On Wednesday, November 1st, 1995 - Terry Russell wrote:
 
TR> anyway. The facts are correct though. Atari like any company depends 
TR> on the user's purchase of NEW hardware, the used hardware does little 
TR> or nothing to help them with cash. 
 
This has absolutely nothing to do with what we were talking about.
Atari Corp was not part of this discussion.  We were talking about
whether it was better to put resources into piracy patrol or
marketing/customer support.  I got an education on what really happened
in the instance in question, which was very interesting.
 
The response which I gave was just that the delivery of his lessons be a 
little less argumentative and not so nasty.  I don't care to fight about 
copyright stuff, and didn't want a debate on everything under the sun.
I presumed that Howard might have been wasting a lot of time, but it
turns out I was wrong and didn't have a full picture of what happened.
 
TR> them better than a complete stranger. As to what products you have 
TR> being germane to this discussion, I believe it is a focus point of 
TR> this topic. If I see you post a message like my PC is a piece of crap 
 
No it doesn't.  It has nothing whatsoever to do with ideas and
brainstoring for ways to sell software to the few remaining Atari ST
owners.  You are, once again, trying to steer this into a old
conversation on a different conference.
 
TR> the focus of what we are talking about by understanding that you have 
TR> older equipment that was not in some cases upgraded or bought new 
TR> helps to understand why Atari's userbase as a whole has not helped 
TR> Atari's desire to sell new systems. I am NOT saying you or ANYONE 
 
Yes, I know.  I know because you've already told me that same story in
13 previous conversations.  I'm sorry, but it is really getting tedious, 
and I'm not longer interested in hearing it over and over again.
We were not even talking about Atari Corp's marketing of computers.
I don't know why you insist upon making every single conversation into
the same old topic of "Why Atari Failed To Be Successful."   It's not
what we were discussing, nobody is interested in it anymore, and it is
not adding a single thing to my understanding of programming or
marketing software NOW in this market, the best ways to fight copyright
violations, or in what ways I can get the most out of programming what I 
own now.
 
TR> else is wrong for not buying new systems. Just that it has played a 
TR> key role in the loss of the Atari computer platform and 3rd party 
TR> developers. 
 
And on and on and on we go!  This is all a story of what happened in the 
PAST, most of which occurred before I owned an old, used ST.  Great, so
now we all know, once again, why the Atari market declined.  You do seem 
to be obssessed with this chronology of Atari's checkered past.  Okay,
fine.  Great.  But does every single conversation have to be about this
again?  I get the feeling that you are just sitting there waiting to
attack me once again for not puchasing a Falcon when it was first
released.  I never attack you for not purchasing a new Atari, so you may 
feel free to stop harping on it.  I will buy what I want, when I want,
from who I want.  It has nothing to do with magazine mailing lists,
Jaguar devlopers, or the price that American Airlines pays for barf
bags.  :-)
 
 > These little history lessons and repeated re-hashes of the decline and
 > fall of Atari are becoming somewhat pedantic and redundant.
TR>  >
TR> If you feel this way don't initiate them by asking why or talking 
TR> about things that can only be explained by re-hashing them. By 
 
I didn't initiate them, you did.  I was NOT discussing why ATARI went
down the drain (your all-time favorite topic).  If you want to add
something meaningful here, please tell me how much it costs to rent the
Current Notes mailing list per usage.  Thank you.
 
TR> posting you can't understand the costs of marketing, or that you 
TR> disagree with someones accounts of these factors you are asking for 
 
No, sorry.  Thank you.  I'm not interested in being attacked or blamed
for Atari going down the crapper, nor do I want another debate about why 
Atari failed to market, why the Tramiels suck, or blah blah blah, etc.
If you feel I invited you to tell that story again, I applogize.  Let's
please please discuss something new or relevant to today.  I never said
I disagreed with Howard's accounts of the current market.  In fact, just 
the opposite - I conceded defeat in the "debate".  I told him "you win".
I think that is fairly clear, isn't it?  :-)  Hope we can drop this now.
 
--- RiBBS v2.10        

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