Craig,
<< I appreciate the support >>
You deserve our support. You earned it.
You provided us with an exceptional product, and delivered fine support for the product, here, behind the scenes, on the phone, and on your web site.
It is unfortunate that you did not enjoy commercial success with the BrowseMaster product.
I am of the opinion that Go2Net Silicon Investor could have simplified their own objectives, and satisfied their own user base and potential user base (not limited to the initial BrowseMaster user base) by involving you in their development process for the evolved SI.
Go2Net Silicon Investor could have taken many approaches to this.
Go2Net Silicon Investor could have contracted you as a consultant or developer.
Go2Net Silicon Investor could have support your efforts to provide a revenue producing add on, and could have done so in a manner that would produce revenue for both you and them.
They could have allowed you to market the product, market it themselves, or market it jointly with you, all or any, on terms ideally, that would benefit them and you, and in turn their users.
Add On software programs developed by independents are common in this industry. We all use many, without even thinking about it.
As a "Microsoft Word" power user Woody Leonhard's "WOPR" immediately. If its use was ever discouraged by Microsoft, 10's of thousands of users would blow the door off of Redmond.
<< they actively discouraged me from selling and supporting my product. >>
That is most unfortunate, but it is water over the dam. It's history.
It is time to develop a new best action plan, forgetting the past, and looking to the future.
<< I have no plans to contact SI to help them out. >>
For the moment, sit tight, but think positively, and give some though to how you might approach them, in parallel with our efforts to encourage them to live up to promises made.
Give some thought to what services and on what conditions you could assist them in assisting us.
At the very least Go2Net should consider retaining you under contract, to design a specification, for enhanced usability, based on BrowseMaster-like features.
Despite Catlady's efforts to define and prioritize the development of BrowseMaster-like features, I'm not really confident that SI management and staff have a clue as to what is being requested, or how to go about implementing it.
There are probably several other approaches to working with Go2Net Silicon Investor, and I'm sure the members of this resurrected thread would be glad to work with you on thread or by PM, to "brainstorm" alternatives.
<< I think SI had potential to be much better than it currently is. I guess they still have the potential >>
We all agree.
Although slow and tedious and at times painful, SI is, in many respects, a better site today than it was a year ago.
Posting, messaging, and navigating, have not improved to the degree they should have, however.
For former users of BrowseMaster, posting, messaging, and navigating, have deteriorated immensely.
Hang in with us on this one.
Best regards,
- Eric - |
