Well said.

A .pdf copy of 'The HP Way' (5963-3690) can be found at:
http://www.hpmuseum.net/capcha/freecap_wrap.php?r=4323

If this link doesn't work, search the site for 'Non-product Documents' or use 
the document number 5963-3690.

This copy is dated June 97, and quotes Bill Hewlett, 1982:
"What is the HP Way? I feel that in general terms it is the policies and actions 
that flow from the belief that men and women want to do a good job, a 
creative job, and that if they are provided the proper environment they will do 
so."

This in no way reflects on the Support Group or BlueLine. It's a comment on 
the loss of 'The HP Way', and I like the way Brett brings out that thinking.

Kindest Regards.

On Wed, 20 May 2009 11:52:08 -0400, Brett Forsyth <[log in to unmask]> 
wrote:

>Sure Mark, but let me come at this from a more generic direction.
>
>Let me pose this question: 
>
>" When all of us that remember the "HP Way" are dead and gone, does that 
>mean the new HP standard (the lesser version) will become the "old 
standard", 
>thus erasing the concept that quality HP support ever existed in the first 
>place? "
>
>    When I started this shtick with HP in '81, there was only one standard - 
>set by Bill and Dave.*   If you could not meet this criteria, business 
>failure was pretty much imminent.  It now appears that our industry bar is 
>being confused with a limbo bar.  In our industry the bar should go up, or 
>at least remain at a constant level - not get lowered with each new song 
>played  - which appears to be the case these days (HP, of course, being the 
>DJ in this analogy).
>
>    HP used to supply the gold standard to which all others in the industry 
tried 
>to achieve. Year, after year, after year - top of the heap for worldwide 
>customer support.  Now with this original standard torn and tattered beyond 
>recognition, the  industry bar has been lowered well below what would have 
>been acceptable a mere 10 years ago.  New comers know nothing of what 
>used to be, and are convinced that the "new standard" is the best bar to be 
>achieved, and the old-timers appear to be getting short of memory as well - 
>or perhaps just a little complacent - or just plain tired.
>
>In closing, let me say that I believe this is primarily a discussion board, and 
>when vendors care to advertise their wares here, they willingly open 
>themselves up to any ensuing discussion, which unfortunately up to this 
point, 
>has all been offline.  
>
>Note: Any opinions expressed here are mine, and mine alone, and therefore 
>should reflect only upon me (although I think my dog agrees).  
>
>Having said that, let me share one excellent soundbyte from the offline 
queue:
>
>"...CPU speeds have grown 10 fold, drives are 100 times bigger, and support 
is 
>1/10 what it used to be."
>
>So sad, yet so true...
>
>Last of the Dragonslayers,
>Brett J Forsyth
>
>
> * if you just said "Who?" please leave the conversation immediately - you're 
>too young to be here.
>
>* To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, *
>* etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *

* To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, *
* etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *