Hi All
I think everyone needs to stop and take a breath. I'm on the other side
of the world and I can feel the heat from here. I must say that losing
Dennis is a blow. I'm only a beginner and I'm still learning from his
book. I'd hate to lose the expertise of everyone else that's helped me
too, like Richard, Ian, Andy, Dan and others. So here's what's what. To
the company I say - if humanly possible, don't abanadon the old OOPic
R, C and S customers. In my opinion it's a great product - the best of
it's kind. However the end of life statement was tactless and pre-
mature and I think unnecessary and people took grave offence - don't
kick the chair out just like that. You didn't have to do it that way.
Also, the group can support itself, it just needs a little help. Just
fix the compiler and the event problems - that's all it sounds like to
me. It's what the majority of your customers want. What's the need to
EOL the old firmware anyway? Surely you have to bring people along with
you for the journey? The next product will be better for sure and I
trust people will use it. But if you disenfranchise your existing
customer base you will take years to recover. Fix up the problems. Get
Dennis and Jesica back. Make it work. To everyone else I say - I know
when people have invested a lot in something. It shows. But all this
feels to me like breaking up a really good thing. It sounds to me like
everyone still cares otherwise there'd be no more posts. Give it a
chance. (nievely?) Mike M.
------------------------------------



(You need to be a member of oopic -- send a blank email to oopic-subscribe@yahoogroups.com )

Very well put. Speaking strictly for my self, that is exactly what I thought
was promised and what I have been waiting for. David Davis

**************Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget?
Read reviews on AOL Autos.
(http://autos.aol.com/cars-BMW-128-2008/expert-review?ncid=aolaut00050000000017 )
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------------------



(You need to be a member of oopic -- send a blank email to oopic-subscribe@yahoogroups.com )

I agree, good job of explaining it. :)

___________________
Ray Xu
r...@tx.rr.com
DPRG member
OOPic group member
Seattle Robotics
group member
My Blog

-----Original Message-----
From: o...@yahoogroups.com [mailto:o...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Mike
Martin
Sent: Sunday, August 03, 2008 9:06 AM
To: o...@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [oopic] What matters.

Hi All
I think everyone needs to stop and take a breath. I'm on the other side
of the world and I can feel the heat from here. I must say that losing
Dennis is a blow. I'm only a beginner and I'm still learning from his
book. I'd hate to lose the expertise of everyone else that's helped me
too, like Richard, Ian, Andy, Dan and others. So here's what's what. To
the company I say - if humanly possible, don't abanadon the old OOPic
R, C and S customers. In my opinion it's a great product - the best of
it's kind. However the end of life statement was tactless and pre-
mature and I think unnecessary and people took grave offence - don't
kick the chair out just like that. You didn't have to do it that way.
Also, the group can support itself, it just needs a little help. Just
fix the compiler and the event problems - that's all it sounds like to
me. It's what the majority of your customers want. What's the need to
EOL the old firmware anyway? Surely you have to bring people along with
you for the journey? The next product will be better for sure and I
trust people will use it. But if you disenfranchise your existing
customer base you will take years to recover. Fix up the problems. Get
Dennis and Jesica back. Make it work. To everyone else I say - I know
when people have invested a lot in something. It shows. But all this
feels to me like breaking up a really good thing. It sounds to me like
everyone still cares otherwise there'd be no more posts. Give it a
chance. (nievely?) Mike M.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------------------



(You need to be a member of oopic -- send a blank email to oopic-subscribe@yahoogroups.com )

On Aug 3, 2008, at 7:06 AM, Mike Martin wrote:

> Hi All
> I think everyone needs to stop and take a breath. I'm on the other=20=20
> side
> of the world and I can feel the heat from here. I must say that losing
> Dennis is a blow. I'm only a beginner and I'm still learning from his
> book. I'd hate to lose the expertise of everyone else that's helped me
> too, like Richard, Ian, Andy, Dan and others. So here's what's what.=20=20
> To
> the company I say - if humanly possible, don't abanadon the old OOPic
> R, C and S customers. In my opinion it's a great product - the best of
> it's kind. However the end of life statement was tactless and pre-
> mature and I think unnecessary and people took grave offence - don't
> kick the chair out just like that. You didn't have to do it that way.

