At 9:10 9/22/95, Noel Chiappa wrote:

On the other hand, if Sean et al are willing to take the arrows (arrows -> pioneers, right? :-), good for them; it will provide cover for providers to tell their own customers "sorry, there's no use sending out your /28; Sprint will just filter it". It's always easier to tell a paying customer "no" when you're just relaying someone else's decision, not your own, no?

Well, no, actually. Customers don't care who's fault it is -- as far as they're concerned, it's broken. I had a similar situation impressed on me today: one of our customers wants to send e-mail with MIME attachments to one of his customers who has a CompuServe account. The attachments never make it through the CompuServe e-mail gateway. Now, we know that this is not a problem with our TCP/IP network and SMTP implementation -- it's a problem at the CompuServe end. The customer knows nothing about e-mail gateways, and nor does he care. As far as he's concered, it doesn't work. And Omnes, as his solutions provider, had better fix it. I still haven't worked out how to appease this particular individual: but my point is that customers dislike "finger pointing" when it comes to resolving a problem. It won't wash. Regards, Mathew | Mathew Lodge: lodge@houston.omnes.net |5599 San Felipe, 4th Floor | | Internet Specialist, Omnes -- A |Houston, Texas 77056, USA | | Schlumberger/Cable & Wireless company |Phone: +1 713 513 3237 | | "Bibunt omnes sine lege" |Fax: +1 713 513 3126 |