The SLList list server software needed a lot of work. It had the base to be a
good full featured list server but it would require extensive re-programming to
update it.
The SLList list server software sold by Seattle Lab was a port of Listar
which was licensed by Seattle Lab. They hired Rachel Blackman, the
author/designer of Listar to integrate the list server software which was
released at about the same time that SLMail V4 was released.
About one year from the time Seattle Lab first offered their SLList list server software they removed it from their product line. It makes sense that Seattle Lab might have decided that the potential future revenue from SLList was not sufficient for it to remain in their product line. The cost of fixing all the bugs and reprogramming it must have been greater than the revenue they could expect from the product. It is also possible that they felt it might be profitable but that concentrating their resources on products more profitable than SLList was a better business decision.
Whatever their reasons, about a year from when they introduced it, Seattle
Lab dropped SLList from their product line. I can have no argument with any
company dropping a product simply because it does not fit their future business
plan. But I have a huge argument with the company dropping the product and at
the same time stopping product support without regard for their customers who
purchased the product over the previous year. At least I had the product for a
year. Imagine having purchased SLList the month before they stopped selling
it and at about the same time stopped supporting it!
While my "Premium Product Support" add on package was nearing the
end but still in it's first year for SLList I had a severe problem and called
technical support for assistance. The technical support person told me that
Seattle Lab had dropped SLList from their product line and were no longer
providing support for the product. In addition to dropping the product,
they had actually removed copies of the product from the computers used by the
technical support staff. That made it impossible for Seattle Lab technical
support personnel to answer questions and help their customers that had
purchased "Premium Support" for it.
If you are considering purchasing any product from Seattle Lab you need to be aware of this incident. Seattle Lab cared so little about their customers that purchased their products that they dropped a product and stopped technical support for that product while their customers paid "Premium Support" agreements for the product were still in place. And just to put a bit of icing on the cake, Seattle Lab had their technical support folks remove it from their computers. That way they made sure that Seattle Lab technical support people could not waste much time trying to give their customers what they paid for and had every reason and right to expect they would receive.
The bottom line is that Seattle Lab abandoned their customers. They canceled product support while a number of their customers still had active contracts for premium technical support for that product.
When you purchase any Seattle Lab product you are assuming the risk that for their own reasons the company treat you in the same unconscionable way.
If after reading this you purchase any product from Seattle Lab and they subsequently abandon the product and ignore your support needs then you have no one to blame but yourself. You have been warned that this is a business practice that Seattle Lab endorses and has practiced in the case of SLList.
| Disclaimer: These web pages are for the
sole purpose providing information about my experiences with Seattle Lab
and their SLmail and SLlist products. The facts and opinions presented
are mine alone. It is not my intention to liable Seattle Lab. I have
attempted to present an honest and fair presentation of the facts of
what happened and my opinions about those facts. If there is any
misstatement of material fact in this document it is unintentional and
will be immediately corrected once I am convinced of the
misstatement. Dan York, 6/15/01 |