Yes, it was badly handled. As a successful (and unsuccessful) software=20=20
entrepreneur I know what it is like to not have enough resources to=20=20
support an older product and have to abandon it to work on something=20=20
new. I stopped development but we fixed the worst bugs so that the=20=20
software was usable and explained to my customers that we wouldn't be=20=20
doing any further development but would continue to provide=20=20
information and assistance where possible. It is amazing how well=20=20
things work out when you explain to your customers why you are going=20=20
to stop work on a cherished product.

But more importantly, we kept our word to the customers. We delivered=20=20
what we promised to deliver. It didn't matter that we occasionally=20=20
promised something that was harder than we thought it would be, we=20=20
just delivered. (Sometimes it takes several 7x16 weeks.) The only way=20=20
your customers will trust you is if you always do what you say you are=20=20
going to do. The interesting thing is that most customers will hang in=20=20
there with you as long as you are making an effort to support them and=20=20
as long as you are making an effort to keep your promises.

So how would this translate into behavior on the part of Savage=20=20
Innovations? Well, if I were running the company here is what I would=20=20
have sent out to my customers:

"Dear valued customers of Savage Innovations. The OOPic is not selling=20=20
well enough in its current form to let us keep making it. This letter=20=20
is to let you know that the OOPic S, R, and C products are only going=20=20
to be available for as long as we have current stock. We are not=20=20
producing any more. We will be fixing the major bugs in the compiler=20=20
so all the major subsystems, including events, will work as described.=20=20
We will provide software support and hardware advice to the best of=20=20
our ability on these legacy products but understand that our focus=20=20
will be on new products.

To that end, let me tell you about a much better product we have=20=20
designed to replace the current product line. I am sure that, after=20=20
you read about them, you will see how the new products will let you do=20=20
a lot more in the future. We will do everything we can to help you=20=20
make the transition to the new products.

In fact, we are offering a trade-up program for the new OOPic NG (Next=20=20
Generation). We have done a version of the NG that is mounted on a=20=20
carrier that is pin-compatible with the OOPic. Send us your old C, R,=20=20
or S along with $35 and we will provide a compatible OOPic NG as our=20=20
way of saying thanks for being a good customer. Plug it in to your=20=20
existing hardware and start using it today. "

I would be willing to bet that, had Savage sent the above, they would=20=20
have 100% support from their customers and the people on this list.

Guys, you have to put yourselves in the customers' shoes. If you=20=20
wouldn't want it to happen to you, don't do it to other people!

--

Brian Lloyd Granite Bay Montessori
brian AT gbmontessori DOT com 9330 Sierra College Blvd.
+1.916.367.2131 (voice) Roseville, CA 95661, USA
http://www.gbmontessori.com

I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . .
=97 Antoine de Saint-Exup=E9ry

PGP key ID: 12095C52A32A1B6C
PGP key fingerprint: 3B1D BA11 4913 3254 B6E0 CC09 1209 5C52 A32A 1B6C

------------------------------------



(You need to be a member of oopic -- send a blank email to oopic-subscribe@yahoogroups.com )

Very well said Mike.

There is no intent "to kick the chair out". We simply have to stop
manufacturing of a non selling product. We will always be here to
answer questions etc. and yes, oEvent is being worked on as I type.

Dennis will be back when we can pay him, he does not work for free.

Don't get the wrong impression, we are not removing the compiler from
the web. It will be there for download for years to come. We just
wont be further developing that version.

