Robert,

> > I highly recommend that all who are interested in a support environment

free

> > of these delays and screenings, join the IB-Support list at eGroups.com.
>
> This just sounds like more divisiveness. I think he rightfully decided

to monitor

> due to the endless exchange of caustic postings.

You make a good point here. It is divisiveness. Many others and myself were
divided from participation on the Mers list. What other choice do we have?

The issues being discussed there are important and relevant. Are you
suggesting that they be swept under a rug? How will this help matters?

> I see a great deal of bitter feelings toward Borland in all this. Lets

face it.

I agree. Being bitter isn't cool. But, being constructively critical should
be fostered. I love it when my customers are critical of me. It just helps
me be a better company. In fact, I wouldn't survive without it.

> Borland is a corporation which needs to make money to stay alive. Bear

with them.

I keep this foremost in my mind when considering their situations. Any
solution I present I know is going to be measured on that basis. Right now
their share value sucks and it has for a long time except for the bubble
when the announcement of IB going open source.

It seems to me that someone is looking for a quick fix to Borland's stock
price but there just isn't such a thing. Trimming up the company as others
may do wasn't a good move. What will bring Borland's stocks back up for good
is nothing short of using their cash reserves to smoothen out the quirky
policies that have undermined people's confidence in the company as a whole.
Consumer confidence in the company needs to be rebuilt, period. Wash jobs
and spin campaigns isn't going to pull it off.

If over a period of 3 to 5 years they don't do anything like take a
reasonably profitable part of their product line that many of their
customers critically depend upon and starve it so badly that 3 top level
managers are forced to resign and kill its future development then people
might think that Borland has got some sensible leadership back at the helm
and "put some stock in the company" again. (Why that was done to InterBase
when so much money was in the bank for them is absolutely beyond my
comprehension.)

There are obvious problems with this company and it stems largely from their
attitude towards their customers and partners. They have lots of money in
the bank so the time is right for them to make a healthy investment into
acquiring a more excellent rapport with the community they are trying to
survive in. Prideful self-justifications, blag campaigns, etc. are doing
absolutely no good but brainwashing people too stupid to see the facts for
themselves and chasing away the intelligent professionals to safer grounds.

As I see it right now, Borland is displaying that they don't really want to
be a part of the OS community development model based on their lack of
communication and interaction with the people working on InterBase at
Firebird. I think this is a terrible waste of an excellent opportunity to
get the Borland name some excellent kudos out in the open source world.
Something that I think will be critical for their future success in the
LINUX arena. Don't tell me for a minute that this won't translate into
revenue for them at a later date.

FWIW,
Jason Wharton
CPS - Mesa AZ
http://www.ibobjects.com