Copilot Live 6

[PONDEROUS]

There was a remarkably short period between Mr Burrows's last postings of the nature to which I allude and his announcement that he was joining ALK.

That is why I asked not only whether there was such a period after he joined ALK, but also whether there was one while he was considering their offer. Presumably, then, he gave them a very quick answer. If that is your assurance, then all I can do is accept it.

I hope, as I have said before, that the forum team takes the necessary lessons form all of this. For there can be no doubt that it is they who have brought on the questions about their independence, and that applies particularly to Mr Burrows - ALK job offer or no ALK job offer.

[Dave]

Well it's interesting to see XXXXXXX is throwing his normal tantrums, touting the 'BIG CONSPIRACY' theories and using my name in vein several times more. If I lived in fear or had a disturbed nature than I would think that XXX had a personal grudge against me, or perhaps wanted to take a hit out on me. Luckily I have a sane mind and live in the real world, but I guess I ought to be either concerned for my safety or flattered the amount of times XXXX uses my name.

XXXX, do you happen to wake up in the middle of the night chanting my name and picking up that voodoo doll that you have on your bedside cabinet and stick a pin in it ? I'm utterly amazed how someone can have so much aggression towards me. You must really hate me!

[PONDEROUS]

For those who may not realise it, it was I who told David Quin (let's call him David Q) at ALK that my pseudonym on the forum is PONDEROUS. I would not want Mr Burrows, or Dave (Dave B) if he prefers, giving the impression that he worked it out for himself. Don't preach to me of leaks, Dave B: you have disclosed my name without permission.

As far as my own position is concerned, I had until today kept to myself all that David Q and ALK had said to me. Now, I confess, I have breached their confidence by revealing that I was invited to be a Beta tester. I am afraid I was left with no choice, having been left high and dry and treated with discourtesy over many, many weeks by David Q and ALK.

Do, please, realise that criticism on the forum without mentioning what ALK have said to me IS NOT a breach of confidence. It is an important point, and I invite you to ponder it!!

If David Q did not wish to communicate with me, then he should not have promised to do so, and he should have said that he had changed his mind. Equally, if it was a question of waiting for beta material to become available, then he should have said so. Simply ignoring my communications has brought this on, and deservedly so.

As far as what I have said is concerned, this is a clear case of saying how wonderful Copilot is, and not complaining at all, or else being treated in this way. Unfortunately, for example, David Q responds to requests, for example, for disclosure of combinations of "tweaks" that really will produce sensible routes - or a declaration that there is no such combination - by evading the issue and uttering slogans such as "Copilot is the Best Navigating Experience" (or similar - I haven't looked it up). This is not good enough, and I will say so whether he likes it or not

I have said it before to David Q, and I will say it now: ALK gives a fine impression of pretending that all is well and wanting to do nothing. You, Dave B, have given a very similar impression by making unjustifiable and inaccurate statements rather than realising that one really has to do one's homework if one wants to be taken seriously.

My repeated references to you, Dave B, and indeed to ALK's failings, are borne not of any hatred of you, but of a concern that we users are being taken for a ride. There is ample reason for us to think that way.

Having said all of this, I recognise that people and organisations can change. All I need is the evidence and I will enthuse about ALK and Copilot just as you have so long without it!!!! In fact, I'd really love to write to the forum and describe just how professional you have all become and how brilliant your new version of the product is.

By all means give me a ring if you would like. You will find me courteous, as I always am, but open and frank and expecting you to behave similarly. In fact, I would be pleased to try to get to know you.

I will, if you wish, test your software and report to you honestly - and keep confidences as I originally promised until you come to roll it out. However, if you, for example, charge customers money while waypoints tie a journey up in ever more twisted knots, there are still nonsensical concepts (such as 30% avoid motorways; 70% favour cyclepaths ...) etc. then I shall have no hesitation in saying so very clearly in stating that you were given the necessary information before you sold the product.

The choice is yours. I look forward to hearing your decision - one way or the other - and to hearing from David Q - again, one way or the other.

There is only one wy to achieve what you want, and that is to be straight whether Copilot is working well or not. If you are straight, then customers will help you get it working well and give you time to do so.

Just to answer your point that I have not sent you any emails about bugs, I have to say that I did not trust you to read them impartially and objectively. As I say, I would be delighted to corect that impression if it should prove appropriate.

[Skippy]

Dave, if you found out what PONDEROUS' real name was from ALK then to reveal it here is a breach of the Data Protection Act which ALK and yourself are bound by in the UK.

