Brian,
I am in a hurry to get some work done and get to this afternoon's games that I an scheduled to officiate, but here is the reader's digest version of what Bert is trying to say.
Right now in the EULA there is a clause or passage that basically says that AC has the right to terminate any user for reasons that they do not have to justify or defend. Just because they want to. Without getting all snippy again, there was a customer service issue that got very heated and out of hand and actual termination was started. Only when the customer (I wonder who?) backed down and declared peace for fear of lossing useful and meaningful access to their data and database was some amount of peace restored. Having your raw data without the database program that it is created in is just about meaningless and useless to the majority of users. Sure one may or may not be able to spend a few thousand dollars with some private third party attempting to convert their data to work inside some other program, but that is never a sure thing and the costs are certainly frightening and unknown until the project is complete. Not a pretty picture for most of us.
Furthermore, if I am not mistaken in the termination section of the EULA is language that defines speaking ill about the company (AC) as a grounds for termination. So much like the situation above if anyone of us was to voice our displeasure with the product itself or the service we do or don't recieve from tech support let's say, we have now most probably crossed the line, and by the terms of the present EULA, could be potentially terminated. Trust me, unfortunately this is all too real and as I told you once before it was a very dark day at that practice when all hell broke loose for voicing customer opinion whether right or wrong. Just writing like this as I am doing right now, here on the user board, can be seen as grounds for termination in the present language of the EULA. I am not the only one who has read it this way and I encourage all users to go and read the entire document for themselves.
I suggest to those who are involved, who do claim to care and be active members, even those who are interlopers and watchers, to go read the present EULA. And when you do don't think about it in terms of when all things are good and smooth, but think about it in terms of when things are not good and one is banging on the door needing to be assisted when their system or data is blown to bits and your practice is just sitting there slowly whithering away while your charts are less than perfect. Such contracts should properly define boths sides rights and obligations, not just be some crafty lawyer's way of keeping one side completely free and clear of any and all actions, no matter how good or bad they have been.
Same thing with the service section and agreement. Look at the website and read the description of Guardian Angel and then read the section of the EULA that covers support and see how much they jive in your own mind. Go back and forth a few times between the two and see what you yourself think. Do they seem to be saying the same thing? Do they support and re-enforce one another or do they conflict and neutralize one or the other??? Does one say one thing while the other says something completely different? Do that and then I'd love to hear some feedback from some others beside just Me, Bert and Roy.
Anyway, Got to get me to the rink on time. Games to do... Have a great weekend and good luck to all my fellow east coasters with the storm coming tonight.... Be safe out there....
Paul