Ted
Savage Innovations
--- In o...@yahoogroups.com, "Mike Martin" wrote:
>
> Hi All
> I think everyone needs to stop and take a breath. I'm on the other
side
> of the world and I can feel the heat from here. I must say that
losing
> Dennis is a blow. I'm only a beginner and I'm still learning from
his
> book. I'd hate to lose the expertise of everyone else that's helped
me
> too, like Richard, Ian, Andy, Dan and others. So here's what's
what. To
> the company I say - if humanly possible, don't abanadon the old
OOPic
> R, C and S customers. In my opinion it's a great product - the best
of
> it's kind. However the end of life statement was tactless and pre-
> mature and I think unnecessary and people took grave offence -
don't
> kick the chair out just like that. You didn't have to do it that
way.
> Also, the group can support itself, it just needs a little help.
Just
> fix the compiler and the event problems - that's all it sounds like
to
> me. It's what the majority of your customers want. What's the need
to
> EOL the old firmware anyway? Surely you have to bring people along
with
> you for the journey? The next product will be better for sure and I
> trust people will use it. But if you disenfranchise your existing
> customer base you will take years to recover. Fix up the problems.
Get
> Dennis and Jesica back. Make it work. To everyone else I say - I
know
> when people have invested a lot in something. It shows. But all
this
> feels to me like breaking up a really good thing. It sounds to me
like
> everyone still cares otherwise there'd be no more posts. Give it a
> chance. (nievely?) Mike M.
>

------------------------------------



(You need to be a member of oopic -- send a blank email to oopic-subscribe@yahoogroups.com )

Hello Ted. "Kicking the chair out" is how you made people feel
though. But that's not the point at all...it's simple - lots of
people (businesses, schools, students, hobbyist) bought the equipment
and were relying on it and there was a problem. The sudden
annoucement left them feeling they were being left in the lurch. I'm
not in business but if I were I wouldn't have done it that way. The
general reaction was manifest and predictable. It's good to hear that
the compiler will be fixed. Thank you for persisting with that. I'm
sure that will a long way to making people feel more confident.

--- In o...@yahoogroups.com, "theo570" wrote:
>
> Very well said Mike.
>
> There is no intent "to kick the chair out". We simply have to stop
> manufacturing of a non selling product. We will always be here to
> answer questions etc. and yes, oEvent is being worked on as I type.
>
> Dennis will be back when we can pay him, he does not work for free.
>
> Don't get the wrong impression, we are not removing the compiler
from
> the web. It will be there for download for years to come. We just
> wont be further developing that version.
>
> Ted
> Savage Innovations
> --- In o...@yahoogroups.com, "Mike Martin" wrote:
> >
> > Hi All
> > I think everyone needs to stop and take a breath. I'm on the
other
> side
> > of the world and I can feel the heat from here. I must say that
> losing
> > Dennis is a blow. I'm only a beginner and I'm still learning from
> his
> > book. I'd hate to lose the expertise of everyone else that's
helped
> me
> > too, like Richard, Ian, Andy, Dan and others. So here's what's
> what. To
> > the company I say - if humanly possible, don't abanadon the old
> OOPic
> > R, C and S customers. In my opinion it's a great product - the
best
> of
> > it's kind. However the end of life statement was tactless and pre-
> > mature and I think unnecessary and people took grave offence -
> don't
> > kick the chair out just like that. You didn't have to do it that
> way.
> > Also, the group can support itself, it just needs a little help.
> Just
> > fix the compiler and the event problems - that's all it sounds
like
> to
> > me. It's what the majority of your customers want. What's the
need
> to
> > EOL the old firmware anyway? Surely you have to bring people
along
> with
> > you for the journey? The next product will be better for sure and
I
> > trust people will use it. But if you disenfranchise your existing
> > customer base you will take years to recover. Fix up the
problems.
> Get
> > Dennis and Jesica back. Make it work. To everyone else I say - I
> know
> > when people have invested a lot in something. It shows. But all
> this
> > feels to me like breaking up a really good thing. It sounds to me
> like
> > everyone still cares otherwise there'd be no more posts. Give it
a
> > chance. (nievely?) Mike M.
>
------------------------------------



(You need to be a member of oopic -- send a blank email to oopic-subscribe@yahoogroups.com )