pmooney.net

1 - I've complained about this a lot to anyone who would listen and never got a response from IBM/Lotus to explain why they do it. I cornered a few people at Lotusphere and they universally agreed it sucks, so I'm not sure what the resistance to change is here.

As someone else mentioned, you can even use the search facility in Passport Advantage and expect to get valid results. Then there is the issue that they change the wording between releases, so what worked once won't work again.

I have to say, though I did like C18XMEN.

2 - Hear hear! Even the search on the site is broke. I find myself opening up the all software page and control-Fing thru it.

3 - Could not agree more!

4 - A workaround from 'Jim'

{ Link }

5 - Amen Brother! First impressions matter. For God's sake IBM if you want your smart, talented, and attractive children to get their due praise please stop dressing them in these ratty, moth-eaten clothes. You're embarrassing them (and us).

6 - second the frustration. I always have overlays of how I would do it... now let's see, one drop-down for product, one for OS, one for language... bobs your uncle...

7 - A better question still is why are there multiple titled items, with different part numbers, when the name looks exactly the same on both entries.
Try and download Sametime 802 connect client and see what i mean.

8 - IBM... snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

The latest greatest software is no good to anyone if the delivery mechanism, is this opaque. They *almost* got it right with the Symphony site, but then did it all wrong after you clicked the big "download" button.

9 - Chaps if you want pain, recall the Portal v4.x releases, where you had to download 30+ executable, tar, and ZIP files, and place them in a precise, undocumented tree, before installation could proceed.

It takes real talent and commitment to screw up this badly in terms of usability, and I'm proud to have witnessed it. And even tried it (wasting weeks in the process).

Happy days.

---* Bill

10 - I can only add AMEN... oh... and AMEN!!!!

11 - @17 - workarounds are not the solution. Its a nice touch - but IBM should fix this. I honestly don't think it would be a massive job.

12 - This has been mentioned in the internal partnerworld database a couple of zillion times every year since 1995.

And was used as a blunt weapon in a meeting with Chris Wong. They actually claimed not to be aware of the problem and were met with 40+ 'paddington hard stares' from the Partners in the room.

I wouldnt hold your breath for progress. Unless your one of the few partners in the UK actually shifting license, then nothing will happen.


---* Bill

13 - Trick is to work in part of IBM where 90% of IBM isnt focused on screwing up and competing against IBM. Lotus is a pretty good example where most folks actually try and help customers occasionally. However more and more 'true blue' IBM internal tree-huggers and backsliders have limbo'd under the door, no doubt seduced by the sweet smell of success, and so we end up with the partnerworld and passport download site.

Oh yeah. You have to PAY MONEY for this level of abuse. Its not for free, for gods sake. For free users get a download site that makes sense, and entice them to purchase stuff from IBM in the vague hope that the after-sales support resembles sanity.

But no. its too late. The IBM sales guy has paid his green fees/dealer/pimp, and your locked in. Locked in so hard that after 10 years. you escape and vindictively buy Microsoft Shit - stuff that doesnt even work - just to AVOID having to deal with IBM ever again.

Or you talk to business partners like us - in effect Elephant Wrangers -who can wade through the smellier parts of the IBM experience on your behalf, and use back-door connections, bribery (golf?), cunning wit and extortion to make our customers almost not hate the very ground that IBM casts shadow on.

We're at the back of the elephant, with the faeces-smeared overalls, the large shovel, and the absolute knowledge that - sure as shit - IBM are going to dump on us within 12 hours. Or less if some bratty kid's been feeding it laxatives.

Does this sum up your pit of despair, or shall I go on ?

Because, you know, the elephant couldn't give a crap unless we're feeding it. And Elephants need lots of feeding.

---* Bill

14 - it seems to be sticking on { Link }

please tell me the whole site is not falling over because it cannot collect enough stats

15 - Paul,
According to Ed's site, they are changing the file names to exactly what you recommended (I am fixing some IBM downloads challenges, starting with filenames)! Thank you! And thanks to Ed for posting about it! Hopefully we will have more effective searches now!

16 - I remember almost spending a full morning just trying to get drivers for one of their servers\raid cards. (Had make\model, serial numbers etc)
Painful experience. I was with a colleague who said he knew someone in IBM support and said he would call them.
"What do you want me to say?"
"Just give us the f***ing drivers you c***s!!"
He fell about the place laughing. Got there in the end but oh my God!

17 - Amen! It is stunning how poorly they have constructed the download section. You cannot even conduct a search for a product and expect real results. For the strides they are making in their products they need to acknowledge that their products are very unaccessable.

18 - Could not agree more. The amount of time I waste on this is beyond a joke.

19 - Sir! Yes Sir!

I really hate the old 8+3 OS/2 naming standard...

C99GNML in not that good...

20 - Hey @4, OS/2 had HPFS and long file names! Just because it was half an operating system don't knock it!

But yeah, I am fond of looking through dlmgr.pro to find the translations of the file I just downloaded...

21 - I think they're still using some OS/2 boxes to serve this up and those are requiring the 8.3 naming convention! ;)

22 - I agree workarounds are not the answer, but when the chances of change are slim and none.....

23 - second the frustration. I always have overlays of how I would do it... now let's see, one drop-down for product, one for OS, one for language... bobs your uncle...<br /><br />

24 - But Paul ... Didn't you sign the agreement to keep the Domino 9.5 beta a secret? Just imagine the charge on the Passport Advantage site now!

25 - Its bloody down again, I have quite literally worked till 1 in the morning on a demo for a client and the bloody site for the software download is down

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* or go to bed because no gives a damn

26 - @Bill - suddenly those "ratty, moth eaten" clothes don't look so bad

27 - Its not just partners though Bill. Customers come to us as they can't find the software they have already bought....

Its beyond terrible, beyond amateur, beyond hope.