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Hi again have to comment again: What ever service agreement you come up with just add some thing like this: "If a clients system has been changed from linux to a non linux system, then any work related to fixing a non HW fault is at the users expence." (a small fee) Why I think this is a good Idea: 1. Might Raise a little money 2. benifit the techos by expanding their knowledge base & skills. We want to help people get work, well as sad as it may be the fact is that MS is what people need to know to get a job. (Wrk for the dole) 3. Introducing a fee for WIN Supp. may hlp to convince some users Not to change their system from linux some bad points: 1.More users may switch to windows knowing they have access to cheep suport. Techos will get bogged down with WIN PCs 2.there is a grey area when you say only HW Supp. is free. WIN PCs always need some drivers to be loaded & config manually (NON-PNP SEMI PNP devices) The question here is how do class drivers as HW or SW? Another factor is bugs in the OS & driver sets related to HW when This service agreement is changed which users will it apply too??? If CB does decide to supp WIN,incuding all users past & present that could get yukky. But having different service agreements maybe hard to cntrl. IE when a user rings up for help how can the voluntere determine the applicable service agreement so as to correctly advise the user. Katarina -----Original Message----- From: Kylie Davies <mailkylie@optushome.com.au> To: computerbank@lists.linux.org.au <computerbank@lists.linux.org.au>; cai-committee@lists.linux.org.au <cai-committee@lists.linux.org.au> Date: Monday, 18 March 2002 10:11 Subject: [Computerbank] Our service philosophy and linux > Hey all, > >Like I said - a doozy... some of the more important (corcerning all) >discussions for the Conference are being directed to the main list to >get a general feeling about underlying principles of Computerbank's and >affiliates. > >We all know that Computerbank's use linux (and the Conference will firm >up on what exactly that means to use linux - have your say now)..for >starters from Romana CAI-SA we had this comment: > >>Along those lines, I would like the purpose of Computerbank clarified in >>terms of our position on using nothing but Open Source (and its GPL type >>variations folks!) software - I am aware of Windows debates that flare >>occasionally in all branches, I would like discussed and fully clarified once >>and for all. >> >Here here! Does anyone else want to add anything? > >But what about our philosophy on Windows - that is when a client changes >their linux system to a windows one. ? > >In Vic, we have experienced this a few times with a couple of people >coming back to us expecting us to do Windows configuration. We have had >to tell these people that we only support linux and that we can not help >them with Windows problems. This is simple Computerbank Policy reads >"Computerbanks and their affiliates will provide ongoing support and >assitance to those clients that have linux systems." > >This gets tricky in the area of hardware malfunction / monitor death. > >We really need to firm up on some kind of warranty period (standard 30 >days for second-hand goods or? ) for return to Computerbank for >replacement or repair - regardless of operating system. I am not sure if >we would think it necessary to ask people to produce licenses for PTY >software before we could work on the system or replace whatever was broken. > >I guess the Computerbank policy for this might read: > >"Computerbanks and their affiliates will repair or replace faulty items >on any Computerbank client's computer within the first initial 30 days >of the client owning the computer. Computerbank's will do this >irrespective of the operating system on the computer. Computerbank >reserves the right to ask clients to produce relevant documentation if >required." > >Okay - now after 30 days - what do we do if there is hardware failure / >monitor fault? > >If a) person has linux? >or b) person has windows? > >Do we have the same policy for both - in respect to hardware failure - >or do we "favor" the linux users? If we do this - why do we do this? > >I think we need to be acting consistently - and maybe we should say no! >to the linux folk who have hardware failure after 30 days? If we say yes >to the linux guys and no to the windows guys on matters hardware - is >this equal? Again - can we ask people to produce documentation for PTY >software licenses on systems they want us to look at and fix? > >What do we all think about that one? > >Configuration and support issues are easily solved by the first policy - >which read "Computerbanks and their affiliates will provide ongoing >support and assitance to those clients that have linux systems." > >How was that for a trick question? Let's get the discussion and comments >happening. :) > >Cheers, > >Kylie > > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ >computerbank mailing list >computerbank@lists.linux.org.au >http://lists.linux.org.au/listinfo/computerbank |