I can't see that revealing his name serves to further this discussion. We must not let this discussion descend into personal attacks, it doesn't serve any purpose.
_________________
Gone fishing!

[PONDEROUS]

I note Skippy's point about the Data Protection Act. Perhaps more important is that Dave breaks just about every ethical principle that one would expect to be observed by someone in his position. That should be no surprise given his track record on this forum.

However, today is the first day of the future for Dave and us all. As I keep saying, I will be only too pleased to congratulate him when he shows the necessary changes.

I shall shortly test Dave's commitment to taking faults seriously (I assume that is in fact what he has committed himself to), by sending him an email concerning some serious database deficiencies in CP 5. I shall also post the content of the email, and Dave and ALK's response, on this thread.

Yes, Dave, I know that you said you would not be replying to the emails. Alas, though your statement does not make your intentions right. They merely assist ALK in its apparent desire to keep quiet about the problems with CP 5 rather than to solve them and stand by the product and its users.

Hopefully Dave will realise that posting criticisms of CP 5 does not amount to leaking beta material on CP 6. Unfortunately, I would from past experience expect him to make such a misrepresentation. Let us see, though. I DO NOT mention this in order to attack Dave, but in order that he might at last see the problem.

I look forward to seeing Dave showcase "the new ALK" rather than replying with his usual disingenuous tirade. I also look forward to helping him do a good job in his new role - if he will let me.

In the meantime, Dave, please make it clear on your standard template, logo, etc. that you are not only a "technical evangelist", the forum's Founder Member, etc., but also an employee of ALK.

[Dave]

[PONDEROUS]

Dave. I am already on the beta team. I can't stop you removng me from it, and I am certainly not going to try. However, if you do then it certainly speaks volumes.

You spoke two posts ago of being in the real world. Perhaps you should think again about what that means and reappraise your approach.

By the way, much of the reason why it has been necessary to say so much is that what you have said has had to be corrected.

If you do want my hel, then you know where to find me.

Good luck.

[GrimBeard]

Blimey 8O

[Northernbloke]

[PONDEROUS]

I would add, Northernbloke, that the motorway (and major road) bias to which you refer has been on the forum since last October.

The issue has been described in great detail on two major threads in which Dave Burrows has been involved - one he closed down because users would not accept his refusal to address the issue. Of course, we can now see the same sort of vengeance being sought by Dave in his desire to cut out beta testers who do not sing the company song.

Several users have posted example routes that prove the existence of the problem. I, for one, have sent an example trip file to ALK. Users have disproved Dave's claim that CP 5 can be "tweaked" to eliminate the problem (which, by the way, he simultaneously claimed did not exist, so which is it?!)

It is therefore a scandal that Dave has yet again sought to dismiss the issue by, only yesterday, claiming that complaints about it come about only because users know the local routes.

Reading a little closer into Dave's most recent posts on this thread, we see that in fact he believes that it is in order for ALK to abandon CP 5 and start selling CP 6. This, he justifies by saying that in producing CP 6, ALK may be:

[Dave]

[PONDEROUS]

ENHANCE?

[Skippy]

[PONDEROUS]

I said earlier that I would post details of a CP 5 database problems for Dave's in order to test the new system he says he has introduced at ALK.

I have now made the post on a new thread entitled:

COPILOT 5 DATABASE DEFICIENCIES

To be fair, I must say that I became cautiously more optimistic when I saw Dave's response to Northernbloke (above a couple of posts). Although he could not seem to resist saying "enhance" rather than "fix", it appeared to be only a stone's throw from a frank reply.

The only reservation I have is that Dave might still be playing a game based upon the principle of divide and conquer - by being obliging to one user (Northernbloke) and ignoring another (me).

Let's see how he responds to this database problem, however.

If there is a satisfactory reply, then perhaps we can look forward to focusing on the workings of the product rather than the behaviour of the company.

Of course, there is also the need for no-cost upgrades for CP 5 users, as so clearly stated above by Skippy.

[Northernbloke]

Very long (polite) pm sent to Dave with as much info as I could think of to include.

One thing I have found - which may have been mentioned elsewhere on the forum - i'll look later. The CP5 update to v 5.0.1.48 appears to have installed itself to the PPC internal storage, My initial install of CP5 (v5.0.1.24) was done onto my own SD card (not the one supplied with CP5), so I seem to have 2 different versions of CP5 installed in different locations?

Anyone else found this? any way of getting the update onto the card and out of the internal storage (without making things worse?)

Regards,

Northernbloke

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