Re: Need some opinions on phrasing

[Janice Gelb <Janice -dot- Gelb -at- Sun -dot- COM>]

Sarah Blake wrote:
> I see the distinction they're trying to make, but I don't think it's a
> distinction that the language actually supports.  The 'promise' may be
> more obvious in the 'or higher' but it's still implicit in the 'at
> least'.
> 
> I can see the support calls now...
> 
> Customer:  This feature doesn't work.
> Support:  OK, well what do you have installed...
> Customer:  I'm running VaporWare 3.8 with BugWare 2.7
> Support:  Ah, that's your problem.  BugWare 2.7 doesn't work with
> VaporWare later than 3.2.
> Customer:  Your documentation says 'at least VaporWare 2.7'.  I'm
> running at least VaporWare 2.7.  I followed your advice exactly, so if
> it doesn't work it's your fault and I want you to fix it.
> 
> ...I don't really see that particular phrase substitution as solving the
> problem :)
> 

Legal's point of view is that the phrasing "at
least VaporWare 2.7" only states that versions
before 2.7 won't work and that version 2.7 will.
It doesn't say anything specific about 2.8 or later.
Future versions of the documentation can clarify later
incompatibilities without specifically contradicting
earlier statements.

   "Sorry, ma'am, but the documentation you're referring
   to was superseded by a later statement in the docs
   for version 3.0, which clearly said that the product
   no longer worked with BugWare. We never claimed that
   future versions above 2.7 would continue to offer this
   feature."

-- Janice

***********************************************************
Janice Gelb          | The only connection Sun has with
janice -dot- gelb -at- sun -dot- com  | this message is the return address



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