RE: [MLUG] the future of Linux -- fractionation?

["Dooley, Ryan" <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

I don't think it's an issue of having the trained staff.  Think of it as
a time issue.  

If my time is spent all day on debugging a piece of software that I
could have put somebody else on to fix, then my company is out my time
for the day when I could have spent it doing other things.

There is also a second or third tier support if say the technical team
gets hit by a bus while out on lunch or some other disaster.  My
managers could call up Oracle say we've got this new guy because of our
disaster, can you help him get our DB back on line.  The chance of that
is probably unrealistic but, it's all about warm fuzzies in the post
9/11 world we live in.  Multiple levels of redundant support even if it
costs a bit more.

Now, I should say that I didn't used to feel this way.  You hire smart
intelligent people to do a job.  Folks like us have more energy to solve
problems than the regular Joe in most cases.  We have a lot of people
depending on us... and then it hit me.  We have other things we can and
probably should be doing.

If you can help it, don't waste an FTE (Full Time Employee) time when
you've paid for somebody else with a support contract.

I used to feel much like you seem to.  If I'm a smart and capable person
who can do the work if the software just worked as I expected, why
should we pay for a commercial product?  That was a hard thing to learn
for me.  (Then I got married and discovered that I had a life outside of
work and a long with it, the need to be else where after 6pm most of the
time.)

You'd also be surprised what many would do with out the proper support
staff... (and it's not just the horror story factor, it's a simple
reality when folks don't have a budget.)

Ryan

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael [mailto:EMAIL:PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2003 3:46 PM
To: EMAIL:PROTECTED
Subject: RE: [MLUG] the future of Linux -- fractionation?

[snip]

That made more sense although I still think it'd be easier to support
the
main tree than individual distros. Do companies really run things like
Oracle without having their own trained staff that could figure out how
to
recompile a kernel? I won't deny that they might but it sounds crazy to
me. :)
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