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  15    <title>General: How not to run a company</title>
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  57                      <a id="a000736"></a>
  58                      <div class="entry" id="entry-736">
  59                         <h3 class="entry-header">How not to run a company</h3>
  60                         <div class="entry-content">
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  62                               <p>I'm a guy who believes in giving credit where credit is due and the flip side of giving blame where blame is due. I like MediaMall and their product - Playon. In general I think they have a good idea. It's not many companies that I will actually buy software from, let alone shell out $40. However they have gone downhill and quite frankly are no long worth spending money on. I actually used to actively tout their product, Playon, to people. I no longer do that precisely because of the support, or lack thereof, that they offer. Seriously don't buy their product. You've been warned.</p>
  63
  64 <p>Here's a recent exchange:</p>
  65
  66 <p>In the interim here I just want to say - All I ask for is for this software to perform *reasonable* well. I want to be able to sit and relax in my easy chair and watch videos and entertainment on my device *AS PROMISED* by MediaMall in their agreement with me. Look I'm a reasonable guy and willing work with you and actually put out enormous amounts of effort and cooperation with you trying to help everyone in the process. But there comes a point at times when even I feel like I'm being abused and dumped on as if this is my problem with no help whatsoever being offered by your side to come up with a resolution to such problems. Like a trapped animal I will strike back if treated unfairly (and I believe I'm being treated unfairly). I will become your worst enemy. If you wish to resolve this privately then email me. Otherwise the public fight is on. I will not rest until I receive satisfaction. Enough is enough and I am tired of being treated like the enemy here.</p>
  67
  68 <p>Response from Playon support:</p>
  69
  70 <blockquote>Your PS3 can't communicate with your router the way you want it to.  That can neither be caused by nor solved by PlayOn.</blockquote>
  71
  72 <p>Of course it can. You can make suggestions and offer work arounds. Surely you are not lacking that much foresight are you?</p>
  73
  74 <blockquote>It is a completely independent problem between two devices you bought from other companies.</blockquote>
  75
  76 <p>I.E. we're about to pass the buck here...</p>
  77
  78 <blockquote>You need to consult with them how to fix it.</blockquote>
  79
  80 <p>You know what? Last week it was working just find. You know what else? For the last 2 frigging years (like how frigging is not considered profanity yet we all know it's merely a substitute) it's also been working fine. It was not until you guys were suggesting that I run these funky networking programs that it suddenly broke. Gee, imagine that....</p>
  81
  82 <blockquote>Just because our product/business relies on your network does not make us responsible for maintaining it.</blockquote>
  83
  84 <p>I'm not asking to maintain it - I'm asking for help. It's you who are refusing to offer help, instead choosing to pass the buck onto somebody else - namely me.</p>
  85
  86 <blockquote>Similarly, if the power outlet which your PS3 was plugged into was not supplying the PS3 power, we would not be able to help you there either.</blockquote>
  87
  88 <p>Really? I mean really?!? You could not say "Hey plug it in?!?" Man are you missing the boat here!</p>
  89
  90 <blockquote>If you choose to respond again with profanity on this matter, you will no longer receive any replies or support from us at all, on any matter.</blockquote>
  91
  92 <p>The profanity is a sign of extreme frustration. Need I point that out to you?!? Your support sucks! You blame your customers for things and refuse to offer assistance. You constantly pass the buck and blame your customers for problems you refuse to assist on. I am not the only customer that has pointed this out to you. When will you start listening? I can put you down without profanity but unlike you I am able to use the full vocabulary of the language to express myself including what you call profanity (which is BTW protected by the 1st amendment of the US Constitution) to not only express your incompetence but express my frustration in what may be called a short hand that you full well intuitively understand and know as I assume you are 1) human and 2) relatively intelligent adults thus comprehending not only "adult language" but also understanding it's common usage and expression. Yet you are about to use it as your scapegoat to refuse to deal with this issue because truth be known, you don't wish to deal with it. What exactly does that say to your current customers and potential customers? I leave you to ponder that.</p>
  93
  94 <p>But here's the real deal. You have a product that often does not work and that people are simply dropping you off as yet another company who does not know what the "F" you're doing (and who are we kidding here - everybody knows what I meant by "F" so lets stop kidding around and start really acting like adults. Ain't nobody being fooled by what "F" means. Your protestations about "profanity" are silly!). I would think if you were smart you would be working with such people - especially such people who were 1) technically inclined and 2) tenuous at working solutions such as I am rather than blowing them off with the "Hey you said a dirty word" excuse.</p>
  95
  96 <p>OK, fine, I didn't say what was politically correct so you'll just censor me in order to attempt to maintain a pristine reputation (though I'll just capture this over on <a href="">my blog</a> which you cannot censor) rather than deal with the real issues. Great. Give me my f**#$in $40 back and I'll go away. I'm sick of dealing with your screwed up company! I tried to help you but you refused the help so I give up!</p>
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 103                            <span class="post-footers">Posted by
 104                            Andrew DeFaria on
 105                            June 18, 2010 01:51 AM</span> <span
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 242                               href="http://defaria.com/blogs/General/archives/000745.html">Point people more directly</a></li>
 243                                                          <li class="module-list-item"><a
 244                               href="http://defaria.com/blogs/General/archives/000744.html">Comcast speed</a></li>
 245                                                          <li class="module-list-item"><a
 246                               href="http://defaria.com/blogs/General/archives/000739.html">More Playon Fun</a></li>
 247                                                          <li class="module-list-item"><a
 248                               href="http://defaria.com/blogs/General/archives/000736.html">How not to run a company</a></li>
 249                                                          <li class="module-list-item"><a
 250                               href="http://defaria.com/blogs/General/archives/000734.html">How to get your mic working on Ubuntu 9.10</a></li>
 251                                                          <li class="module-list-item"><a
 252                               href="http://defaria.com/blogs/General/archives/000729.html">Cell phones - Not up to snuff!</a></li>
 253                                                          <li class="module-list-item"><a
 254                               href="http://defaria.com/blogs/General/archives/000728.html">Stupid is as stupid does</a></li>
 255                                                          <li class="module-list-item"><a
 256                               href="http://defaria.com/blogs/General/archives/000723.html">Priority Queues...</a></li>
 257                                                          <li class="module-list-item"><a
 258                               href="http://defaria.com/blogs/General/archives/000722.html">Broken DNS</a></li>
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