, clicking on the link brings up
> >>> a page saying all certification information is now on My Oracle Support
> >>> website.. Ok, go to my support page, enter in "11G windows certification
> >>> matrix" - what do I get? A list of 8 or so options, on about generic
> >>> connectivity on windows or linux 64 bit platforms, something about what
> >>> platforms oracle messaging gateway is available on, and a real relevant
> >>> one: "Oracle® Database on Unix AIX®,HP-UX®,Linux®,Mac OS®
> >>> X,Solaris®,Tru64 Unix® Operating Systems (Customer Recommended)"
>
> >>> So, play with search terms a bit, I get links on installing 8i on
> >>> windows NT, a windows 98/ME certification article, running 9i on windows
> >>> 2000 etc etc etc..
>
> >>> Lot's of information on patchsets etc., but 10 minutes later I still
> >>> can't find an 11G windows certification matrix.
>
> >>> Who designs this infrastructure? Do they think all the cool
> >>> sliding/expanding/contracting menus and various error pages are what
> >>> people want??
>
> >>> Anyway, at least I feel better now, back to looking, give it another 5
> >>> minutes them I'm logging an SR..
>
> >>> Wish me luck
>
> >> Recently I was looking for the latest patch set for APEX - but the search
> >> on MOS always returned zero results.
> >> Luckily, I could find the patch set number on a blog and I entered that
> >> one directly - now the patch set did show up. Hail to the blogs!!!
>
> >> Matthias
>
> > I wasn't trying to imply that the info I needed wasn't there, but the
> > hoops one has to jump through to find something simple is simply
> > ridiculous IMHO - for example filling out the first x number of fields in
> > a search box and ignoring the rest, because even filling them out
> > correctly yields 0 rows returned.
>
> > I was looking for apex download last week, I got tired of searching
> > Oracle's site and googled it instead and had it in one hit, it pointed me
> > straight to oracles download page whereas a search from within Oracle.com
> > for "apex download" brought up pages and pages of documents and other
> > things that had nothing to do with what I wanted.
>
> I am surprised it took you that long to realize that. The new Metalink has
> sucked for a while. It is slower and sometimes hangs or just gives an error
> pop-up.
>
> They should just go back to classic Metalink. It is easier to navigate and
> less confusing.
Hehe. Expected reaction to exemplary violation of the KISS principle. :) Too bad software designers seem to have forgotten (or simply didn't learn) it...
Regards,
Bob Received on Wed Feb 10 2010 - 02:54:40 CST