Dell hates Amirica and Linux users.

davijordan · Post by **davijordan** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 5:35 am

Dell doing layoffs of american workers again. Dell cuts 250 tech support jobs in Nashville

Microsoft and Dell have alledgedly started a new smear campaign of linux. In the area where I live they have started a "be very unafraid" ( a play on richard stallman's "be very afraid" remarks) ads for dells with microsoft software. I will not be getting a new Dell computer now for sure.

Gomer_X · Post by **Gomer_X** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 7:32 am

It would be nice to see documentation on some of this. Sounds like FUD to me.

They're still the first major company to sell Linux in a serious way. Maybe they cut support jobs because all those new Linux boxes don't need support.

allix · Post by **allix** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 8:07 am

do you have any links or references?
It sounds odd that Dell would be against linux, after all they sell machines with it.

In regard to the lay-offs, that sucks hard, the us economy as a whole is going down.
My folks have friends in Florida and property has slumped a lot and things are getting tougher.
£1 to US $2.04230 , it might be good for british wanting to go on holiday, but it will effect the export market.

snarkout · Post by **snarkout** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 8:39 am

I don't mean to sound like an asshat, but having worked in the tech support field for the better part of a decade, I can tell you that 250 jobs isn't much. Generally it's at least an order of magnitude higher than that. Tech support is on the frontline, and in many cases get the axe before other people do, which seriously sucks since it usually indicates more offshoring of American jobs, and that is (IMNSFHO) a crime against man. On the other hand, planning to make a career out of tech-support of the dell variety is a bad, bad move, especially in today's economy. No matter what industry you're in, learning more and doing more is a good plan - in any technology based field it is simply essential. Remember, tech support does *not* generate revenue - if you've ever been in the field, you've been told this thousands of times over. Sure - it's insanely shortsighted, but it's true.

davijordan · Post by **davijordan** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 10:23 pm

Gomer_X wrote:It would be nice to see documentation on some of this. Sounds like FUD to me.

They're still the first major company to sell Linux in a serious way. Maybe they cut support jobs because all those new Linux boxes don't need support.

It was an amimated ad for the "be very unafraid". . I contacted Dell about it and have had no responce. It is all over the web about dell's layoffs. you would have to be blind not to see it.

davijordan · Post by **davijordan** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 10:38 pm

Snarkout wrote:I don't mean to sound like an asshat, but having worked in the tech support field for the better part of a decade, I can tell you that 250 jobs isn't much. Generally it's at least an order of magnitude higher than that. Tech support is on the frontline, and in many cases get the axe before other people do, which seriously sucks since it usually indicates more offshoring of American jobs, and that is (IMNSFHO) a crime against man. On the other hand, planning to make a career out of tech-support of the dell variety is a bad, bad move, especially in today's economy. No matter what industry you're in, learning more and doing more is a good plan - in any technology based field it is simply essential. Remember, tech support does *not* generate revenue - if you've ever been in the field, you've been told this thousands of times over. Sure - it's insanely shortsighted, but it's true.

I used to work in a small computer store. I used to sell more items doing support than most times. To say support does not generate revenue is absurd to me. It is that kind of management logic that is killing american business. If you can help a user resolve an issue, they are more likely to come to you for more advise and goodies. That is when you go for the gold. "Miracle on 34th street" taught me more about selling than I learned at college. An educated user is a buying user. As for layoffs, I guess companies never heard of retraining. Unemployed people do not spend money. In major sports, when a team does not do so well guess who goes firtst : the manager or coach, not the little guys in most cases. American business should do the same.
.

snarkout · Post by **snarkout** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 8:12 am

You made my point with your first sentence. "Used to." Most people who do tech support, and have done it for any period of time "used to" do it somewhere else, or "used to" have a lower level tech support job. Most people continue studying their asses off so they can get another job - in the same company or not. Tech support, as in tier 1 tech support, is a job, not a career. The jobs disappear too quickly, and/or get shifted and require new knowledge. Essentially, tier 1 tech support is like a long, long "try out" - those who make it move on, those who don't end up the subject of hate/fear mongering about companies like dell.

Now - let me make this clear - I think it sucks if dell let 250 people go. I'm not trivializing that, especially if those jobs were moved to India. I am, however, saying that a "right sizing" of that magnitude really isn't news these days, and I am saying that if you are tech support for AOL or dell, and you are not working on a new career path, or working on climbing the same ladder, you are in danger.

Gomer_X · Post by **Gomer_X** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 9:47 am

davijordan wrote:
Gomer_X wrote:It would be nice to see documentation on some of this. Sounds like FUD to me.

They're still the first major company to sell Linux in a serious way. Maybe they cut support jobs because all those new Linux boxes don't need support.
It was an amimated ad for the "be very unafraid". . I contacted Dell about it and have had no responce. It is all over the web about dell's layoffs. you would have to be blind not to see it.

I guess my point is that one ad seen by one person does not constitute a "smear campaign" by Dell. What did the ad say? Could this be just a regional thing? How do we know this is a company wide Dell policy? Google turns up nothing, so it's not a very effective smear campaign.

I don't think the sky is falling. After all I've seen Dell do to support Linux in a market where it's dangerous (financially) to do so, I need a little bit more than this to give up on them.

davijordan · Post by **davijordan** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 3:05 pm

As for the ad I will have to see if I can find it again and do a screen shot. I wish I had now. I know might might say a lot of outlandish things, but I try once in a while to stick with the facts when I am not using poetic license,

I still do support on my own and business is slowly increasing, but it is not or no where near a full time endeavor yet. In fact a user just upgraded and I got some free parts in addtion to my fee. Where I used to work we used dells exclusively.In fact I had to take the mickey mouse onl\ine tests to even talk with their people. To be fair, a lot of the so called techs I dealt with should of been in another field. Do not get me started on human resource mgmt. I think out of all the techs I dealt with, only two to me had it together.

snarkout · Post by **snarkout** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 10:23 am

Just to be clear, I'm not trying to crap on your concern. I'm just making the point that the tech support industry in America is fscked right now, and probably will be forever. This is equally the fault of the companies and the people who fill the tech support positions, really. This is why, once you get your foot in the door, it's a good idea to find a focus and study like hell. On the other hand, there's no way in hell I'd go back to tech support at this point in my career - I'd find work in another field instead. Seriously.

davijordan · Post by **davijordan** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 11:11 am

Computing is my second career. I spent quite a few years in accouning. To be honest, I am begginning to feel the same way I did before getting out of accounting. Being a former t-card holder (enrolled to practice before the irs), I probably could easily write an income tax program for linux, but my heart would not be in it. I do miss coding games though. Society is so litigious today, I thought of becoming a paralegal. I wish I had the money to retire, so I could just spend time with family and give all my computers to charity..