Re: My LEtter to FS
- From: "Dave S" <dspeck@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 10:55:53 -0400
Interesting letter, I would check the spelling before sending it off to
Freedom Scientific.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bruce Toews" <water_drinker@xxxxxxxx>
To: <jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, April 11, 2005 0:08
Subject: My LEtter to FS
> Here, before Mames tells us to stop the thread, in case he's still
> monitoring the list, is my letter to FS.
>
> Subject: Disappointment with Recent JAWS Developments
>
> First, I want to say that I know there are some very good people working
for
> FS. This is not directed to them. However, I do not know of other avenues
to
> take in expressing my concerns, and I feel these concerns need to be
expressed.
>
> I have been a JAWS user for several years now. I purchased the product and
all
> related SMA's out of my own pocket. I believed, and still believe, that I
was
> making the right choice.
>
> However, it seems to me that FS is making not just an inadvertent
distancing
> from their customer base, but seems to be making a concerted effort to do
so.
> The result is a series of upgrades and updates with little useful new
> functionality implemented, with few bugs being fixed, and a growing
feeling
> among the average JAWS user, the people without whom there would be no
JAWS,
> feeling that they have no say. The frustration is mounting, the anger is
> increasing, and that frustration and anger are, I feel, quite justified.
Never
> was this made more clear to me than when I tried, through proper channels
in a
> public beta process, to report a bug with JAWS and the TripleTalk
synthesizer.
> The response I received back was, in essence, Yes it's a bug, live with
it. I
> no longer have a TripleTalk synthesizer, but as the bug sent through all
> incarnations of JAWS 5 without a fix, I can only assume the bug is still
there.
> Access Solutions tells me that FS had promised to include the JAWS drivers
for
> the DecTalk USB in JFW 6. I don't know about JFW 6.1, but in JFW 6.0 this
did
> not happen.
>
> The horror stories I am reading from users on the JFW list have led me to
> decide not to upgrade to 6.1. This is a first for me, becasue I am one who
very
> much likes to put new software through its paces, which is why I tried
several
> times to offer my services as a beta tester (by way of reward for which I
was
> given several ridiculous runarounds, I gave FS personal information to
which
> they would not be otherwise entitled, and was finally told my services
would
> not be required). A lot of these horror stories would, I am sure, have
been
> avoidable if FS would reimplement the public beta process, the removal of
which
> is just another example of the programmers isolating themselves from the
> end-users.
>
> FS has further not endeared itself to the general usership by adding
features
> at additional cost which the competition offers at no additional cost. Iw
will
> soon become just as cost-effective to purchase Window-Eyes as to pay for
the
> upgrading JAWS requires, and given the apparent focus on stability which
GW
> Micro is exhibiting, some users may well see this as preferable.
>
> We need FS to concentrate on stability, on bug-fixes, on evoking loyalty,
not
> rage, from its user-base. Loyalty cannot be counted on to sustain JAWS's
> popularity in the future, if that loyalty isn't earned. The march over to
the
> competition will happene, gradually, but it will happen. I am still a
loyal
> JAWS user, becasue I prefer the JAWS interface. I have, until now,
defended FS
> and JAWS against many criticisms. But I find the product FS is putting out
> these days, combined with the concerted effort to alienate its customer
base to
> be indefensible, and I have moved to the side of the critics. I have both
> products on my system, and they are both up-to-date. My loyalty to JAWS is
not
> bulletproof, and the more bullets FS fires into it, the weaker it becomes.
>
> I invested in this. I saved my hard-earned salarty to purchase your
product. If
> I hadn't invested, if I didn't believe in my investment, I wouldn't care.
But I
> do care, because I want to be a part of the solution, not of the problem.
I
> want JAWS to work because I have put several months' salarty into it. I
want it
> to work because I don't like finding out I made stupid decisions. I want
it to
> work because I truly do like JAWS.
>
> Finally, I urge you to consider this question. The sentiment toward GW
Micro
> from its users is one of increased loyalty. The sentiment to FS from its
> customers is one of increased bitterness, anger, alienation and outrage.
Why is
> this the case, and when will FS decide that it is not worth it and aim
toward
> stabilizing the loyalty of the existing users, the paople who pay your
salary
> in the long run, the people for whom FS claims to be in business?
>
> --
> Bruce Toews
> MSN/Windows Messenger: water_drinker@xxxxxxxx
> Web Site (including info on my weekly commentaries): http://www.ogts.net
> Info on the best TV show of all time: http://www.cornergas.com
> --
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