I understand all of that. But to say that the customer doesn't have a right to be upset when the company publishes a ship date, takes money, and then misses that ship date by a mile is patently insane, IMHO. Of course the customer has a right to be upset.
If the big change here is that companies stop publishing dates, then that's a big win IMHO. Why would anybody be against companies deciding to withhold info that isn't correct anyway? There's no reason to publish dates that are wrong all the time. If people want info that doesn't exist, that's on them. If companies make promises and aren't even close to keeping them, the customer has every right to be upset and it is 100% on the company.
Sure you can be upset. Do you have the right to be upset? Maybe. Disappointed, certainly. That doesn't mean, however, that it gives you a "right" or justification to bash vendors on a public forum. At least, not without repercussions.
Not publishing dates is not a big win, because as @Lowlight mentioned, then folks get upset because they purchase something, not realizing that a newer, more innovative product is about to be released.
Furthermore, vendors ceasing interactions with users due to this, is a big fat LOSE, for both them and us.
One of the greatest assets this site has had in the past was its direct contact with vendors. @Delta Hotel (Vortex), @Birddog6424 (Burris), @Kasey (B&T), @DocUSMCRetired (Kestrel) are all vendor reps that have ceased or limited (drastically) their participation on these forums over the past few years, mainly due to the lose/lose position it has put them in wrt social media. It puts them on the horizon, and makes them easy targets to attacks and disgruntlement that they can not answer to, due to business or legal reasons.
My point it this: You want to be upset? Fine, be upset. But remember, when you go after the vendors here publicly, you lessen the Hide. When vendors feel they can't interact with users, it lessens the value of the Hide to all the members here and to those who are interested in getting into this discipline.
Honestly, I am living in a glass house myself, and have been thinking about this a lot, since I have busted AB's balls pretty harshly in some cases. I made this post, because I too am guilty of this, and try to remind myself of the above written thoughts, when I feel the urge to go post a rant. Sometimes (embarrassingly) I'm not successful in taking my own medicine. I try to remind myself when I post it's not about me, it's about what's good for the Hide and the community.
Maybe this post will make others think about that as well...
JMTCW...
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