Short Symantec
Shorting a stock may be risky business, but some Internet companies beg for it. Symantec comes to mind. They shuck the support function off on to online questions and answers. The interactive program never has the question listed that you are asking never mind the answer. The phone line offers an interminable hold or an offer to answer questions for a charge. I cannot complain about the accent of the technitions because I have never reached one. A routine renewal of the Internet protection service proves a nightmare (Three charges for the wrong product, an uninstall and a charge for more than I ordered.) The company has morphed itself into a big city protection racket. They have priced themselves out of the market. They demand full price for yearly renewal. With four machines the cost and the hassle of renewal drive me back to Zone Alarm and Admuncher --- work ok on my old 98.
When will Internet companies learn about consumerism? If they do not answer the questions and complaints with technitions who talk to engineers, how do engineers get enough feed back on the products to make improvements? Well, they don’t. Products do not improve they just fade away, replaced by new products.
One guesses at the utility of the new product. No way will the package give any but the vaguest clue as to the purpose of the application in the glitzy box. What does a dinosaur head on a bunch of people mean anyway? I must be too dumb to get it; I just fly airplanes.
Does the company so fear product liability that they will not hazard a statement as to what the product purports to do --- for fear that it won’t do it? Do the advertising people just not understand what the product is for, so they just make up something vague? When new business applications evolve, they relate to productivity. The office manager, owner or CIO are not likely to appreciate the evolution without education. Information for application and productivity plays the major role in the decision to buy.
Symantec announced that they will start offering online data storage. A good idea if you have excess computing capacity. Did they over estimate their growth? Are they loosing customers? Maybe both, I’m buying October Puts on Symantec; maybe I’m just pissed off. It’s an emotional play.
When will Internet companies learn about consumerism? If they do not answer the questions and complaints with technitions who talk to engineers, how do engineers get enough feed back on the products to make improvements? Well, they don’t. Products do not improve they just fade away, replaced by new products.
One guesses at the utility of the new product. No way will the package give any but the vaguest clue as to the purpose of the application in the glitzy box. What does a dinosaur head on a bunch of people mean anyway? I must be too dumb to get it; I just fly airplanes.
Does the company so fear product liability that they will not hazard a statement as to what the product purports to do --- for fear that it won’t do it? Do the advertising people just not understand what the product is for, so they just make up something vague? When new business applications evolve, they relate to productivity. The office manager, owner or CIO are not likely to appreciate the evolution without education. Information for application and productivity plays the major role in the decision to buy.
Symantec announced that they will start offering online data storage. A good idea if you have excess computing capacity. Did they over estimate their growth? Are they loosing customers? Maybe both, I’m buying October Puts on Symantec; maybe I’m just pissed off. It’s an emotional play.
posted by Clancy Hughes | 5/16/2006 07:33:00 AM
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