Regarding participation on the list by companies:
A common worry expressed in the "less than yes" votes is the potential
for did-not-did-too-did-not exchanges. On this list, like in any other
forum where people interact, if people of good will conduct themselves
with common sense and good manners all will be well. In the 4 or so
years that I have been reading brit-car mail, there has been little or
no "bad" behavior. The potential for it is certainly there; just read
rec.autos a couple of times. Encouraging participation of companies on
the list opens up the potential for the problem scenarios described, but
if the same restraint already present on the list is maintained, all
will be well.
Will a company or it's representative be able to exercise this restraint
in the face of a public attack by an unhappy customer (an event which
probably shouldn't happen in the first place in a perfect world...)?
It's up to us to see that they do but there is an example I can point to
of a company doing a good job of it: the newsgroup devoted to Gateway
2000's products. There is a GW2K employee that participates on his own
time. He researches questions he doesn't know the answer to, and I've
never seen him "flame" anyone. Dana Henry seems to me to be similar in
his net behavior, and if representatives from his or other companies
don't measure up, we can certainly let them know! (off line of course,
like good net citizens :)
Cheers,
Mike
mburdick@unmc.edu
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