Date: Fri, 03 Aug 2001 12:22:33 -0600
From: Dan Lester <dan@riverofdata.com>
Subject: Re: TDNet - Electronic Journals Management (David Goodman)

Friday, August 03, 2001, 11:53:49 AM, you wrote:

EcVE> I have pretty much the same attitude, but my reason is that in such
EcVE> cases I suspect very strongly that *all* the vendor has available is a
EcVE> mock-up demonstration, and that there is no real working system to
EcVE> demonstrate.

Yes, that is one of the reasons I'm always suspicious of such things
(besides being generally old and cynical). But if they let me at a
mockup I can quickly determine that by using the system and/or asking
a few questions.  Response time that is TOO fast is one of the first
clues.

EcVE> Even that can sometimes be of use, if there is someone who can explain
EcVE> how the real system works or will work, but the reps in these cases
EcVE> usually don't know enough to do that.

Yes, hearing how it is supposed to work is fine...but we've seen too
many systems that never really existed, came to pass, etc, that I'm
triply cynical on those.  I'll spare you a listing of vendors,
products, and so forth in the library arena that were just vaporware.

cheers

dan

--
Dan Lester, Data Wrangler  dan@RiverOfData.com
3577 East Pecan, Boise, Idaho  83716-7115 USA
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