OStatic

Quiet! I'm Doing Science, Therapy and Tech Support!

Let's start with this observation: The old adages that the best things in life are free, and that you always get what you pay for are conflicting statements. The proverbs that tell us how money corrupts -- and motivates -- are less at odds, I think, or at least are backed by better evidence. Consciously or otherwise, we tend to want to apply these little life lessons to all aspects of our lives, including technology. Perhaps this is why many businesses, organizations and individuals are still dragging their feet about open source software claiming that community tech support isn't as good as purchased support services.

At this point, I'd guess it's a fifty-fifty split that the person making the statement has other, more complicated and not-worth-delving-into-right-now concerns about open source adoption, or isn't aware that if it really is required, many of the larger open source projects have paid support options.

In some cases, you simply need paid support services that are dedicated to you and know your business, its intricacies and infrastructure. That's fine, and these services are widely available. For those who aren't in those situations, I suggest taking a look at Stephanie Zvan's analysis of paid versus community tech support, and how operant conditioning (rewarded behavior encourages more of the behavior) is often saddled with a paradoxical reaction called a negative contrast effect, where physical rewards (and their simultaneously corrupting and motivating influences) diminish the joy taken in the original behavior. It's a wildly geeky (and extremely logical) explanation of why community support is often miles ahead of paid services.

It's true. Maybe it's because as logical and mechanical as technology appears, there are too many unknown factors and points of failure along the line to successfully troubleshoot distant machines with a list of questions and a flow chart. Certainly some tech support workers enjoy tracking down and solving problems, but this passion must fade to some degree when forced to stick to a troubleshooting diagram (in order to minimize liability) and dodge epithets from irate customers they're now prevented from helping -- for perhaps a teensy bit more than minimum wage.

There's undoubtedly tension and confrontation in many tech support calls from the moment the phone is answered. As a customer, you might get a very capable, bright, involved support technician who is in some way limited in how he can help -- or you could just as easily get one that no longer cares (or never cared). One thing is certain on an open source community support forum -- those offering help care, and want you to get things working. There is a passion to solve problems and so that you are able to see what they find so great about the application. Yes, it's good to search a bit about the issue you're having, but if you have no idea where to start -- say so, and tell them everything you feel might be slightly pertinent. Community support folks are quite willing to put in the effort and ask questions -- but it's still very appreciated when those asking for help show that they've made some sort of effort on their own.

I recently wrote about my first experience with Linux. I started with SUSE 8.2, partially, yes, because it had a paid support line. Yes, I called it. The gentleman I got on the line was very pleasant, but he couldn't help me piece together my problem. The solution came from a forum, from an enthusiastic soul who wanted me to get the most out of my software.

And no, that little issue wasn't my last -- it was the first of many. But if the answers to my support questions weren't already out there, there's never been a shortage of people willing to roll up their sleeves and make suggestions on what to try next. If my company's servers were spewing green smoke and displaying the works of the master painters -- in ASCII -- I would definitely want a paid support crew to get me back up and running quickly. For home, or less critical work situations, the community is a great source of support and learning -- and the best compensation is a thank you and a willingness to pass what's learned onwards.

• open source
• tech support
• support services
• paid support

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